
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, November 25, 1995                   TAG: 9511270020
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-4   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: PULASKI                                LENGTH: Short

SMITHSONIAN'S `ARTRAIN' TO MAKE A STOP AT PULASKI'S DEPOT DAY

Pulaski's third Depot Day celebration will actually be four days long and will bring in art work from the Smithsonian Institution by train as a highlight.

"Artrain," as the five-car traveling exhibit is known, will make only two stops in Virginia next year. One will be in Manassas, and the other will be in Pulaski for Depot Day activities, June 20-23.

Viewing of the art works in the train is free; local artists will be working on the caboose during the festivities. The other train cars include a studio car built in 1946 as a baggage car, and three gallery cars which were originally passenger cars dating respectively from 1924, 1930 and 1950. The caboose serves as an office for the Artrain on-board staff.

America's "museum in motion" started in 1971 and has visited more than 500 communities since then. It was established to take art to people in areas not being reached by regular museum programs, and is funded largely by public and private grants, corporate and individual donations, sales of items from its on-board gift shop, and fees from communities it visits.

The Artrain exhibits change every few years.

A highlight of Pulaski's first Depot Day in 1994, was the Norfolk Southern Corp.'s steam excursion train, since retired. Artrain will allow Depot Day to continue its theme of incorporating railroading into its activities.

by CNB