625 C Street, Anchorage
AK 99501
Revised for release 10/9/09
Media Contact: Sarah Henning,
(907) 929-9231 shenning@anchoragemuseum.org
Janet Asaro, (907) 929-9229 jasaro@anchoragemuseum.org
SCHEDULE OF
PROGRAMS: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
SCHEDULE OF
EXHIBITIONS: THROUGH WINTER 2009-2010
***EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: This
release replaces previous schedules. Download related media images at
www.anchoragemuseum.org/media/media.aspx
Information provided below is
subject to change. To confirm scheduling and dates, call the Marketing
and Public Relations Department at (907) 929-9231.
Newspage 1
November Eventspage 2
December Eventspage 3
Upcoming Exhibitionspage 4
Continuing Exhibitionspage 5
Museum Meetingspage 6
Visitor Informationpage 7
OF SPECIAL NOTE
New: Online box office
Now at www.anchoragemuseum.org,
visitors can purchase advance tickets, renew memberships, make donations
and more. This secure ticketing system is used by museums across the
globe and offers many advantages. For example, pre-sales for “Star
Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” begin online Dec. 15. Online
customers can reserve dates and avoid “sold out” situations, as
well as minimize their time spent in line.
2010 admission rates
The Anchorage Museum’s admission
and membership rates will modestly increase in January 2010. In the
upcoming year, the museum will open the new Imaginarium Discovery Center,
Thomas Planetarium and Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center. The new rates
reflect an expanded Anchorage Museum that includes, essentially, three
museums in one. New rates for general admission effective Jan. 1, 2010
are $10 adult and $8 senior/student/military. Ages 17 and younger will
be admitted for free through April 30, 2010. Starting May 1, 2010, rates
are $7 for ages 3 to 17. Ages 2 and younger remain free. For more information
on the new rates, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org.
Imaginarium
closure
The existing Imaginarium at
737 W. Fifth Ave. in downtown Anchorage closed Aug. 23. This allowed
Imaginarium staff to move into the Anchorage Museum and prepare for
the spring 2010 opening of the new Imaginarium Discovery Center. In
the months leading up to opening, Imaginarium staff will prepare the
new facility, continue school outreach programs and help plan and program
upcoming science exhibits. For more information, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org/expansion.
NOVEMBER
EVENTS
“Science in Toyland”
demos
Hourly starting at 3 p.m. weekdays,
11 a.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays
Hourly science demonstrations
bring to life the concepts of the “Science in Toyland” exhibit.
Educators explain the forces that keep tops spinning and roller coasters
rolling. For a complete demonstration schedule, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org
and click on “Learn.” Included with admission.
I Wonder Preschool Program
This weekly preschool program,
begun by The Imaginarium, continues at the Anchorage Museum. At 2 p.m.
every Wednesday, kids enjoy science and art activities with their guardians.
For a complete schedule of program themes, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org
and click on “Learn.” Included with admission.
Opening reception
“Translations”
7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6
In the exuberant swirls of Sandy
Gillespie’s paintings, there aren’t any buried images of mountains
or bears. Rather, her massive, abstract oil paintings strive to capture
the essence of Alaska, its emotional resonance. In “Translations,”
the Fairbanks artist uses multimedia works, encaustic paintings and
oil paintings to convey her relationship with Interior Alaska and the
written word. The opening reception is free.
First Friday
6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6
Musician: Katie Strock
Enjoy the opening of “Translations,”
Sandy Gillespie’s solo art exhibition, as well as hors d’oeuvres
and the jazz stylings of Katie Strock in Muse. Free.
Singles After Hours
6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6
Singles looking for a fun and
social way to meet can come to the museum on this hip – and free –
evening. Muse restaurant will sell beer, wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic
beverages and appetizers. Free.
The Artist’s Eye Lecture
Series
Translations
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 6
Fairbanks artist Sandy Gillespie
gives an informal gallery talk about her new solo exhibition, which
features large-scale, abstract oil paintings. Free.
Wells Fargo Free Day
Alaska Native Heritage Month
Celebration
1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 8
Join Alaska Native artists in
the Alaska Gallery from 1 to 4 p.m. for art demonstrations, storytelling
and art activities. Artists include Patricia Wade performing “Ahtna
History and Stories” and Allison Warden with “Ode to the Polar Bear.”
Museum admission is free all day. Sponsored by Wells Fargo.
Crafts Weekend and ReadAlaska
Book Fair
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and
Saturday Nov. 27 and 28
Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday Nov. 29
The only juried holiday crafts
show in Anchorage returns Thanksgiving weekend for its 21st year. More
than 50 Alaska artists will sell their handmade work at this event.
Visitors can choose from jewelry, pottery, wearable art, glass, woodwork
and more. Crafts Weekend runs in conjunction with the 16th annual ReadAlaska
Book Fair, featuring Alaska publishers, authors and illustrators selling
their work. A portion of each sale helps fund programs and exhibitions
at the Anchorage Museum. Admission is free.
DECEMBER EVENTS
“Science in Toyland”
demos
Hourly starting at 3 p.m. weekdays,
11 a.m. Saturdays and 1 p.m. Sundays
Hourly science demonstrations
bring to life the concepts of the “Science in Toyland” exhibit.
Educators explain the forces that keep tops spinning and roller coasters
rolling. For a complete demonstration schedule, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org
and click on “Learn.” Included with admission.
I Wonder Preschool Program
This weekly preschool program,
begun by The Imaginarium, continues at the Anchorage Museum. At 2 p.m.
every Wednesday, kids enjoy science and art activities with their guardians.
For a complete schedule of program themes, visit www.anchoragemuseum.org
and click on “Learn.” Included with admission.
First Friday
6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4
Musician: Katie Strock
Enjoy the festive “Wonderland
of Toys” exhibition and the last weekend of “Earth, Fire and Fibre,”
as well as hors d’oeuvres and the jazz stylings of Melissa Bledsoe
Fischer and Katie Strock. Free.
Singles After Hours
6 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4
Singles looking for a fun and
social way to meet can come to the museum on this hip – and free –
evening. Muse restaurant will sell beer, wine, cocktails, non-alcoholic
beverages and appetizers. Free.
The Artist’s Eye Lecture
Series
The Image as the Link
8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4
Photographer Brian Adams offers
an informal gallery talk about his work, which centers on individuals
and their relationships with the land. Free.
Holiday Concert
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Dec.
6
Enjoy festive music by musicians
including the Anchorage Concert Chorus, Anchorage Keyboard Association
students and Little Blue Suitcase. Included with admission.
Wells Fargo Free Day
Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec.
13
Enjoy festive live music from
1:30 to 4:30 p.m., as well as free admission all day to the museum’s
exhibitions. Sponsored by Wells Fargo.
Holiday Concert
1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Dec.
13
Enjoy festive music by musicians
including the New Hope Youth Choir, Alaska Children’s Choir with Cantora
Arctica and Arctic Wind Flute Choir. Free as part of Wells Fargo Free
Day.
Holiday Concert
2:15 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday Dec.
20
Enjoy festive music by musicians
including the Karyn Grove’s Suzuki students, Anchorage Keyboard Association
students and cellist Cheyenne Brown. Included with admission.
New Year’s Eve at Muse
Thursday, Dec. 31
Muse kicks off 2010 with a scrumptious
four-course, prix fixe dinner. Seating times available from
6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Cost is $70 per person or $100 with wine pairings.
For more information or reservations, call 929-9210.
PARTNER PROGRAMS
Lecture
Living in Anchorage Before
Statehood
7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 19
Cliff Groh and his mother, Lucy
Groh, offer stories and photographs from early Anchorage residents.
Lecture sponsored by the Cook Inlet Historical Society. Free.
Anchorage International Film
Festival
Saturday, Dec. 5 through Sunday,
Dec. 13
Once again the museum is hosting
some of the 150 films shown during the Anchorage International Film
Festival. The schedule in the museum auditorium will emphasize the festival’s
documentary offerings. For details, visit www.anchoragefilmfestival.org.
UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS
All exhibitions are included
with museum admission unless otherwise noted.
“Translations”
Sandy Gillespie solo exhibition
Nov. 6 through Dec. 31
In the exuberant swirls of Sandy
Gillespie’s paintings, there aren’t any buried images of mountains
or bears. Rather, her massive, abstract oil paintings strive to capture
the essence of Alaska, its emotional resonance. “My large oils feel
like wilderness to me — vast, full-bodied, unknowable,” she wrote
in her artist’s statement. “At the same time they inscribe my daily
thoughts, words, feelings — not a direct translation, but a movement,
an embodiment of something beyond mere description of place or moment.”
In “Translations,” the Fairbanks artist uses multimedia works, encaustic
paintings and oil paintings to convey her relationship with Interior
Alaska and the written word. “Translations” is presented as part
of the Patricia B. Wolf Solo Exhibition Series.
“Wonderland of Toys”
Dec. 4 through
Dec. 31
‘Tis the season to cherish
time with friends and family. For many Alaska families, journeying to
the museum to see “Wonderland of Toys” is a beloved holiday tradition.
Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, the museum’s atrium is
transformed into a dazzling tableau of toys, some that date back as
far as the 1800s. Against a backdrop of twinkling lights and tinsel,
find life-sized French dolls, carousel horses, Oaxacan carved animals,
and an evergreen tree decorated with more than 100 dolls dressed in
costumes from around the world. Other exhibit highlights include a hand-painted
wood Schoenhut Humpty Dumpty circus from the early 1900s. Enjoy a festive
outing at “Wonderland of Toys,” where families make Norman Rockwell-esque
memories to cherish for a lifetime.
“Star Wars: Where Science
Meets Imagination”
On view Feb.10through April 25, 2010
Using the familiar imagery of the six “Star Wars” films as a springboard
for the imagination, this exhibition launches audiences into explorations
of real-world technologies and exciting visions of what the future could
be. This traveling exhibition features more than 100 pieces of film
memorabilia and related objects, exclusive video footage, and more than
a dozen interactive exhibits. This is a ticketed exhibition. Tickets
go on sale Dec. 15 at www. anchoragemuseum.org and the museum’s front
desk. Tickets are $22, $18 senior/student/military, $10 museum members,
$8 ages 3 to 12 and free ages 2 and younger (prices include general
admission to the museum).
“Star Wars: Where Science
Meets Imagination,” presented by Bose Corporation, was developed by
the Museum of Science, Boston and Lucasfilm Ltd. © 2009 Lucasfilm Ltd.
& TM. All Rights Reserved. Used Under Authorization.
CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS
All exhibitions are included
with museum admission unless otherwise noted.
“Earth, Fire and Fibre”
On view
through Dec. 6, fourth floor west wing
The Anchorage Museum’s biennial
craft exhibition is one of the state’s longest running juried exhibitions.
It showcases Alaska artists working with materials such as clay, glass,
metal or wood. Selected artworks often challenge the usual preconceptions,
blurring the lines between art and craft. Fairbanks artist Margo Klass
won the $1,000 Juror’s Choice Award for a series of books hand-made
through the pochoir process, a meticulous method in which a series of
stencils is used to create a print. Entries included 313 works of art
from 113 Alaska artists. For the exhibition, juror Patricia Watkinson
selected 82 works from 50 artists. After it closes in Anchorage, “Earth,
Fire and Fibre” will tour the state for one year. This exhibition
is funded in part by a grant from the Alaska State Council on the Arts
and the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency.
“Science in Toyland”
On view
through Dec. 31, third floor west wing
A matchbox car isn’t merely
a toy. It’s also a vehicle for teaching children about scientific
concepts, such as momentum. The “Science in Toyland” exhibition,
developed by the California Science Center, uses classic toys such as
dominoes and tops to demonstrate scientific principles and encourage
children to experiment. Hands-on activities challenge youngsters to
discover science for themselves. Evaluated by UCLA’s Cognitive Development
Laboratory, this exhibition appeals to a child’s innate sense of curiosity.
“Toyland” combines problem solving with the fun of playing games
to foster a positive attitude toward science. Imaginarium staff offers
hourly science demonstrations starting at 3 p.m. weekdays, 11 a.m. Saturdays
and 1 p.m. Sundays. Demonstrations focus on the physics and mechanics
of toys through exploration of levers, gears, pulleys and energy.
“Artists at Play”
On view
through Dec. 31, third floor west wing
Like children at play, artists
love to explore and imagine. A companion to “Science in Toyland,”
the new exhibition “Artists at Play” features Alaska artists who
transform playthings into art. Self-exploration, self-discovery and
self-expression are encouraged to bloom though this interactive approach
to art where children and adults alike may develop an understanding
of the way artists see. Exhibit highlights include Wanda Seamster collages
and sculptural assemblages from toys such as checkers, paper dolls,
Cracker Jack prizes and ping pong balls. Sonya Kelliher-Combs employs
Playmobil plastic figurines to send a creative message about global
warming, while Don Decker elicits wonder with a giant tower of toy blocks.
Curated by Julie Decker and designed by Don Mohr, the exhibition also
features hands-on activities for children.
“Winter in the Great Land”
On view through
Dec. 31 in the lower atrium
It’s been said the only two
constants in life are death and taxes: In Alaska, there’s also winter.
The photographs in this exhibit show how Alaskans have coped with winter
from the 19th century into recent years. These images from
the Anchorage Museum’s permanent collection depict various forms of
recreation, as well as the serious business of staying alive in extreme
conditions.
“Castner’s Cutthroats:
Forgotten Warriors”
On view through
Dec. 31 in the upper atrium
When Japan captured and occupied
two Aleutian Islands, a group of Alaska military scouts snuck onto those
islands and gathered the intelligence necessary for the U.S. Army to
regain control. The Alaska scouts were officially known as the First
Combat Intelligence Platoon. But most knew the group by its nickname,
Castner’s Cutthroats, a nod to the platoon’s commander, Col. Lawrence
Castner, and his soldiers’ less than spit-and-polish appearance. The
Alaska Scouts weren’t typical military men. This exhibit, a collaboration
with the Alaska Veterans Memorial Museum, brings these heroes to the
front lines of history through historic photographs, video, military
and civilian objects, and oral histories.
“Life in Alaska Leading to Statehood”
On view through
Dec. 31 in the upper atrium
“Life in Alaska Leading to
Statehood” re-creates the 1950s in Alaska through photographs and
objects such as Anchorage High School yearbooks, statehood ballots,
household goods, toys and advertisements. World War II confirmed the
territory’s strategic military importance and ushered in events that
triggered increased population and the construction of roads, airports,
harbors and communication systems. History buffs and those with curious
minds will appreciate this exhibit’s insight, while baby boomers and
their families will delight in this trip down memory lane.
MUSEUM MEETINGS SCHEDULE
The following meetings are open
to the public. Anyone wishing to be added to a meeting agenda or to
confirm a meeting should contact Museum Director and CEO James Pepper
Henry at (907) 929-9297.
Anchorage Museum Association
Board of Trustees
Meets at 3 p.m. on the third
Wednesday of each month
Museum Building Committee
Meets at 4 p.m. on the first
Monday of each month
Cook Inlet Historical Society
Board of Directors
Meets at 4 p.m. on the second
Wednesday of every month
VISITOR INFORMATION AND
MUSEUM HOURS
The Anchorage Museum’s mission
is to share and connect Alaska with the world through art, history and
science.
WINTER HOURS
Anchorage Museum
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through
Saturday
Noon to 6 p.m Sunday
Closed Monday
Atwood Resource Center
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through
Friday
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday
Muse restaurant
11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through
Saturday
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday
and Wednesday
Closed Monday
GENERAL
ADMISSION
Free for museum members, $8
adults (18-64), $7 military/senior citizens/students, and free for ages
17 and younger ($2 donation suggested).
Visitors with disabilities who
need special assistance please call (907) 929-9254.
Parking is available for $1
per hour in the museum’s underground garage on evenings and weekends.