The Rain Parade: A New Booking Chronicling Art-Reach In-facility Artist Julia Blaukopf

Need summer reading material? Be sure to check out The Rain Parade, a new book chronicling Art-Reach In-facility Artist Julia Blaukopf’s journey in Ghana.

Read more about the book here.

Julia Blaukopf Featured in EducationWorks’ December Newsletter

Need some Snow Day reading material?  Check out this recent article featuring Julia Blaukopf’s in-facility session at EducationWorks.

  
Also, be sure to check out the new Art-Reach Spotlight article featuring Julia here.

Matt Bryan Promoted to Program Director

Art-Reach is pleased to announce that Matt Bryan has been promoted to Program Director. In his previous role as Program Manager, Matt oversaw day-to-day operations of the Ticket and In-Facility Programs. Over the past year, Matt’s focus has turned strongly to include developing strong relationships with members both with potential organizations as well as guiding current members in the best ways to use the services Art-Reach provides.  Matt has thrived with this charge, empowering members to think creatively and utilize all resources available to them, and we are proud to announce that his title is officially being upgraded to include this responsibility in an ongoing capacity. 

Matt joined the Art-Reach team in February 2007, following a successful internship with the organization. Now closing in on his fourth successful year with the company, we are thrilled with his compassion and commitment to ensure that the arts remain accessible to everyone. Please help me congratulate Matt Bryan on his newly enhanced role with Art-Reach. Together, Matt will allow us all to raise our bar on service and make 2011 a phenomenal year!

Stephanie Borton, Associate Director

Art Around Town: Check Out The Best Day of My Life So Far

Looking for more great blogs?  Check out The Best Day of My Life So Far.  The blog is run by Benita Cooper with the mission to collect, share, and connect stories from seniors with younger generations.  

Watch the following video to learn more about the project :

Be sure to check out Senior Story Telling Day on November 14^th which will feature stories and storytellers from the Best Day of My Life So Far blog.  This FREE community event to be held at the Central Branch Library and will feature Senior Storytellers recalling the best days of their lives. Learn more here.

- Matt Bryan

Travel the globe without leaving Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology

Travel the globe without leaving Philadelphia by visiting the University of Pennsylvania’s Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Conveniently hop from continent to continent as you stroll through fascinating collections of Asian Art, Egyptian Mummies, and Roman statues.

One of the most stunning features of the museum is the Harrison Rotunda that houses the museum’s collection of Chinese Art. The dome of the rotunda measures ninety feet across and ninety feet from the floor and is one of the largest unsupported masonry domes in the nation. While you’re there make sure to gaze at the breathtaking Crystal Ball that belonged to Empress Dowager Cixi in the center of the gallery. At one point in our history, this ball was stolen and found in a pawn shop in Philadelphia where it was safely returned back to the museum!

Adjacent to the Harrison Rotunda are the Lower Egyptian Galleries, which house the museum’s collection of mummies, sarcophagi, and artwork from the time of the Pharaoh’s. Brave patrons can navigate the corridors of the dimly lit gallery and gaze upon the remains of ancient mummies and learn about the mummification process.

For the classics buffs, the museum’s collection of Greek, Etruscan, and Roman art is fantastic! Travel through time and observe how these ancient civilizations influenced and inspired each another through their art and technology.

In addition to their excellent permanent collection, the museum also features unique touring exhibits that feature work produced locally, nationally, and internationally by archeologists, anthropologists, and community groups. Righteous Dopefiend, one of the touring exhibits currently on display until December 2010, features the work of anthropologist Philippe Bourgois and photographer-ethnographer Jeff Schonberg and their documentation of the daily lives of homeless drug users, drawing upon more than a decade of fieldwork. This moving exhibit cannot be missed and is a profound look and call to action to help address the needs and challenges facing people who are homeless and addicted to drugs.

The museum offers both self-guided and guided tours of their collections, and Art-Reach members can request tickets by submitting a museum request form to the Program Department. Guided and Self-Guided experiences can be arranged Tuesday – Friday 10:00am-3:30pm and Sunday from 1-5pm. During the summer months parts of the exhibit are not air conditioned, making spring the perfect time to plan your excursions around the globe without ever leaving your back yard! Please see the UPENN Museum’s listing on the Art-Reach museum roster for more information about visiting the museum and contact the Art-Reach Program Department for help planning your outing.

-by Matt Bryan

The Franklin Institute: an amazing place to explore

There is a distinct and exhilarating quality with museums that indulges our sense of wonder and inspires our curiosity.   This feeling is what causes me to visit and revisit museums, and fuels my passion for arts and culture.  One of the best parts of my job is sharing my passion with Art-Reach members, and fostering an appreciation for the cultural richness of our region.  Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Franklin Institute with the Work Group, and I was overwhelmed by the students’ interest, energy, and passion for the museum’s collections. 

“You get to explore different things- it’s an exploration.” – Nina Morales, Work Group Student

Simply put, The Franklin Institute is an amazing place to explore. There are very few places in the world where you can navigate the atriums and ventricles of a gigantic heart, follow it up by riding a steam locomotive, and then gaze at the stars in the planetarium.  During their visit students from the Work Group explored the iconic heart and the jets in aviation, in addition to receiving hands-on education sessions from the museum’s docents on making paper and solving brain teasers.  By far, the group’s favorite exhibit was the interactive computer that projected what students would look like in the years to come.



“This is crazy- definitely interesting.” –Cop Lieu, Work Group Teacher

The Franklin Institute is a recent addition to the Art-Reach Arts Partner Roster; and we are thrilled to be working with them.  The Institute’s mission is to inspire an understanding of and passion for science and technology learning, and based on my observations of the Work Group, I think it’s safe to say that they are certainly fulfilling it.  If you are an Art-Reach member and you would like to visit the Franklin Institute, please submit a museum request form or contact the Art-Reach Programming Department at 215-568-2115 x4.