AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY CELEBRATES

GLOBAL WEEKENDS: NEW ORLEANS: CULTURE REMIXED

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, FROM 1 TO 6 PM

Performances IncludeJazz Trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis and His Party Like  It’s Mardi! Band and Cajun Bluegrass Ensemble The Hoppin’ John String Band Tantra-zawadi, accompanied by Aleijuan Afuraka

Enjoy New Orleans-style music, dance, and food; learn about Creole language and culture; and explore traditional African costumes with the American Museum of Natural History during its Global Weekends: New Orleans: Culture Remixed on Saturday, April 28, from 1 to 6 pm. As part of the national Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM) celebrations this April, the Museum will be taking a close look at jazz’s birthplace, New Orleans: how its art forms, rich cultural diversity, and spirit have thrived in a cosmopolitan fusion for nearly three centuries. Join in the celebration through family-friendly activities and performances by Cajun bluegrass ensemble Hoppin’ John String Band and trombonist and Grammy Award-winning producer Delfeayo Marsalis with his popular Party Like It’s Mardi! band.

Like New Orleans’ dynamic cultural and hybrid nature, the Museum introduces visitors to new worlds, allowing them to discover links between global societies and cultural traditions. Hosted by WBGO radio personality Sheila Anderson, the day’s activities will include:

• Let’s Talk Creole: An opportunity to discover Creole connections from Louisiana to Haiti and beyond with Tom Klingler, Louisiana Creole language expert of Tulane University; Gregory Guy, linguistics scholar from New York University; and Suzanne Dikker, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology researcher. Tantra-Zawadi will provide a Haitian Creole reading with musical accompaniment by Aleijuan Afuraka.
• Secret Societies: Costumes and Masks: Curatorial associate Jacklyn Lacey from the Museum’s Division of Anthropology will lead a tour through the Hall of African Peoples highlighting initiation costumes throughout Africa and the vibrant history of secret societies in African and African-American traditions; and

The day concludes with a Conversation and Concert with Delfeayo Marsalis. The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master shares his reflections on growing up in New Orleans in a family of musical masters, including father Ellis and brothers Branford, Wynton, and Jason, and speaks about his ongoing efforts to keep New Orleans culture alive and thriving. Following the question-and-answer session, Marsalis and his Party Like It’s Mardi! band will perform complete with a Big Chief Mardi Gras Indian and traditional “second line” dancer. Marsalis will be available for a special CD signing after the performance. Part of the proceeds will be donated to the Uptown Music Theatre, a nonprofit arts organization founded by Marsalis that empowers the children and greater community of New Orleans.

Throughout the day, traditional Southern-style culinary favorites will be sold in the Museum Food Court, located on the lower level. Take a bite of the Big Easy’s history and sample some delicious traditional bread pudding. In the Grand Gallery, visitors can also create a Mardi-Gras mask, pick up a free Smithsonian Jazz Appreciation Month poster, and learn how to help the New Orleans-area Habitat for Humanity post-Katrina rebuilding effort.

The Presenting Sponsor of the Museum's cultural public programming is MetLife Foundation.

Support for Global Weekends is made possible, in part, by the Ford Foundation, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc., and the family of Frederick H. Leonhardt.

The Media Partner of New Orleans: Culture Remixed is WBGO Jazz 88.3FM / WBGO.org.

American Museum of Natural History (amnh.org)

            The American Museum of Natural History, founded in 1869, is one of the world’s preeminent scientific, educational, and cultural institutions. The Museum encompasses 45 permanent exhibition halls and galleries for temporary exhibitions, the Rose Center for Earth and Space with the Hayden Planetarium, state-of-the-art research laboratories and five active research divisions that support more than 200 scientists in addition to one of the largest natural history libraries in the Western Hemisphere and a permanent collection of more than 32 million specimens and cultural artifacts. Through its Richard Gilder Graduate School, it is the first American museum authorized to grant the Ph.D. degree. In 2012, the Museum will begin offering a pilot Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in earth science. Approximately 5 million visitors from around the world came to the Museum last year, and its exhibitions and Space Shows can be seen in venues on five continents. The Museum’s website and growing collection of apps for mobile devices extend its collections, exhibitions, and educational programs to millions more beyond its walls. Visit amnh.org for more information.

At the Museum

The Museum offers a broad array of programs for adults, children, families, students, educators, and scientists. These range from special exhibitions to symposia, lecture series, workshops, and film festivals. Highlights include Creatures of Light: Nature's Bioluminescence (March 31, 2012-January 6, 2013), which explores the extraordinary organisms that produce light, from the flickering fireflies found in backyards around the world to the alien-like deep-sea fishes and other fantastic creatures that illuminate the perpetually dark depths of the oceans; Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration  (November 19, 2011–August 12, 2012), which offers a vision of the future of space travel as it boldly explores our next steps in our solar system and beyond; the Hayden Planetarium Space Show, Journey to the Stars, narrated by Whoopi Goldberg; The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter (October 8, 2011–May 28, 2012), an annual exhibition that features up to 500 live, free-flying tropical butterflies; Picturing Science: Museum Scientists and Imaging Technologies (June 25, 2011–June 24, 2012), an exhibition of stunning large-format photographs captured by high-tech imaging devices used by Museum scientists in their research; and a year-round calendar of engaging and educational public programs that feature dynamic encounters with living cultures and authentic science.

Hours

The Museum is open daily, 10 am–5:45 pm. The Museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Admission

Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum’s scientific and educational endeavors and offers access to the Museum’s 45 halls including the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $19 (adults) suggested, $14.50 (students/seniors) suggested, $10.50 (children) suggested. All prices are subject to change.

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