At the beginning of 2012, the museum's 106-year-old main building will be closed for complete renovation. In 2014, when Riga will become the European Capital of Culture, the museum will once again be open to visitors. Throughout this autumn and until January 2012, while parting with the museum for its renovation, we invite you to recall, re-learn and focus on national artistic values by attending special events at the museum's main building – within the framework of "Late Fridays".

At 6 p.m. every Friday, everyone is invited to take a look at the museum's permanent exhibition, accompanied by art historian Edvarda Šmite, and listen to stories about artists and their sources of inspiration in the cycle "Artist and Muse". The visitors will find out about Jānis Rozentāls and his wife - Finnish singer Elli Forssell, Teodors Zaļkalns, Kārlis Padegs and his women, etc. The list of themes is available on the museum's homepage www.lnmm.lv.

"Late Fridays" also feature another special offer - the opportunity to visit the creative workshop "Classics are Always in Fashion" at 6.30 p.m. on Fridays (by calling +371 67 324461 or sending e-mails to pr@lnmm.lv). In the workshop, its visitors, together with artist Diāna Dimza-Dimmi, will be able to print images of Latvian art on their clothes, bags or fabric with the help of screen printing technique. At the moment, the workshop offers images of Janis Rozentāls' graphics, Boriss Bērziņs' painting "Swimmer" and Karlis Padegs' painting "Madonna with a Machine Gun”. The museum’s logo can also be added.

The selection of images for printing will be updated every week.

The third special event, which will be offered to all visitors of the museum’s permanent exhibition, will be held at 6.30 p.m. on November 25, when Evita Zālīte – star of the Latvian National Opera – will hold a concert on the museum’s main stairs.