Acclaimed George Washington Exhibit to Open at Canyon Ridge

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - 8/31/2021

“The Many Faces of George Washington,” a national traveling exhibition that examines the multi-dimensional, real-life man behind the myth, opens at Canyon Ridge School on Friday, September 17, 2021.

Free exhibit tours are open to the public from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm. Canyon Ridge School is located at 17359 W. Surprise Farms Loop N., Surprise AZ 85388, and will have costumed student performers, representing an array of multicultural colonial figures, and Arizona Sons of the American Revolution and Daughters of the American Revolution patriots, will serve as guides and presenters. 

Produced by curators and researchers at George Washington’s home, Mount Vernon, in conjunction with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, this exhibition presents the many different facets of Washington’s leadership through dazzling color graphics of paintings, photographs, and iconic objects. “The Many Faces of George Washington” looks at Washington’s leadership in the exhibition’s seven sections: Virginia Childhood, Risk Taker, Realistic Visionary, Wise Decision Maker, Impassioned Learner, Visionary Entrepreneur, and At Home at Mount Vernon. The exhibition has been made possible by a generous grant from the F.M. Kirby Foundation. The financial support of our local patriotic partners in the Arizona Sons of the American Revolution, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and Arizona Daughters of the American Revolution, have made this single Arizona appearance of the exhibit a reality. For more details, project coordinator Mr. Christopher J. Raso can be reached at christopher.raso@dysart.org.

About Canyon Ridge School in Surprise, Arizona

 Established in 2007, Canyon Ridge School is a kindergarten through eighth grade campus, in the Dysart Unified School District, and serves the needs of nearly one thousand students. This concept school offers a 21st century education based on scientific inquiry, collaborative activities and cross curricular STEM learning opportunities. In 2017, Canyon Ridge became the first Arizona school to earn AdvancED STEM certification. This site also earned an “A” label from the Arizona Department of Education for six consecutive years and is proud to have a number of national and state award winning teachers, as members of the staff. Canyon Ridge School also fosters balanced historical awareness, positive citizenship, and presents a number of annual Social Studies events: 9-11 Remembrance, U.S. Constitution Day program, and Veterans Day Commemoration. The school participates in a variety of local civic projects and has long standing partnerships with seventeen patriotic organizations including: National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Arizona Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Veterans Heritage Project.

About George Washington’s Mount Vernon

 Since 1860, over 80 million visitors have made George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate & Gardens the most popular historic home in America. Through historic tours, entertaining events, and stimulating educational programs on the Estate, and in classrooms across the nation, Mount Vernon strives to preserve George Washington’s place in history as “First in War, First in Peace, and First in the Hearts of His Countrymen.” Mount Vernon is owned and operated by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, America’s oldest national preservation organization, founded in 1853. A picturesque drive along the scenic George Washington Memorial Parkway, Mount Vernon is located 16 miles from the nation’s capital.

About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History 

Founded in 1994, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History promotes the study and love of American history. The Institute serves teachers, students, scholars, and the general public. It helps create history-centered schools, organizes seminars and programs for educators, produces print and electronic publications and traveling exhibitions, sponsors lectures by eminent historians, and administers a History Teacher of the Year Award in every state through its partnership with Preserve America. The Institute also conducts the Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and George Washington Book Prizes, and offers fellowships for scholars to work in the Gilder Lehrman Collection. The Institute maintains two websites, http://www.gilderlehrman.org and the journal http://www.historynow.com

Media inquiries should be directed to renee.ryon@dysart.org or 623-876-7196.