The Reading Public Museum is anticipating an exciting new year filled with interactive exhibits, dinosaurs, culture, and more. The 2016-year will begin with the opening of three exhibitions in January 2016.
Starting off the year is The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs. In this exhibit, visitors will step into the lives of Russian tsars from the time of Peter the Great in the eighteenth century to that of Nicholas II in the early twentieth century. More than 230 porcelain, glass, enamel, and silver gilt objects will be on view to provide a rare, intimate glimpse into the everyday life of the tsars. The exhibit opens January 22 and runs through April 17. The Tsars’ Cabinet is developed from the Kathleen Durdin Collection and is organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William & Mary, Williamsburg, Virginia, in collaboration with International Arts & Artists, Washington, DC. The exhibit will be on view in the Second Floor Temporary Galleries and is presented locally by the Marlin and Ginger Miller Exhibition Endowment.
Opening on January 30 and continuing through May 1 is Eat Well, Play Well. This exhibit teaches children fun ways to remain active and live a healthy lifestyle. More than 20 activity stations will be featured including a Balance Challenge, where visitors can test family members to see who can balance the longest; Bike Pedaling, to see how long it takes to burn off calories from certain snacks; an Electronic Jump Rope game, and many more! Eat Well, Play Well was produced and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The exhibit was made possible by a Science Education Partnership Award (SEPA) grant from the National Center for Research Resources (NCRR), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The exhibit will be on view in the Meinig Family Gallery and the First Floor science gallery. Eat Well, Play Well is sponsored locally by Redner’s Warehouse Markets.
Also opening on January 30 is The Eye of The Collector: The Jewish Vision of Sigmund R. Balka. In this exhibition, visitors will view works depicting Jewish cultural heritage over the last two centuries. Some of the experiences include urban and religious life, progress during the Depression, the holocaust, and more. The exhibit will be on view in The Museum’s Works on Paper Gallery and will run through March 27.
The year will continue with exhibitions opening up in the spring and lasting though the summer including Cuevas: Works on Paper (4/16 – 8/21); Dinosaurs Around the World: Passport to Pangea (5/2 – 10/2); and Brain Teasers2 (5/21 – 1/8/17).
Fall and winter exhibitions include: Illuminated Manuscripts: Treasures from the Collection (9/17/16 – 1/2/17); Reading: Reorganization of Space by Qunicy Owens and Luke Crawley (9/24 – 12/11); Dale Chihuly Venetians: The George E. Stroemple Collection (11/5/16 – 1/18/17); and Yuletide Around the World (11/5/16 – 1/18/17).
Additional programming will be included throughout the year celebrating these exhibitions. Detailed information about events and programming will be listed on The Museum’s Web site when available.
Curator, Scott A. Schweigert said, “We are proud to announce this year’s slate of exhibitions and are convinced that the offerings will appeal to those interested in history, art, and science, including families looking for engaging experiences.”
The Reading Public Museum is supported in part by grants from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and is located at 500 Museum Road, Reading, Pa. Admission per day is: $10 adults (18-64), $6 children/seniors/college students (w/ID) and free to Members and children three years old and under. The Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Web <www.readingpublicmuseum.org>.
