Archive for the ‘museums’ Category
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs is heading out on March 28, 2010, so now’s your last chance.
And Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass is coming back to town to give a talk on March 8th. Deets below.
Dr. Zahi Hawass giving Mayor Gavin Newsom a tour last year:
Click to expand.
FINAL WEEKS OF KING TUT AT THE DE YOUNG
Extended hours, Hawass lecture part of final weeks through March 28.
SAN FRANCISCO—Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs enters its final weeks at the de Young Museum before heading to its next presentation in New York City in April. The exhibition closes on Sunday, March 28. The de Young will offer extended viewing hours and a special lecture by noted Egyptologist Dr. Zahi Hawass during the last few weeks.
Extended Viewing Hours
Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs will offer extended hours on the following days:
• Saturday, March 20, 9 am–9 pm, last ticket at 7:30 pm
• Saturday, March 27, 9 am–9 pm, last ticket at 7:30 pm
• Sunday, March 28, 9 am–9 pm, last ticket at 7:30 pm
On those days, the Museum Café will remain open until 7 pm. The de Young’s permanent collection will close at the regular time of 5:15 pm and the Museum Tower will close at 5:30 pm. Exhibition tickets are available through www.ticketmaster.com.
March 8 Lecture by Dr. Zahi Hawass
Dr. Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, Egyptologist and raconteur will deliver a lecture, Mysteries of Tutankhamun Revealed, at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House on Monday, March 8 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $15 (general admission) and available through www.ticketmaster.com. Dr. Hawass’ lecture will share information discovered through the two-year examination of the DNA and CT scans of Tutankhamun and 11 other royal mummies in the collection of the Cairo Museum. Among the findings are the details of Tut’s health conditions (cleft palate, clubfoot, malaria, bone disease), his family lineage, paternity of two fetal mummies found in his tomb, and the reassessment of stylistic depictions of Tut in sculpture and artifacts found in his tomb.
Organization
The exhibition is organized by National Geographic, Arts and Exhibitions International, and AEG Exhibitions, with cooperation from the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities. Northern Trust is the proud cultural partner, and American Airlines is the official airline of the exhibition. The San Francisco presentation is sponsored by Athena Troxel Blackburn, Mrs. Thomas C. Crowley, Sr., Rajnikant and Helen Desai and Beringer Vineyards.
Visiting the de Young
The de Young, designed by Herzog & de Meuron and located in Golden Gate Park, is the fourth most visited fine art museum in the United States. It showcases American art from the 17th through the 21st centuries, international textile arts and costumes, and art from the Americas, the Pacific, and Africa.
Tags: 2009, 2010, 21, california, catalogue, de Young, discount, dr., egypt, Family, famsf, February, gavin newsom, Golden Age, Golden Age of the Pharaohs, golden gate park, hotel, inc, king, march, Mayor, museum, Pharaohs, sale, San Francisco, Secretary General, selket, serket, store, stores, Supreme Council of Antiquities, ticketmaster, tickets, treasures, tut, Tutankhamun, Zahi Hawass
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Sunday, February 21st, 2010
Check out just a part of the throngs clamoring to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs at our de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park this Free Target Weekend.
See? The line started at the front, then headed towards the Japanese Tea Garden and then on off to JFK Jr. Drive and points unknown.
Now people, you didn’t expect that the mummy would be traveling around the world, did you? That thing’s not leaving Egypt ever – it never has and it never will. And the iconic funeary mask and Selket – you could see those things back in 1979 but not anymore. And actually, Egypt’s on a museum-building kick these days, so when this traveling show’s over, it’s over - the stuff on this tour won’t ever be coming back to America.
This exhibit packs up on on March 28th, 2010. See you there!
(more…)
Tags: 20, 2009, 2010, 21, california, catalogue, crowds, de Young, discount, Family, famsf, February, free, Golden Age, Golden Age of the Pharaohs, golden gate park, hotel, inc, king, lines, museum, Pharaohs, sale, San Francisco, selket, serket, store, stores, target, thousands, ticketmaster, tickets, treasures, tut, Tutankhamun
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Friday, February 19th, 2010
Not literally or anything, but it appeared to be packed this past weekend. And I asked them, I says, “Is this a free day or something?” And they’re all like, no, it’s just a regular old three-day weekend, just business as usual.
Now, I’ve heard all the complaints. Let’s deal with them, below.
Become a member or get your tickets online ahead of time, and then you avoid this line around the building.
Click to expand.
“The CalAcademy is too small.”
All right, I’ll tell you I was never in there at the old building – I understand it had cool stuff that you miss. But some people, especially the NIMBY neighbors in the nearby Inner Sunset area, think the new building is too big, too popular. The Academy couldn’t continue with the old building due to earthquake concerns – what was considered a safe enough building before in the last century is no longer considered safe enough now. Sorry. Damn you, San Andreas Fault, damn you.
“The CalAcademy is too crowded.”
So they must be doing something right, right? What you’re saying, in a way, is that the CalAcademy is too cheap.
“The CalAcademy is too crowded with kids.”
Yep, especially when those school buses roll up. Oh well. The Academy has a mission of public education, does it not? That’s for the benefit of California’s kids. Does that directly benefit you today right now? Maybe not. Sorry.
“The CalAcademy is too expensive.”
Well, this ties in with the first complaint. How can it too expensive if it’s packed all the time? You know how much the Monterey Bay Aquarium is these days? $30. If you live in San Francisco, you’re entitled to something close to 20 days of free admission per year plus a free NightLife entry on your birfday (assuming the stars align and they’re having a NightLife around the time of your birthday.)
“Them free days, they’re even more crowded.”
Well, yeah. Get there early, why don’t you? (Or get there late in the day, when there’s less of a line (tho your chances of getting into the Planetarium and/or rainforest dome will be lower). The Bernard Osher Foundation Third Wednesday of the Month Free program is open to all, so of course it gets crowded those days. But the zip-code based free days are less crowded, so San Franciscans, including you born-and-raised-San Franciscans, you old goats, get six of those not-so-crowded days a year.
“The food’s too expensive.”
Check out the nearby Inner Sunset area for food if you want. It’s walkable. Get yourselves a perfectly cromulent fat burrito at Gordo’s at 1239 9th Avenue near Lincoln. Get it to-go and have an outdoor picnic.
“The rainforest was closed when I was there.”
Yep, sometimes. Life’s like that. They don’t keep this kind of info a big secret, however.
“There’s no place to park.”
Maybe - that’s by design, in a way. Actually, you’re lucky to have that itty bitty sometimes overloaded underground parking garage whether you use it or not, so count your blessings. Whatever you do, don’t drive into Golden Gate Park, big mistake on busier days. Think Fulton, think Lincoln, think about spending ten minutes walking through the park to get the CalAcademy. That’s not a bug, that’s a feature. And on Sundays, all parking is free in the surrounding Inner Sunset and Inner Richmond areas – it’s totally wide open. Might not be as easy to park as you’re used to, but you can deal. And there’s plenty of bike parking since they added in a bunch of new spaces.
Here’s the thing – you gotta work the system, baby. Plan ahead, try to figure out when the place has fewer patrons, check the schedule, make a beeline to the Planetarium to get your free show passes as soon as you get in, monitor the rainforest line to see when it’s shorter.
So, if you’re unhappy customer, you gotta think:
1. Maybe your expectations were too high because you didn’t plan ahead (which isn’t the CalAcademy’s fault), or;
2. Maybe the CalAcademy wasn’t for you (which isn’t the CalAcademy’s fault)
And all you NIMBY neighbors, please realize that the CalAcademy was here even before you.
Let’s thank Gaia we’re not saddled with some big hulking wreck that nobody wants to go to.
See you there!
Tags: 2009, 2010, 21, 45, academy, academy of sciences, Aquarium, birthday, blue bottle, cal academy, calacademy, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, complaints, crowded, Dance, day, dj, djs, expensive, golden gate park, herbst, Hubble, images, january, kids, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, NightLife VIP Tours, parking, penguins, promotion, record, red bull, Ritual Roasters, San Francisco, science, sciences, stanford, Steinhart, Tasting, tea, Telescope, theatre, thursday, tickets, tours, V.I.P., Valentine’s, VIP Tours
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Thursday, February 18th, 2010
These days, if you don’t have young people and DJs mingling about your museum on Thursday or Friday nights, you isn’t a museum. So, just as the California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park has NightLife and the de Young has Friday Nights at the de Young, our Asian Art Museum has nighttime MATCHA. And, bonus, if you go tonight, February 18th, 2010, you can also see Shanghai.
“2010 is the Year of the Tiger! MATCHA kicks off the Lunar New Year and special exhibition Shanghai with dynamic tiger-style kung fu (martial art) demonstrated by Shaolin Temple USA monks. Each mode of Shaolin kung fu is associated with an animal, and in Chinese culture, the tiger is king and symbolizes bravery. Its kung fu style involves footwork, acrobatic kicks, and unique fist positions, relying solely on internal power, simplicity, and explosive force. The evening also includes art activities (make your own good luck poster), Shanghai dumplings available for purchase in the museum cafe, cash bars, music by DJ Friendly Traveler, docent conversations, gallery tours of SHANGHAI, and mingling and merriment with friends!”
See you there.
The “fourth room” of the Shanghai exhibit:
“See SHANGHAI in its opening week. This epic exhibition explores, through the mirror of its art, the tumultuous history that has resulted in one of the world’s most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities.
Don’t know what MATCHA is? Find out here
Wanna try to win tickets to MATCHA? Click here
Check it out, share with friends, and show your support on Facebook!
4:30-7 An Evening for Educators at MATCHA
5–9 DJ Friendly Traveler, Artmarking: Create a Good Luck Poster, Shanghai Dumplings (available for purchase in museum cafe), Cash Bars
6-6:30, 7-7:30 Docent Conversations: SHANGHAI
6:30 & 7:30 Shaolin Temple USA Monks: Tiger-style Kung Fu
8:00 Docent Conversations: Lunar New Year
Tags: 18th, 2010, arts, asian art museum, California Academy of Sciences Golden Gate Park, China, chinese, de Young, DJ Friendly Traveler, docent, dumplings, February, Friday Nights at the de Young, kung fu, kungfu, Lunar, martial, matcha, monks, new year, nightlife, nighttime, Northern California Chinese Culture Athletic Federation, shanghai, Shaolin, style, Temple, thursday, tiger, tiger-style, tonight, usa, year of the tiger
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Friday, February 12th, 2010
Well there was a huge turnout of 100+ souls attending the Asian Art Museum’s recent preview of Shanghai - the whole shebang opens today and runs through September 5th, 2010.
Part of the scrum in Samsung Hall the other day – wouldn’t you just love to get married in this Beaux Art chapel? Rentals available.
Now this isn’t any kind of lost treasures kind of exhibit, but it shows the progression of art in Shanghai over the years. This is from the first room:
Asian Art Museum
I’ll make a point to get in there and look at everything closely.
By the way, the massive paperback catalog /collector’s item they’re selling in the bookstore is amazing – it’s pretty cheap considering it weighs four pounds plus. (And Amazon is selling the hardback for $32.34 delivered.) It would seem to be a good way to get to know a bit about the most populous city in the most populous country in the world.
Or this, this video is a start.
See you there!
Tags: 2010, art, art of the city, asian, asian art museum, Assistant Curator, california, China, chinese, Curator, Dany Chan, Michael Knight, museum, San Francisco, shanghai
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Monday, February 1st, 2010
Does that headline make enough sense? It means that if you are a member of the military (yes, including even the touchy touchy Coast Guard), or a firefighter, or a peace officer, or a teacher, then you can get into San Francisco’s awesome California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park for free over the next month-and-a half:
“From February 1 through March 15, 2010, the Academy will offer free admission to military personnel, firefighters, police officers, and teachers, in honor of their service to our communities and country. To participate, individuals must show proof of occupation and a valid ID at the ticket window. This discount applies to one individual admission only and cannot be combined with other offers.”
Just think, your camera could soon be recording the most-photographed fish in the world:
This temporary program will save you $24.99.
See you there, hero.
Tags: 1, 15, 15th, 1st, 2010, admission, air force, airman, airmen, army, cal academy, calacademy, California Academy of Sciences, Coast Guard, college, educators, elementary, fabruary, feb, fighter, fire, free, get in free, golden gate park, hero, heroes, High, instructors, junior, man, mar, march, Marine, marines, member, military, navy, officer, peace, police, professors, sailor, salute, San Francisco, school, servicemember, SFPD, soldier, teacher's, tickets, U.S., United States, university, wOMAN
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Thursday, January 28th, 2010
It doesn’t get any more mega than this – mark your calendar now for the third weekend in February so that you’ll be sure to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs for free courtesy of Target. (Believe it or not, San Francisco County yearns for its very own Tar-ghey – such a store would be packed 24-7, srsly. But anyway…)
There are some rules, of course:
“Tickets will be available on site only, with a limit of four tickets per adult for that day. All tickets are first-come, first-served and timed and dated.”
On the other hand:
“The permanent collections of the de Young will be free to the public all weekend and free programming will include children’s art making, fortune tellers, tarot card readers, belly and sword dancers and a dj spinning in Wilsey Court, as well as a festival of mummy movies screened from noon to 5 pm in the Koret Auditorium.”
Join the commotion involving the Boy King:
Here’s some king bling – the cobra adjusts your attitude and, after you stop squirming, the vulture finishes you off. This is the view I had at the de Young – it’s behind some glass but you can get super close to it:
Click to expand. Respect.
Look at all the fuss they went to so that you and yours can come to town, park for free (probably, it’s really easy to park for free if you’re willing to walk a little to get to the museum – if you’re stuck in traffic or constantly circling, you’re doing it wrong) and see the show for free.
Lots of painstaking work involved:
Check out all the gritty nitty of this special upcoming weekend after the jump.
See you there!
(more…)
Tags: 20, 2009, 2010, 21, california, catalogue, de Young, discount, Family, famsf, February, free, Golden Age, Golden Age of the Pharaohs, golden gate park, hotel, inc, king, museum, Pharaohs, sale, San Francisco, selket, serket, store, stores, target, ticketmaster, tickets, treasures, tut, Tutankhamun
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Friday, January 15th, 2010
Our corporate overlords at the Gap have teamed up with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to celebrate SFMOMA’s 75th anniversary with artistic T-shirts. Admission is free at the SoMA MoMA for this weekend’s festivities, so you’ll be assured of having plenty of mad money jingling in your pockets:
“Gap and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art are collaborating to introduce a unique line of eight, limited edition artist-designed T-shirts as part of the museum’s 75th anniversary.
Starting Saturday, January 16, the T-shirts [$24.50] will be available in 13 Bay Area Gap stores [see complete list below], the SFMOMA MuseumStore and online at www.sfmoma.org/museumstore.
The T-shirts are designed by nine well-known artists with Bay Area connections, including Rosana Castrillo Díaz, Simon Evans, Chris Johanson, Kerry James Marshall, Barry McGee, Ed Ruscha, Leslie Shows, and Larry Sultan and Mike Mandel. See “About the Artists” below for more information on individual artists.”
This could be you:
All the deets, after the jump
(more…)
Tags: 75-Year-Old, 75th, and Larry Sultan, art, Artistic, Barry McGee, bay area, Chris Johanson, clothes, Ed Ruscha, gap, Kerry James Marshall, Leslie Shows, Mike Mandel, modern, moma, museum, museum of modern art, Rosana Castrillo Díaz, San Francisco, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, sfmoma, Simon Evans, soma, t shirts
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Thursday, January 14th, 2010
The popular NightLife program at our California Academy of Sciences in Golden Gate Park is back for 2010, starting tonight at 6:00 PM.
This is what it looks like.
What’s new for 2010?
-Special V.I.P. tickets for $59 each.
-Free entry on the Thursday night closest to your birthday! (This special deal starts up February 4, 2010)
All the deets are below.
You can mingle with people on the dance floor…
Click to expand
…or with the animals in the rainforest dome:
via Alumroot
Or go downstairs with your drink and attract a predator or two:
See you there!
WEEKLY “NIGHTLIFE” EVENTS AT THE CALIFORNIA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES RE-LAUNCH FOR 2010 ON JANUARY 14
Every Thursday, visitors ages 21+ can experience the museum at night
Exciting new programming, VIP Tours, and resident DJs are part of 2010 lineup
NightLife, the California Academy of Sciences’ popular evening event series, returns in 2010 with an exciting new programming lineup, resident DJs, VIP Tours, and a new birthday promotion. Every Thursday night, the Academy transforms into a lively venue filled with provocative science, music, mingling, and cocktails, as visitors ages 21 and up get a chance to explore the museum from 6-10pm. Tonight, NightLife’s 2010 lineup begins with performances by The Un-scripted Theater Company, and music by accomplished DJ and producer Michael Anthony.
What’s New?
Programming details for each week are available at www.calacademy.org/events/nightlife. Highlights in the upcoming three months include:
January 21: The Great San Francisco Coffee Tasting, with music by Future Universal DJ Collective. Sample the wares of local sustainable coffee roasters including Blue Bottle, Ritual Roasters, Equator Coffee, Barefoot Coffee, and Four Barrel Coffee, and try your hand at “Coffee Jeopardy.”
February 11: Romance and Reproduction, with music by Resident DJ Jeff Stallings. In honor of Valentine’s Day, roam the Academy and learn about some of the animal kingdom’s most amorous creatures and unique sexual behaviors. The species with the world’s largest sexual organ? The snake you might find at the center of a “breeding ball”? Gender-bending clownfish? Find them all at the Academy.
March 25: The Science of Love, and music by Zach Moore & Deckard. Join Scientific American’s Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina for a fun and engaging multimedia discussion on the psychological, physiological, chemical and social effects of love, including the latest science on emotional intimacy.
In honor of NightLife’s upcoming first anniversary, the Academy is announcing a new NightLife birthday promotion. Effective February 4, visitors can get into NightLife for free within 7 days of their birthday by showing a valid photo ID at the door. The offer is good for a single admission ticket only.
NightLife VIP Tours now offer visitors the opportunity for a more exclusive Thursday evening experience. Tickets ($59 per person) include admission to NightLife, a one-hour behind-the-scenes tour featuring the Academy’s renowned gem and mineral collection and interaction with Academy researchers in the lab, express entry into the building, an open bar in a reserved cocktail area prior to the tour, VIP access to the rainforest, and a reserved pass for the 8:30 planetarium show.
NightLife continues to feature a range of San Francisco’s most popular DJ acts, and is now home to three resident DJs, who will each perform once per quarter:
Aaron Axelsen— Live 105 music director, and founder of SF indie club Popscene
Aaron Pope—The Academy’s own environmentalist by day, eclectic and energetic DJ by night
Jeff Stallings— An SF club fixture, whose sets feature Balearic, African, Bedouin and Latin beats
Every Week
Each Thursday evening, NightLife features entertainment and bars stocked with food and drinks available for purchase. Visitors can explore the Academy’s exhibits– from the fish, snakes and other creatures in the aquarium, to the dioramas of African Hall—and attend Planetarium shows and stargazing sessions on the living roof (when weather permits).
In addition, each week includes engaging science programming and activities that introduce visitors to cutting-edge science in an informal, social environment. Programming highlights during NightLife’s inaugural year included sustainable seafood cooking demonstrations with local celebrity chefs, film screenings, performance art, robot demonstrations, chocolate tastings, and talks by filmmaker Jean-Michel Cousteau, adventurer David de Rothschild, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and other notable figures.
Since launching on February 12, 2009, NightLife has been named “Best Steamy Date Night” by 7×7 Magazine, “Best Place to Party Like it’s 1929” by San Francisco Magazine, and “Best Penguin Party” by the San Francisco Bay Guardian.
What: NightLife at the California Academy of Sciences (for adults ages 21+) Featuring music, cutting-edge science, and food and cocktails available for purchase
When: Every Thursday, 6-10 pm
Where: California Academy of Sciences, 55 Music Concourse Drive, Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Cost: $12 per person ($10 for Academy members)
Tickets available at the door or online at www.calacademy.org/event_tickets/
Tags: 2009, 2010, 45, Aaron Axelsen, Aaron Pope, academy, academy of sciences, Aquarium, birthday, california, california academy of science, California Academy of Sciences, CAS, Center for Conservation Biology, coffee, Dance, day, dj, djs, golden gate park, herbst, Hubble, images, Jeff Stallings, Kimball, Morrison, morrisson, museum, Museum of Natural History, nightlife, NightLife VIP Tours, penguins, promotion, record, red bull, San Francisco, science, sciences, stanford, Steinhart, Tasting, Telescope, theatre, thursday, tickets, tours, V.I.P., Valentine’s, VIP Tours
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