The Bruce Museum in Greenwich, CT, puts visitors inside the boots of a paleontologist when it presents its newest exhibition, Digging for Dinosaurs, opening on Sat., Dec. 13, and on view through Sun., July 26, 2009. Digging for Dinosaurs is the Bruce Museum’s latest interactive exhibition as it explores where to look for dinosaurs, how to uncover their fossil remains, and what the fossils reveal about these “terrible lizards”. The show examines various types of fossilized dinosaur remains, such as a petrified sauropod leg bone and fossilized footprints from the Connecticut River Valley, fossilized dinosaur teeth and egg shells, and a cast of a juvenile Camarasuraus that covers an entire wall.
Digging for Dinosaurs features a large, hands-on excavation area, where paleontologists of all ages can scrape away matrix to free cast dinosaur bones and other fossils when the area is supervised. The dig site reconstructs the fossil assemblage of the famed Morrison Formation as revealed in Utah’s Dinosaur National Monument. Fragments of a carnivorous allosaur, long-necked diplodocus, stegosaur, ancient clam, and turtle provide a view of life along a riverbank during the Late Jurassic period. A visual key helps visitors identify the fossils that can be found, and expedition images show geologists at work at sites around the world.
What happens after dinosaur fossils are excavated? Geologists observe, analyze, and make comparisons to learn how the dinosaurs lived. Touchable cast specimens encourage visitors to make their own observations. Visitors will be able to assemble a dinosaur using a touch screen or measure a trackway to determine if the dinosaur that left the footprints was walking or running.
Will you become a fossil? Digging for Dinosaurs includes a board game to help visitors learn how dinosaurs became fossilized hundreds of millions of years ago.
The Bruce Museum is also presenting a complementary exhibition, opening Feb. 8, 2009, entitled Dinosaurs: The Art of Reconstruction, which explores how an artist reconstructs a dinosaur’s appearance.
The exhibition Digging for Dinosaurs is supported by the Charles M. and Deborah G. Royce Exhibition Fund.
The museum is located at 1 Museum Drive in Greenwich, CT. For information call (203) 869-0376.
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The Parkchester Chorus presents Holiday Music Then and Now, on Sun., Dec. 14 at 3 pm at the First Lutheran Church of Throggs Neck, 3075 Baisley Avenue.
For over 20 years, Parkchester Chorus has been performing with the experienced leadership of Mrs. Lorraine C. Nanko, Chairperson of the Cardinal Hayes High School Arts Department. At this concert the Parkchester Chorus welcomes back talented and versatile, Mr. David Pikelny as the accompanist. The chorus, as always, will be joined by virtuoso musicians that are well-known to our past audiences.
This year’s program theme is Holiday Music Then and Now. The program offers beautiful classic numbers by Bach and Saint Saens as well as more modern pieces by John Rutter. Traditional and popular numbers will bring visions of sugarplums and happy children at this holiday season and Parkchester Chorus looks forward to bringing their unique blend of winter holiday music to Bronx friends and neighbors.
The Parkchester Chorus announces that as usual seating is on a first come, first served basis. A free-will offering will be taken. The Parkchester Chorus is known for having joined with The Riverdale Choral Society, Columbus High School Alumni Chorus, and The Bronx Concert Orchestra to perform at Hostos College.
The 3rd Sunday in May the Parkchester Chorus annually presents a spring concert. The program always offers a potpourri of choral music. Mozart and Friends was celebrated one year in honor of Mozart’s anniversary and another year Gilbert and Sullivan music was highlighted. The Parkchester Chorus also gives outreach concerts in the community. A new semester begins January 2009. Semester dues are $30 for individuals, $45 for couples and $25 for students. For more information call (718) 320-2790 and leave a message.
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The Riverdale-Yonkers Society for Ethical Culture will show The Rape Of Europa on Sat., Dec. 6, at 7 pm at the Meeting House, 4450 Fieldston Road, corner of Manhattan College Parkway.
The issues raised by The Rape of Europa, a documentary about the Nazi pillaging of art and the Allied effort to return it, can’t be conveniently consigned to the dustbin of history. This story is still playing out, contentiously and emotionally, as art is recovered and heirs sue for restitution.
The film, based on a book by Lynn H. Nicholas and narrated by Joan Allen, crams in a lot, which means it can seem rushed and cursory.
Movies begin with an introduction and are followed by discussion. A donation towards the Film Club of $3 to i$5 per person will be accepted at the door. The society reserves the right to provide an alternative film if a video is unavailable.
For more information call (718) 548-4445.
