<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The art and antiques on the 2,160-guest <em>ms Nieuw Amsterdam</em> &mdash; Holland America Line's newest Signature-class ship &mdash; celebrate the unique heritage of the Dutch in <span class="xn-location">New York</span>, or New Amsterdam, as it was named by explorer <span class="xn-person">Henry Hudson</span> in the 17th century.&nbsp; </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Continuing the tradition of the rest of the fleet, <em>Nieuw Amsterdam</em> features art and antiques from traditional Dutch masters and works by renowned contemporary artists. Holland <span class="xn-person">America Line</span> worked with VFD Architects of <span class="xn-location">the Netherlands</span> and Yran &amp; Storbraaten architects of <span class="xn-location">Norway</span> to create a collection to complement the ship's interior design.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">"At a cost of more than <span class="xn-money">$3 million</span>, we've installed an array of works ranging from glass creations and oil paintings to detailed collages and unique hanging sculptures," said <span class="xn-person">Richard D. Meadows</span>, executive vice president, marketing, sales and guest programs.&nbsp; "Some pieces celebrate the Dutch Golden Age, while others, such as the spectacular centerpiece in the Atrium, express a contemporary curiosity." </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">For guests who wish to view the entire collection, a complimentary self-guided iPod art tour is available at the information desk. The iPod art tour will also be available to download at no charge on Holland America Line's website and on iTunes in early July.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Included in the new collection is a variation on a fleet favorite &mdash; the Lido Pool sculpture. Designed by Bjorn Storbraaten, the piece is made of lightweight stone and functions as both a sculpture and an eight-foot-high waterfall that guests can walk through as they enter or leave the pool. Like its sister-sculpture aboard <em>ms</em> <em>Eurodam</em>, the word <em>water</em> is subtly engraved in the stone in 100 languages.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Nieuw Amsterdam</em> showcases its Dutch connection to <span class="xn-location">New York</span> throughout the ship. A focal point on every Holland America Line vessel is the Atrium chandelier. Adorning the ceiling of <em>Nieuw Amsterdam</em> is a piece by husband and wife Italian artists <span class="xn-person">Gilbert LeBigre</span> and <span class="xn-person">Corinne Roger</span>. Famed for their theatrical stage sets and sculptural works, they created an eye-catching abstract sculpture of the <span class="xn-location">New York</span> skyline made from clear translucent blocks that hangs upside-down. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">As he has done for the entire Holland America Line fleet, <span class="xn-person">Stephen J. Card</span>, a British artist regarded as one of the finest marine painters working today, created paintings of ships that bear the <em>Nieuw Amsterdam</em> name, both past and present. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Displayed in the mid-ship staircase are four paintings by Dutch artist <span class="xn-person">Vincent Jansen</span> that include symbols and elements related to the history and founding of <span class="xn-location">New York</span> by the Dutch. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Just outside the Pinnacle Grill is a contemporary sculpture by Dutch ceramic artist <span class="xn-person">Paula Bastiaansen</span>. &nbsp;Known throughout the world for its technical excellence and exquisite beauty, her art features porcelain worked into paper-thin, transparent shapes that seem to defy gravity. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the aft staircase and lower Dining Room are a series of paintings by <span class="xn-person">Wessel Huisman</span>, who draws inspiration from old photographs of <span class="xn-location">New York</span>. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the forward staircase are works by Peruvian artist <span class="xn-person">Marcelo Wong</span>, whose whimsical figures draw their inspiration from the indigenous peoples of the Americas. Although he usually works in stone, the pieces were created in resin to reduce their weight.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">The wall opposite the Explorer's Lounge is decorated with a mural by Dutchman <span class="xn-person">Harold Vlugt</span>. This nearly 20-foot-long painting on aluminum depicts the modern skyline of <span class="xn-location">New York</span> with elements from past centuries. All of the buildings are made from small cardboard pictures. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">On display in the Piano Bar is the work of famed photographer <span class="xn-person">Ron Galella</span> who worked in <span class="xn-location">New York</span> during the 1960s and '70s and captured a series of iconic memories of that cultural period. Also in the area of the Piano Bar is a contemporary ceramic sculpture by Belgian artist <span class="xn-person">Daisy Boman</span> titled "We Will Find a Way," as well as a wooden camera made by Italian artist <span class="xn-person">Livio De Marchi</span>. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">In Club HAL, <em>Nieuw Amsterdam's</em> teens-only area, the <span class="xn-location">New York</span> theme continues with elements reflecting street life &mdash; complete with a hotdog stand and an actual New York Checker Cab.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Near the Casino is a large 18th-century metal <em>trionfi</em>, or barbecue, with elaborate metalwork covering its surface. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">More New York&ndash;themed art can be found in the Lido Restaurant and Crow's Nest. Artists <span class="xn-person">Birgitta Ahlin</span> and <span class="xn-person">Sirkka Lehtonen</span> &mdash; who created glass panels for <em>Eurodam</em> &mdash; also produced work for <em>Nieuw Amsterdam,</em> and sculptor Rick van Rijswick created a piece out of stylized computer keys. There also are some large glass sculptures by Scandinavian artists Ole Lislerud and Lars Widenfalk.&nbsp; </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tamarind, the alternative pan-Asian restaurant, features an antique Asian chest with detailed craftsmanship and vintage slippers with extremely fine embroidery.</span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Elsewhere on the ship are contemporary works by celebrated artists such as <span class="xn-person">Andy Warhol</span>, <span class="xn-person">Richard Estes</span> and <span class="xn-person">Roy Lichtenstein</span>, whose pieces symbolizes the artistic vibrancy of <span class="xn-location">New York</span> in the 1960s, '70s and '80s. </span></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Built at Fincantieri's Marghera yard near <span class="xn-location">Venice, Italy</span>, <em>Nieuw Amsterdam</em> will be named by Her Royal Highness Princess Maxima of <span class="xn-location">the Netherlands</span> and then sail its maiden voyage on <span class="xn-chron">July 4</span>, 2010.&nbsp;After a series of 12-day Mediterranean sailings, the ship embarks on a fall trans-Atlantic crossing to the <span class="xn-location">Caribbean</span><span class="xn-chron">November 2010</span> through <span class="xn-chron">March 2011</span>. </span><span style="font-size: small;"> to sail seven-day eastern and western itineraries from </span></p>
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