The State Museum of Pennsylvania Announces August Programming

HARRISBURG, Pa., July 19, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The State Museum of Pennsylvania today announced programming features for the month of August:

Through Sept. 11, 2011:  Art of the State Exhibition

Art of the State, a special annual exhibition at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, is recognized as the official, statewide juried competition for Pennsylvania artists. The finest works of established and emerging artists are selected by a distinguished panel of jurors.  This year's show includes 135 pieces by 133 artists working throughout the state. Art of the State is presented by the Greater Harrisburg Arts Council and The State Museum. The exhibit runs through Sun., Sept. 11, the date of Harrisburg's annual Gallery Walk.

Sunday, Aug. 14, 2 p.m.:  Artists Conversations, a Special Gallery Tour of the Art of the State Exhibition

Artist Robert Stickloon, Pottsville, and Art of the State exhibit juror Maxine Gaiber, executive director of the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, Wilmington, Del., will collaborate on Sun., Aug. 14, at 2 p.m. to provide an insightful tour of the exhibition. The third and final Artists Conversations program will be held on Sun., Sept. 11, pairing photographer Lydia Panas, Kutztown, and exhibit juror Ricardo Viera, professor of art at Lehigh University, Bethlehem. Free with museum admission.

Through Dec. 30, 2011:  The DOSHI Gallery at The State Museum of Pennsylvania, A Project of the Susquehanna Art Museum

While the Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) of Harrisburg is transitioning to a new facility, The State Museum of Pennsylvania is lending special exhibition space to house the DOSHI Gallery in 2011. SAM recently opened a new juried show entitled "Latent Images," featuring approximately 36 works of art created by emerging and established Pennsylvania artists. SAM will host a reception highlighting the exhibit on Sun., Sept. 11, in conjunction with Harrisburg's Gallery Walk.

Thursday, Aug. 4, 6:30 p.m.:  Photography Lecture by Matthew C. Murray

The Harrisburg Camera Club and the Susquehanna Art Museum (SAM) will present a lecture and book signing by noted photographer Matthew C. Murray, a central Pennsylvania native who is currently pursuing a Masters in Fine Art Photography at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.  Murray is known for his depictions of abandoned buildings in the "Rust Belt" and the northeastern United States. Event admission is $10.00; students, State Museum Affiliate Members, and members of SAM and the Camera Club, $5.00.

Saturdays and Sundays, through Sept. 11, 1–3 p.m.:  IdeaZone:  Experience the Arts

The State Museum's IdeaZone: Experience the Arts, in conjunction with the Art of the State exhibit, offers an interactive, hands-on learning room for all ages to explore the diverse artistic endeavors that nurture creativity and community in Pennsylvania. Visitors will learn about theater, dance, music, media, architecture and fine arts and will also create pieces for a community art wall that will be installed as a mosaic mural at The State Museum. Free with admission.

Featured Planetarium Shows:

Zula Patrol – Under the Weather (pre-K–grade 1). Geared toward younger visitors, the Zula Patrollers are on an expedition to study the weather in our solar system.  Faced with peril, they must solve a riddle along the way. Extended summer hours: Thurs. and Fri., noon; Sat., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Sun., 1 p.m.

Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope (grade 3 and up). Two teenagers learn how the telescope has helped us understand our place in space. Discover the history of the telescope and explore the mysteries of the universe.  Extended summer hours: Thurs. and Fri., 1 p.m.; Sat., noon and 2 p.m.; Sun., 2 p.m.

Planetarium shows are $2 per person in addition to general admission; free to museum members.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania, adjacent to the State Capitol in Harrisburg, is one of 25 historic sites and museums administered by 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 Wed. through Sat., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sun., noon to 5 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children and senior citizens.

For more information about the museum, visit www.statemuseumpa.org.

Media contact: Howard Pollman, 717-705-8639

SOURCE Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission