Over 230 rare works by Mucha will be on view for the inaugural exhibition of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, from 14 July to 31 December 2012.

<em>Alphonse Mucha: Inspirations of Art Nouveau<em> will feature paintings, jewellery, sculptures and lithographs. Not since 1999 has an exhibit of this size and calibre appeared in the United States and it will be the first of its type to appear in the Midwest region.

"We have been working with the Mucha Foundation for more than a year to bring this stunning exhibit to the U.S. and we are particularly thrilled that it will be the inaugural exhibition for the opening of this national museum," said President/CEO Gail Naughton. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to view the lush beauty of Mucha´s flowing, elegant artwork, which is recognized by people all over the world."

The exhibition is divided into six sections and explores Mucha not just as the father of Art Nouveau, but also Mucha´s Moravian roots, his family, his photography and his devotion to the Slav people.

This retrospective is the first fully dedicated to the drawings of Gustav Klimt (1862-1918), one of the seminal figures in modern art. It explores the stylistic evolution of his drawings as well as their centrality to his artistic enterprise. Indeed, Klimt's paintings cannot be understood without careful consideration of his drawings, which also play a semi-autonomous role in his artistic output. Based upon assiduous study of the human figure, they are characterized by an unsurpassed mastery of line during all phases of his artistic development. This major loan exhibition was organized by the Albertina Museum, Vienna, in association with the J. Paul Getty Museum, to mark the 150th anniversary of Klimt's birth.