Category Archives: Penn Museum

August 28, 2012 · 12:23 pm

Philly Fringe

Author: Alex Fleischman

Throughout its history, the Penn Museum’s Warden Garden has had a surprising variety of residents—from the pond’s fish to the Sphinx, which now lives indoors, before Philly’s weather was deemed a threat, and once, even, a submarine used for underwater archaeology. Next month, “monsters” can be added to the list, when the Museum will host two Philly Fringe programs.

First, and unrelated to any monsters, the Underground Shakespeare Company, a Penn student theater troupe, will perform “Antony & Cleopatra: Infinite Lives,” Thursday through Saturday, September 13-15. Shakespeare’s play is adapted to the modern, turbulent events of contemporary Egypt, with the Museum’s Sphinx as the dramatic backdrop to their performance. I can’t wait to witness the always dramatic and impressive gallery transformed by the talents of Shakespeare and the performers.

On Sunday, September 16, the artist Douglas Repetto will lead a Monsters: A Workshop and Happening. The audience will help him make “foals”—small walking tables made with simple mechanical parts and scrap wood. The “herd” of them will be let loose in the Chinese Rotunda at 4 p.m.; afterward, they will led outdoors and into the Warden Garden. After the event, the foals are “up for adoption” for audience members—this sounds like a pet even a college student could handle, so I’m not going to miss out.

The 16th-annual Philadelphia Live Arts Festival and Philly Fringe takes place from September 7–22, 2012, with theater, music, and arts events all over Philadelphia. In addition to the two events at the Museum, two more will take place on Penn’s campus. On September 20 and 21, the Annenberg Center will host “red, black & GREEN: a blues,” an interactive program created by Marc Bamuthi Joseph of The Living Word Project. On September 22, the Platt Student Performing Arts House will host The Alternative Theatre Festival by iNtuitions Experimental Theatre.

 

More information about the events at the Museum can be found here and more information about Live Arts and Philly Fringe can be found here.

 

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Filed under Alex F., Campus Life, Penn Museum, Philadelphia, Student Perspective, The Arts, The Arts at Penn

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August 10, 2012 · 1:45 pm

What You’ve Been Missing: Penn Museum 125

Author: Nicole C. Maloy, W’95

One of Penn’s most exciting resources is one that many students and alumni have never explored. Now there is a new way for you to see what you may have been missing.

The University of Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is a gem, with permanent and traveling exhibits that offer access to rare and fascinating items from around the world. In honor of the Museum’s 125th anniversary, 125 objects in the collection are being featured on the Museum’s blog under the tag “Object of the Day.” This began on June 15, so take a look at what has been highlighted so far, and watch for an additional piece each weekday through the Museum’s birthday on December 6. Wherever you are now, don’t miss this easy chance to familiarize yourself with an amazing center of knowledge at your own alma mater.

Attic red figure amphora from Athens, Greece, around 490 BCE, featuring a winged Nike, goddess of victory.

Attic red figure amphora from Athens, Greece, around 490 BCE, featuring a winged Nike, goddess of victory.

This funerary/guardian figure from Gabon, on the West coast of Central Africa, is made of wood covered in sheets of copper and brass.

This funerary/guardian figure from Gabon, on the West coast of Central Africa, is made of wood covered in sheets of copper and brass.

Satin Mandarin square from the Qing Dynasty, China (19th century) depicting a Qilin, a mythical horse-like animal reserved for the weaves of first rank military officers.

Satin Mandarin square from the Qing Dynasty, China (19th century) depicting a Qilin, a mythical horse-like animal reserved for the weaves of first rank military officers.

This Egyptian statue from 1479-1458 BCE is made of sandstone, and pigment remains on the wig, face and hands.

This Egyptian statue from 1479-1458 BCE is made of sandstone, and pigment remains on the wig, face and hands.

You can find even more items via the Penn Museum’s new Online Collections Database, but the “Object of the Day” blog feature is great place to start. Check it out, and remember to build in a visit next time you return to campus so you, friends, and family can learn about objects like these, among many, many more.

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Filed under Historical, Nicole M., Penn Museum, Photos, Uncategorized

July 27, 2012 · 11:13 am

The Penn Museum and Metropolitan Museum of Art Exchange Prisoners

Author: Alex Fleischman, C’14

His stone face was larger than I’d imagined. His body lay flatter against the ground, and his pose and expression seemed more somber.

That was my first impression of the bowing prisoner as I stood before him today in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Upon arriving at the museum, I sought out this object in “The Dawn of Egyptian Art,” a special exhibition open until August 5, although he doesn’t normally reside in the Met, but instead much closer to home—at the Penn Museum.

In fact, this object, a door socket carved to resemble a captive, was exchanged for another Egyptian prisoner—a statue that is currently on display in the Penn Museum’s Upper Egyptian Gallery.

The Met’s prisoner kneels, arms clearly bound behind him, his face partially damaged in what may have been a ritual act of destruction. The statue dates to Dynasty 6 of the Old Kingdom and was made during the reign of Pepi II (ca. 2246-2152 BCE). The Penn Museum’s door socket is older, dating to the first or second Egyptian dynasties—between 3000 and 2675 BCE.

Nevertheless, both prisoners seem to evoke regret, elicit sympathy, and ultimately, inspire fear for their captors—the aim of the Egyptian pharaohs who ordered their creation.

There’s more information on the Penn Museum’s website here.  You can also find a New York Times review of the exhibition with photo of the door socket here.  Enjoy!

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Filed under Alex F., Campus Life, Fine Art, Penn in the Summer, Penn Museum, Student Perspective, The Arts, The Arts at Penn

May 4, 2012 · 9:39 am

Penn Weddings

Author: Amanda D’Amico

In exactly one year to the day, I will be walking down the aisle. During my wedding planning, I’ve often searched online for local venues to hold the occasion. When I searched “weddings” and “Philadelphia,” I was surprised to find “Perelman Quadrangle” at 3417 Spruce Street come up on Google Map. Weddings in the Quad?

 Sure enough, weddings are time-honored tradition for the Quad. From ceremonies to receptions, Perelman Quad offers personalized attention and a unique atmosphere. For more information, go here.

But the Quad isn’t the only Penn place that can accommodate weddings. The Morris Arboretum of the University of Pennsylvania, located in the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia, was listed The Knot’s 2010 best of reception sites. With 92 acres of gardens and outdoor space, the Morris Arboretum makes an amazing background for wedding photos. For more information, visit their website.

 Or, I could try Penn Museum, right at the corner of 32nd and South in University City. Penn Museum is a large, historic venue, and is available for a number of different events (not just weddings). Who doesn’t want to hold their one-of-a-kind event near one-of-a-kind artifacts? For more information on events at the Penn Museum, click on this link.

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Filed under Amanda D., Campus Life, Events, Penn Museum, Philadelphia

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April 24, 2012 · 1:24 pm

MAYA 2012: Lords of Time at the Penn Museum

Author: Alex F., C’14

Finals aren’t the only end of the world this semester. Nestled between a French literature paper and a linguistics exam, MAYA 2012: Lords of Time will open at the Penn Museum on May 5th.

The new exhibition delves into the predictions of a 2012 apocalypse and their origins in Maya civilization. With over 150 objects, the exhibition combines the predicted end of the world we’ve read about in the media with what archaeologists and anthropologists truly know of this remarkable ancient civilization.

Many of the objects will be artifacts from Copan only recently excavated by Penn Museum archaeologists. As a high school student, I visited the Copan ruins in Honduras on a spring break trip, without any idea that excavations might be going on. Now, as a Penn student reading about archaeologists finding vessels and jewelry deep under the Copan pyramids, it’s impossible not to imagine some of my anthropology professors in Indiana Jones-like scenarios, trapped in ancient tombs and narrowly escaping dangerous predicaments.

And while I can’t say I’m looking forward to finals, I am excited about the opening weekend’s celebrations. What’s a better study break than an exciting new exhibition, music, arts, and a ribbon-cutting with the president of Honduras?

There’s more information on the Penn Museum’s MAYA 2012 site here:

(Photos courtesy of Kenneth Garrett).

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March 27, 2012 · 10:27 am

Penn Museum’s ‘Imagine Africa,’ Reinterpreted in Hip Hop

Author: Alex Fleishman, C’14

Recently, the title of an event at the Penn Museum caught my eye: Hip Hop Artists Imagine Africa. Maybe it grabbed my attention because I hadn’t expected it, and maybe that’s that why I read on that six hip hop artists would be performing at the Penn Museum on Wednesday. Their visit is in conjunction with the Imagine Africa exhibits, one of my favorites currently at the museum. Needless to say, I kept reading.

What was next was unexpected, again. This isn’t the artists’ first visit—they came in January, and the music they will bring on Wednesday will be their original responses to the exhibit. I decided it was time to check out the artists: they’re local, and I wasn’t familiar with their music.

Darian the Great, one of the artists, has already released a song about Imagine Africa called “Foundation of Imagination.” The first line: “You ever seen something, you know, that just really spoke to your soul? I mean really inspired you, made you really take the time to think, think about who you are.” Listening on, I learn that he’s talking about the Penn Museum, which he actually mentions in the song, even along with the sphinx in one of the galleries. Ultimately, though, he raps about learning history and respecting tradition, a topic I decide I like very much.

I have a pretty busy schedule next week, with midterms, homework, etc., but I don’t think I’ll be able to miss this. A free concert that’s in the same building as my classes that day? Yes, please.

There’s more information on the Penn Museum’s online calendar here.

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December 1, 2011 · 2:51 pm

State of the (Union?) School

Author: Dan Bernick, SAS ‘14

“Madame Speaker!  The President of the United States.”

The State of the Union address always begins this way, followed by the President’s report on the state of our union.

Penn had its own version this week.

State of the School (SOTS) is an opportunity for the six branches of Penn Student Government to discuss what they accomplished over the past year and what their plans are.

This year’s theme was “Moving Forward.”  As a member of the Undergraduate Assembly, I interacted with people who may (or may not have) voted for me and got to hear what new projects they needed me to “move forward.”

The event was held at the Penn Museum and students wore business casual.  Admissions Dean Eric Furda spoke and we listened to presenters from each branch.  But the best part – as always – was the food.  Students mingled while eating a tantalizing array of appetizers including lobster bites, vegetable pizza, pita with hummus, and mini burgers.

Photo Courtesy of the DP, 11/29/11

I am glad that, unlike in the real world, student government can all agree on one thing – how to have a good time!

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