State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces June Highlights

Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for June 2015:
 
Party Like It’s 1965!:
The State Museum and Archives Complex will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary with this family-friendly event. From 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, Saturday June 13, head back in time with retro games, hula hoops, trivia, food and fun.
Check out the live animals from ZooAmerica and take in a 1965 planetarium show.   Learn how to use a Spirograph and enjoy a Storytime with "Dr. Seuss' Fox in Socks".  Outside the museum, the Good Humor man will have retro treats for purchase. The event is included with your general admission to the museum. It's all about 1965!
 
“Art of the State” Exhibit Opening and Reception:
The opening reception for the 48th annual "Art of the State" exhibition will be held 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Sunday, June 28. “Art of the State” is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania artists. This year's show includes 127 pieces from 123 artists. Jurors selected artwork from five categories, Craft, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Work on Paper. The reception is open to the general public. Museum general admission is free for the day. "Art of the State" runs through Sunday, September 13, 2015 with Gallery Walk. “Art of the State” is presented by Jump Street and The State Museum of Pennsylvania.
 
Learn@Lunchtime and 3rd in the Burg:
For summer 2015, Learn@Lunchtime programs focus on the 50th anniversary of the opening of The State Museum and Archives Complex as well as highlighting nature-related programs in the museum’s new Nature Lab. General admission to the museum is free from 11:00 AM to 1:30 PM for these Learn@Lunchtime and 3rd in the Burg events.
 
Friday, June 19
Join Andrea Lowery, PHMC Architect, for a discussion of “Modern Architecture and The State Museum & Archive Complex” at 12:15 PM.
 
Friday, June 26
Join Theresa Alberici, Educator for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, for a presentation of “Endangered Species in Harrisburg” at 12:15 PM in Nature Lab on the Third Floor of the museum.
 
Community Free Day – Father’s Day Celebration:
In conjunction with the Writer’s Workshop & Jump Street, The State Museum of Pennsylvania is hosting a free Father’s Day Celebration featuring an original play by Nathan Lee Gadsden entitled “The Wrong He Has Done.” In addition, the event will include a Poetic Tribute to Fathers and guest speaker, Joe Trojack. The celebration will also feature refreshments and fellowship. Join us Sunday, June 21 from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. General admission to the museum is free for the day.
 
Our Solar System Summer Day Camp Registration Now Open:
Spend the day exploring the Solar System. Build a Solar System model and explore space in our planetarium discovering the size, scale and motions of the Solar System. Campers will participate in experiments aimed at learning about gravity, craters, wind speed and more. In addition, campers will have a chance to test their skills at maneuvering a rover on Mars! Our Solar System Summer Day Camp is open to students 9 to 12 years of age. This one-day camp will be presented on July 7, July 14, and July 21 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Space is limited per day, so reserve your spot early. Admission is $45 per participant, $40 per museum member. Reservations are required. Please contact museum reservationist Diane Wynkoop at 717-772-6997 or dwynkoop@pa.gov for details and registration information.
 
A Fondness for Birds: Pennsylvania’s Alexander Wilson: This exhibit, which features bird prints and first-edition volumes of the 200 year-old “American Ornithology” series by Alexander Wilson, has been extended through Sunday, January 3, 2016. Also featured are bird specimens from the museum’s Botany and Zoology collections. The specimens underscore the museum’s historic and continuing role in the study of Pennsylvania’s flora and fauna. 
 
50th Anniversary Celebration Juried Photo Exhibition/Call for Entries
As part of The State Museum and Archives Complex 50th Celebration, The State Museum and its parent organization, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC), are highlighting the many buildings, furnishings and designs in the Midcentury Modern style created in Pennsylvania during the mid-20th century. PHMC is seeking submissions of photographs that display examples of mid-20th century architecture constructed in Pennsylvania between 1930 and 1980. Entries may depict exteriors, interiors, and/or details of roadside architecture, schools, religious buildings, homes, commercial and recreational structures and other modern elements. Photos may have been taken anywhere in Pennsylvania since January 1, 2012. The exhibition is open to Pennsylvania residents 18 years of age or older, and all skill levels are welcome, from photo enthusiast to professional.  Submissions will be accepted digitally. A link to entry information including rules, fees, deadlines and instructions can be found at www.statemuseumpa.org/photo-exhibit. Submissions chosen for exhibition will be featured in the Pennsylvania Modern Architecture Juried Photo Exhibit, which will run from October 25, 2015 through February 28, 2016, at The State Museum. Deadline for submission of entries is June 30, 2015.
 
The Planetarium at The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The planetarium is offering two shows from June 3 through August 30, 2015:
 
Zula Patrol: Under the Weather (Pre-K to grade 1):
The animated characters of the Zula Patrol are on a mission to stop Dark Truder from becoming ruler of Zula. While on the mission they will learn about the weather in our Solar System, weathers six components, and explore the differences of both type and scale found in our Solar System.
11:00 A.M. and 1:00 PM Saturday; 1:00 PM Sunday
 
We Are Astronomers (grade 4 and up):
This exciting show reveals the global collaboration, technology and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the universe. Explore how astronomers use the electromagnetic spectrum in studying the universe. And hear from astronomers on the challenges they face in sharing and storing data. Take an up-close look at new technologies like the James Webb Telescope and the Large Hadron Collider.
Narrated by David Tennant
12:00 PM and 2:00 PM Saturday; 2:00 PM Sunday
 
Due to special programming for the “Party Like It’s 1965!” and the “Planetarium 50th Anniversary” events, Zula Patrol and We Are Astronomers will not be showing on Saturday, June 13 and the week of July 15 through July 19. Special shows and times for these dates will be provided closer to the event date.
 
Planetarium shows are $3 per person in addition to general admission.  Planetarium admission is 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 Wednesday through Saturday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sunday 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.  Admission is $7 for adults (ages 12-64), $6 for senior citizens (ages 65 and up), and $5 for children (ages 1-11).
 
For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.
 
MEDIA CONTACT: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639
 
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