State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces June Highlights

State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces June Highlights

News for Immediate Release

May 29, 2014

State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces June Highlights

Harrisburg – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for June 2014:

Art of the State: Opening:  The 47th Annual Art of the State is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania artists. This year's show includes 122 pieces from 114 artists. Jurors selected artwork from five categories: Craft, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Work on Paper. The exhibit opens to the public June 22 and runs 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 and Learn@Lunchtime: These two great events are combining on Friday, June 20 from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Take a sneak peek at the 2014 Art of the State exhibit. The 47th Annual Art of the State is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania artists. This year's show includes 122 pieces from 114 artists. Admission to the Museum is free during the hours of the event.

Community Free Day: Nathaniel Gadsden’s Writers Wordshop, Jump Street Inc., Teamsters Local 776, and Life Esteem Inc. presents “The Annual Fatherhood and Family Engagement Celebration” at The State Museum of Pennsylvania Saturday, June 14 from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The event will feature York Poet Laureate Carla Christopher, Storyteller Lynn Blackston, Imani Edu-Tainers African Dancers, the original play “Redemptive Good Will”, and Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse. A panel will be discussing “What Does It Take to Make a Solid Family?” Museum general admission is free for the day.

Summer Day Camp Registration Continues: Camps are filling up fast! The State Museum will be offering a variety of day camps this summer. Camps run from

9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The fee for each camp is $35 per participant and $30 for Museum Members. Registration is required and space is limited. To sign up, contact Diane Wynkoop at 717-772-6997 or email her at dwynkoop@pa.gov.

“Mammals of Pennsylvania” (ages 7 to 10)

Tuesday, July 8 or Wednesday, July 9

“Native Americans” (ages 7 to 10)

Tuesday, July 15 or Wednesday, July 16

“Fossils” (ages 9 to 12)

Tuesday, July 22 or Wednesday, July 23

The Planetarium at The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The Planetarium is offering two shows June 4 through August 31:

“Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus and Andromeda” (Pre-k to grade 2):  Specially designed for our youngest visitors, this is a 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 at 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.

For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.

Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

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