CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.- The Art Institute of Chicago is set to commemorate the 200th “Ford Free Tuesday”—sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund—on January 4, 2005. Start off the New Year with special events at the Art Institute throughout the day, including the lecture “Painting American Industry,” highlighting art in the industrial age.

Ford Motor Company was a pioneer of this pivotal time in America’s history. The first 200 visitors will receive coupons for a free use of the Art Institute’s new Gallery Audio Guide of the museum’s permanent collection. In addition, a special museum tote bag filled with two exhibition catalogues and 20 free general admission tickets will be awarded to the 200th visitor of the day.

The January 4th event also celebrates the renewal of the Art Institute of Chicago’s grant from Ford Motor Company Fund for the fifth consecutive year to continue offering “Ford Free Tuesdays” throughout 2005. Since 2001, the Art Institute and Ford have partnered to provide free admission and special programming as part of the Ford Free Museum Days program to Chicago audiences and visitors. Ford Free Tuesdays are the most popular days at the Art Institute—almost 250,000 people visited the museum on this free day during calendar year 2004. Tuesdays at the Art Institute are the most popular amongst all the free days offered by museums within the Museums in the Park. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of several American museums teaming with Ford to provide greater public access to the visual arts.

Nationwide, Ford Motor Company Fund, through Ford Free Museum Days, allows people in five diverse cities to visit partner museums free of charge. Along with The Art Institute of Chicago, other participants include the San Francisco Legion of Honor, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, and the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City. In 2004 alone, more than 600,000 visitors benefited from the program across the country. Ford Free Tuesdays are made possible by Ford Motor Company Fund, which is committed to investing in Chicago’s outstanding cultural resources.

James Cuno, President and Eloise W. Martin Director of The Art Institute of Chicago, said regarding the sponsorship: “We especially appreciate the continued support of Ford Motor Company as a corporate partner in today’s economic climate. While we have been offering free admission on Tuesdays to all our visitors since 1979, and a suggested admission on all other days, our expenses continue to increase. This support from Ford enables us to continue our current level of public programming that attracts new visitors and encourages people of all ages to explore the world of art as only the Art Institute can present it through our outstanding collections.”

“Ford Motor Company Fund is very pleased to continue support for “Ford Free Tuesdays” at The Art Institute of Chicago. This program continues to engage visitors throughout the Chicago area, offering a special opportunity to view the museum’s important collections and exhibitions free of charge,” said Sandra E. Ulsh, President, Ford Motor Company Fund. “At Ford, we are committed to enriching our communities through programs like Ford Free Tuesdays and to providing broader access to the arts for children, families, students, and all visitors to the Institute.”

During public hours from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., visitors to the Art Institute are invited to experience a wide variety of art-related activities––groundbreaking temporary exhibitions drawn from the museum’s collection and public and private collections worldwide, plus performances, guided tours, and slide lectures––all of which enhance the visitor’s experience of the museum’s own extensive and important collections throughout the year.