Harrisburg, PA – The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced its program schedule for June 2016:
Summer 2016 Nature Lab: Meet the Experts
This summer, take a staycation to The State Museum of Pennsylvania where you’ll discover interactive, hands-on learning experiences guided by specialists in fields ranging from archaeology to environmental protection. Museum curators and representatives of various Pennsylvania State agencies will engage in live educational presentations as they lead visitors of all ages through the rich natural world of Pennsylvania. Make Nature Lab: Meet the Experts the highlight of your day trip to The State Museum.
Here’s a rundown of events featured through Nature Lab: Meet the Experts in June:
Thursday, June 2 at 11:00 AM It’s all about the Face with The State Museum’s Archaeology Section
Thursday, June 9 at 11:00 AM Who’s digging PA? Current Archaeology in Pennsylvania with The State Museum’s Archaeology Section
Thursday, June 16 at 11:00 AM Chipped Stone and the Prehistoric Tool Box with The State Museum’s Archaeology Section
Friday, June 17 at 11:30 AM Animal Tracks and Scat with the Pennsylvania Game Commission
Wednesday, June 22 at 11:30 AM Pennsylvania Wildlife with Dr. Walter Meshaka from The State Museum
Thursday, June 23 at 11:00 AM Forget Me Not – Labeling Artifacts for the Future with The State Museum’s Archaeology Section
Friday, June 24 at 11:30 AM Cricket Gravity with the Pennsylvania Game Commission
Wednesday, June 29 at 11:30 AM
Pennsylvania Wildlife with Dr. Walter Meshaka from The State Museum
Thursday, June 30 at 11:00 AM Pots of Clay and What They Say with The State Museum’s Archaeology Section
June 2016 Learn at Lunchtime
Learn at Lunchtime features a variety of engaging discussions and presentations. This program, included with general admission to The State Museum, runs from 12:15 to 12:45 PM on the following dates:
Friday, June 17
Join Robert Hill, curator of The State Museum’s Military & Industrial History collections, for a tour of Objects of Valor: Commemorating the Civil War in Pennsylvania.
Friday, June 24
Take a tour of The State Museum’s special exhibit, We’re Here: Pioneering LGBT Rights in Pennsylvania with Barry Loveland, chair of the Central PA LGBT History Project.
Friday, July 1
Visit The State Museum’s Planetarium and stay for the new show, NASA’s Journey to Mars.
Exhibit Opening: 49th Annual Art of the State
The opening reception for the 49th annual Art of the State exhibition will be held 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM Sunday, June 26. Art of the State is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania 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 11, 2016 to coincide with Harrisburg’s Gallery Walk. Art of the State is presented by Jump Street and The State Museum of Pennsylvania.
The Planetarium at The State Museum of Pennsylvania: The planetarium is offering two shows from June 4-August 28:
Legends of the Night Sky: Perseus & Andromeda (Pre-K to 2nd Grade):
Perseus and Andromeda is a fun-filled retelling of the age-old tale of the beautiful, but unfortunate, Princess Andromeda, who in divine punishment for her mother’s bragging, is sacrificed to a sea monster and rescued by the Greek hero Perseus.
Wednesday-Friday 11:00 AM
Saturday 11:00 AM & 1:30 PM
Sunday 1:00 PM
NASA’s Journey to Mars (Grade 4 and up):
Take a brief look at the observational history of Mars and mankind’s fascination with the red planet. Then join NASA’s fleet of Mars robotic explorers as they pave the way for human exploration of the solar system in the coming decades. Join NASA in preparing for a monumental journey of a lifetime…to Mars!
Wednesday-Friday 1:00 PM
Saturday 11:30 AM & 2:00 PM
Sunday 2:00 PM
Planetarium shows are $3 per person in addition to general admission. Planetarium admission is free to members of the State Museum Affiliate and the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation.
Featured Changing Exhibits:
“Working Together for Wildlife: Three Decades of Pennsylvania’s Nature in Art”
This recently opened exhibit features 34 original paintings by 19 different Pennsylvania artists. In the historical tradition of the Pennsylvania naturalist-artists Alexander Wilson, John James Audubon and Ned Smith, “Working Together for Wildlife” artists depict the beauty of animals in their natural habitats. The works highlight game and non-game animals such as the black bear, the bobcat, the gray squirrel, the great blue heron, the cardinal and the ruffed grouse – Pennsylvania’s State Bird. Presented by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission (PHMC) and the Pennsylvania Game Commission, the exhibit will run through Sunday, September 11, 2016.
“We’re Here: Pioneering LGBT Rights in Pennsylvania”
This exhibit marks the emergence of the equality movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the late 1960s and its progress in the commonwealth during the 1970s. Featuring photographs, documents and objects related to this pivotal moment in civil rights history, the exhibit focuses on the partnership between dedicated LGBT activist coalitions and Governor Milton Shapp, who came to office with a unique understanding of the issues of discrimination against minorities, leading to unprecedented executive action in Pennsylvania for LGBT equality. The exhibit runs through Sunday, October 30, 2016.
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