News for Immediate Release
June 25, 2014
State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces July Highlights
Harrisburg – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for July 2014:
Art of the State: The 47th Annual “Art of the State” is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania artists. This year's show includes 122 works from 114 artists from 30 counties. Jurors selected artwork from five categories: Craft, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Work on Paper. The exhibit will be open to the public through September 14, 2014. “Art of the State” is presented by Jump Street and The State Museum of Pennsylvania.
A Fondness for Birds: Pennsylvania’s Alexander Wilson: This exhibit features bird prints and first edition volumes of the 200-year-old “American Ornithology” series by Wilson, who is considered the father of American ornithology. Also featured are a number of bird specimens from the museum’s Botany and Zoology collections, some of which date to the late 19th century. The specimens underscore the museum’s historic and continuing role in the study of Pennsylvania’s flora and fauna. This exhibit runs through March 15, 2015, and is included with general admission to the Museum.
3rd in the Burg: Friday, July 18 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Enjoy the “Art of the State” exhibition “after hours” for the first “Artist’s Conversation” of the season. Admission to the Museum is free during the hours of the event.
Learn@Lunchtime Summer Series: The State Museum’s Learn@Lunchtime series is back for the summer and runs through August 22. Admission to The State Museum is free on Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Join the Museum’s curators and educators at 12 noon to discover exciting new things about Pennsylvania.
• Friday, July 11 – Flintknapping with the Archaeology Curators
Join Mr. Steve Nissly, a flintknapper with over a decade of experience, as he reproduces a variety of spearpoint styles using methods that are thousands of years old.
• Friday, July 18 – How did we get here?
Join curator Bob Hill as he provides an insider’s tour through “Man and Machine: Industry and Technology.”
• Friday, July 25 – Pennsylvania’s Founding Father: William Penn
Museum educator Cherie Trimble will be at the museum’s iconic statue of William Penn to look at his life and the time in which he lived.
- Friday, August 1 – Some Are Frogs. Some Are Not!
Natural Science curator Dr. Walter Meshaka will be on the 3rd Floor to discuss Pennsylvania frogs.
- Friday, August 8 – When Pennsylvania Was Covered with Water
Get an overview of Pennsylvania during the Paleozoic Era with curator Steve Jasinski.
• Friday, August 15 – Objects of Valor
Curatorial supervisor Brad Smith provides insight to how Pennsylvania has remembered and commemorated the Civil War.
- Friday, August 22 – Learn@Lunchtime Visitor’s PickYou decide! Be sure to vote as you attend other Learn@Lunchtime events this summer. Whatever you select through the voting process will be happening this day!
Summer Storytime Series in Curiosity Connection: The State Museum will kick off its popular summer children’s book reading program on Thursday, July 17. Featuring a different book each week, readings begin at 10 a.m. and are followed by a related activity. The series is suggested for children 3-5 years, but all ages are welcome and it is free with museum admission. The six-week summer series features:
- Thursday, July 17 - “Forest Bright, Forest Night” by Jennifer Ward
- Thursday, July 24 - “Let’s Look at Dinosaurs” by Frances Barry
- Thursday, July 31 - “Dreaming Up” by Christy Hale
- Thursday, Aug. 7 - “Birds” by Kevin Henkes
- Thursday, Aug. 14 - “Machines Go to Work in the City” by William Low
- Thursday, Aug. 21 - “Stars” by Mary Lyn Ray
The Planetarium at The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The Planetarium is offering two shows through August 31:
“Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda” (Pre-k to grade 2): Specially designed for our youngest visitors, this fun-filled, animated show tells the tale of the beautiful princess Andromeda, who in divine punishment for her mother’s bragging is sacrificed to a sea monster and rescued by the Greek hero Perseus. Learn how these Greek mythological characters came to be in the night sky.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 1 p.m.
Saturday, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.
“Dynamic Earth” (grade 4 and up): Narrated by Liam Neeson, “Dynamic Earth” explores the inner workings of Earth's climate system. With visualizations based on satellite monitoring data and advanced supercomputer simulations, this cutting-edge production follows a trail of energy that flows from the Sun into the interlocking systems that shape our climate: the atmosphere, oceans and the biosphere.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, 2 p.m.
Saturday, 12 noon and 2 p.m.; Sunday, 2 p.m.
Planetarium shows are $2 per person in addition to general admission; free to State Museum Affiliate Members and Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation Members.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Trails of History®. The State Museum offers expansive collections interpreting Pennsylvania’s fascinating heritage. With exhibits examining the dawn of geologic time, the Native American experience, the colonial and revolutionary era, a pivotal Civil War battleground, and the Commonwealth's vast industrial age, The State Museum demonstrates that Pennsylvania's story is America’s story.
Museum hours are Wed. through Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and senior citizens.
The State Museum of Pennsylvania will be closed on July 4th in celebration of the national holiday.
For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.
Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
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