Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2007 - (Page 80)

Mummies, galaxies and art works In 1960, the Louisiana Art and Science Museum began life as the Baton Rouge Arts and Science Center with the purpose of making the art programs of the Junior League of Baton Rouge available to the wider community. Since that time, the museum has incorporated science into its programming, changed its name twice, and moved twice. It now resides in the historic Illinois Central Railroad Station, which underwent significant expansion to accommodate increased programming and collections. In 2003, the museum expanded again when it added the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, one of the most technologically advanced planetariums in the world. The museum’s mission is to enhance the understanding and appreciation of art and science for general audiences and students. To that end, LASM features changing exhibitions of work by internationally renowned artists, a permanent art collection, innovative programming, and interactive exhibits in the planetarium galleries and children’s art and science galleries. With more than 200,000 visitors annually, including 110,000 schoolchildren, LASM is a significant cultural resource for the Baton Rouge area. LASM recently renovated its popular Ancient Egypt Gallery and reopened with the news that its beloved 2,300-year-old mummy, long thought to be female, is actually a male. Research on the mummy was completed by the LSU FACES Laboratory under the directorship of Mary Manhein and by Egyptologists Jonathan Elias and Peter Lacovara. In March 2008, visitors will not want to miss the exciting exhibition Jim Henson’s Fantastic World, which offers a rare peek into the imagination and creative genius of the inspired creator of Sesame Street, the Muppets, Fraggle Rock, and more. The new planetarium sky show, Extreme Planets (January 19–June 28), will show off the latest upgrades to the planetarium projection system. The Museum Store at LASM features quality merchandise, including handcrafted jewelry, fabrics, ceramics, and glassware; art and science books; and educational toys. below: LASM’s upgraded Ancient Egypt Gallery reopened in July 2007 with news that its beloved 2,300-year-old mummy, long thought to be female, is actually a male. above: Messianic Times, 1957, by Marc Chagall, among the works on display in the “Images from the Art of Devotion” exhibition through Jan. 6, 2008. BEATRICE HAGGERTY MUSEUM Louisiana Art & Science Museum 100 River Road • Baton Rouge, LA 70570 Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (planetarium open until 8 p.m.) Sunday, 1-5 p.m. Admission: Galleries: Adults $6, Children & Seniors $5 Galleries plus planetarium show: Adults $8, Children & Seniors $7 www.lasm.org • (225) 344-5272 80 LOUISIANA ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES\Winter 2007-08 http://www.lasm.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2007

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2007 Contents Friends Editor’s Column Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Katrina: Days of Terror, Months of Anguish Paintings by Rolland Golden The Historic New Orleans Collection The Great Ouachita River Flood of 1932 Jazz Notes Louisiana Architecture Louisiana: Where Land Meets Water Louisiana State Museum Through A Lens Sharply: An Interview with Michael Lewis MR-GO: A “miracle” mired in controversy Louisiana Foodways Louisiana Association of Museums New Orleans: An Autopsy Bookstand Sound Advice Forum

Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Winter 2007

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.