CURATED CULTURE: EXCLUSIVE ART & DESIGN EXCURSIONS

New York, NY, November 1, 2007 – Luxury tour operator Artisans of Leisure caters to affluent travelers who seek enriching, one-of-a-kind cultural experiences unique to each destination. These travelers often approach their journeys as collectors and connoisseurs; travel is a way for them to acquire rare experiences, such as seeing exceptional works of art, architecture and design. Responding to client demand, Artisans of Leisure has introduced an exciting new range of private excursions that focus on the best art and design of the last 150 years, from tours of Arts & Crafts homes in London to meeting contemporary art curators in Japan.

“Our travel specialists have a lifelong commitment to art, design and travel. They are passionate, dedicated travelers, and they have worked in art journalism, art galleries and auction houses around the world,” says Ashley Isaacs Ganz, president of Artisans of Leisure. “Our clients appreciate that we share their interests, that we've been to these places, and that we can provide them with privileged access,” says Ganz. “They also choose us because we have an unrivalled ability to customize tours that combine art and design-focused touring with more general cultural touring and other activities.”

Artisans of Leisure's art and design excursions are suitable for everyone from serious art collectors to families with young children. Private and tailored to the interests of each traveler, the excursions can be incorporated into any Artisans of Leisure tour, generally at no additional cost.

Art, Design and Architecture excursions include:

• Starchitecture Tours – Excursions that include landmark modern and contemporary buildings by renowned architects (Foster, Gehry, Gaudi, Pei, Piano, SANAA, Koolhaas, Herzog & de Meuron, etc.) in top architecture destinations around the world, such as Bird's Nest Stadium and CCTV Tower in Beijing; the Prada, Hermes and Dior boutiques in Tokyo; the Gherkin and Tate Modern in London; Hotel Puerta America Madrid, Guggenheim Bilbao and Casa Batllo in Spain; the Reichstag, Jewish Museum, Berlin Philharmonic and Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin; Jubilee Church, Auditorium Parco della Musica and Palazzo della Civilta in Rome; and the Louvre, Institut du Monde Arabe, Centre Pompidou and Villa Savoye in Paris.
• Art and Design Movements Tours – Excursions that include the most interesting buildings, interiors and private collections relevant to major movements from the 1860s to the present, such as Arts & Crafts in Britain; the Secession in Vienna, Budapest and Prague; Modernisme and Surrealism in Spain; Impressionism in France; Art Deco in Shanghai; Socialist Realist and Communist art and architecture in Russia.
• Contemporary Art Fairs and Exhibitions – Tours designed around art events such as the Venice Biennale, Frieze Art Fair, Biennale of Sydney, Istanbul Biennial and Shanghai Biennale.
• Art-as-Destination Tours – Tours that visit remote and off-the-beaten-track locations considered to be some of the world's most interesting art and architecture destinations, such as Naoshima Island (Benesse Art Site Naoshima) in Japan, Commune by the Great Wall in China, and Hotel Marques de Riscal and wineries in La Rioja, Spain.
• Art Shopping Tours – Excursions that include visits to leading art galleries featuring the best work by local contemporary artists; meetings with local artists, gallerists and art experts; tours of artists' studios; and attending art auctions and art fairs with local experts.
• Participatory Art Tours – Private, hands-on lessons in local styles of art and design by accomplished artists, and tours of private museum and gallery collections with curators.

Artisans of Leisure art and design excursions facilitate travelers' experiences in several important ways:

• Unparalleled flexibility – All excursions are private, can be taken on any date and can be incorporated into more extensive travel plans.
• Exclusive access – Artisans of Leisure travelers skip lines, enter sites after hours, tour private collections, and meet fascinating local experts.
• Sophisticated travel advice – Artisans of Leisure specialists have in-depth knowledge gained through years of studying art and design, living overseas, extensive travel, and working in art journalism, art galleries and auction houses.
• Full-service logistical assistance – Artisans of Leisure provides advance reservations, VIP access, access permits, coordination of transportation, and other forms of logistical support.

In addition to these excursions, Artisans of Leisure also arranges more extensive art and design tours, including Contemporary Art of Japan, Contemporary Art of China and Culinary & Art Tour of Spain.

All Artisans of Leisure tours include comprehensive sightseeing with expert private guides and drivers, carefully selected rooms in the finest luxury hotels in the world, internal transportation, restaurant and spa reservations, admission and performance fees, special amenities, access to Artisans of Leisure's extensive international network of associate offices, and more.

Artisans of Leisure is a luxury tour operator specializing in private, custom travel arrangements in international destinations. For additional information, call (800) 214-8144 or visit http://www.artisansofleisure.com/.

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