Balboa Park Beat

Hidden Balboa Park: Inside the San Diego Air & Space Museum's library

You’ll need to slip past the flashy aliens exhibit, go through a hallway of aerospace paintings, walk beneath aircraft, and go up a flight of stairs to discover one of the San Diego Air & Space Museum’s most fascinating rooms: its library.

The library's collection has attracted interest in recent weeks because of the museum’s digitization project: more than 70,000 images have been digitized and uploaded to Flickr (check out this photo of stuntmen standing on the wings of a flying plane).

Offering more than photos, the SDASM Library & Archives houses one of the most significant collections of aviation-related research materials in the world and holds the third largest collection of its type in the United States. Browse the shelves and you’ll find parachute manuals from the 1930s, copies of Naval Aviation News from the 1940s, and handbooks for airline hostesses from the 1960s.

Although a devastating fire in 1978 destroyed much of the museum's collection, some of the printed materials survived with minimal damage. “Many of the documents were so tightly packed together that they were singed around the edges but still survived,” explained Katrina Pescador, head archivist at the SDASM.

Katrina said that her favorite items in the collection are two logbooks of the Lafayette Escadrille 103rd Pursuit Squadron from World War I (one book is pictured at right). Inside the logbooks are detailed records of the daily lives of members of the squadron—documenting everything from specific combat operations to nights of social drinking.

In addition to uploading images to Flickr, the library staff have been working on other technology projects that include adding oral histories and technical drawings to their online catalog and maintaining an online blog.

The library is open to the general public Tuesdays through Fridays from 10am-4pm, by appointment. Cost of using the library is included in museum admission and is free for museum members.

Diaries of San Diego rattlesnake expert Laurence Klauber available online

The San Diego Natural History Museum (SDNHM) has been working with the Balboa Park Online Collaborative to digitize the field journals of Laurence M. Klauber (1883-1968), a researcher whose fascination with snakes culminated in a 1,533-page study titled “Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories, and Influence on Mankind.” His diaries were scanned and uploaded to the Internet Archive, a nonprofit digital library. 

In the diaries, Klauber (pictured at right) wrote about where he found certain snakes, reptiles, and amphibians, including some species that are hard to find in those areas today.

“Theoretically, we should be able to link a specimen in our herpetological collection to the day Klauber found it, as noted in the diary,” said Margaret Dykens, the SDNHM’s registrar and director of research library. “Our hope is that we can integrate a lot more of the data that we have.”

The SDNHM’s herpetology collection includes more than 43,000 fluid-preserved specimens that Klauber personally catalogued. Through his efforts, SDNHM has the most comprehensive collection of rattlesnakes in the world.

Sample entries from Klauber’s diaries:

March 13, 1927
A fine day but did not go out. Nursing a boil. Philip caught an alligator lizard.

February 20, 1933
Gave a snake talk this noon at the Chula Vista Rotary Club. Came home via La Presa and Helix. 31 miles. No snakes seen. Got a horned toad on the road at La Presa.

On May 19, 1940, he started a multi-page entry about a not-so-pleasant interaction with a snake:
In some way which I will never understand he got enough of his head loose to bite me on the inner side of the right thumb above the upper joint. Both fangs, but probably got very little venom as he was small and had already bitten the stick. I jerked my hand loose and got a tourniquet on (necktie) at once. The pain was evident in the thumb instantly. Started to drive on and then went back (about ¼ mile) and collected the snake. . . drove as fast as possible in spite of the Sunday traffic. Drove as far as El Cajon myself; gg drove the rest of the way.

To read more, go to www.archive.org and search for “Laurence Klauber.”

The San Diego Museum of Art names new director, opens "Heroes" exhibition

Museum names first female director 

 The Board of Trustees of The San Diego Museum of Art has named Roxana Velásquez Martínez del Campo (pictured at right) as the new executive director. When she begins this fall, she will be the first female to ever hold this leadership position at the museum. American born and raised in Mexico, Velásquez has represented professional, civic, and cultural endeavors at three major national museums in Mexico City: Museo Nacional de San Carlos, Museo Nacional de Arte (Munal), and most recently, Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes.

“I have always believed in the power of art and its ability to create bonds, avoid boundaries, and bring fraternity among individuals from the most distant and diverse societies,” Velásquez said.

As the director, Velásquez will help raise the profile of the museum on national and international levels while furthering its mission to collect, preserve, display, and interpret the finest works of art. She succeeds Dr. Derrick R. Cartwright who left the museum’s top staff position mid-September 2009.

Exhibition about heroes opens

In 2010, our admiration of a public figure is often indicated through a quick click of the Facebook "like" button. In ancient Greece, the process was a little more time consuming-- and certainly more interesting.

At The San Diego Museum of Art's exhibition "Heroes: Mortals and Myths in Ancient Greece," visitors can see beautiful statues, painted vases, coins, carved gemstones and other works of art that illustrate the lives of heroes and heroines. Photographs of Greece and literary quotations supplement the exhibition, which runs through September. You can discuss the collection with others attending the Culture & Cocktails event on Thursday, June 17, 6-9pm, and share your results from the quiz "Which mythological hero are you?" that is featured on the museum’s website.

At the far end of the exhibition is a community board where visitors can write down their personal heroes. Last weekend, the selections ranged from the noble (Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa) to the questionable (Chuck Norris, Barry Manilow) to the absurd (multiple mentions of SpongeBob SquarePants).

Who would you say is a modern day hero? Is the term still relevant?

Mudfest and Memorial Day: Upcoming events in Balboa Park

Gotta love the name. Mudfest. It's the Spanish Village Art Center's excuse to spend a day having fun in the mud and learning about clay. The day involves friendly games of skill on the pottery wheel and hand building with clay for amateurs and professionals. The event is produced to help educate the public about the process of creating objects with clay and is hosted by the Clay Artists of San Diego (CASD) and the San Diego Potters Guild.

Mudfest 2010 includes more than a dozen “clay games” for all ages and skill levels. Potters, students and anyone interested in participating, no experience needed, are welcome to compete in events such as throwing without using their hands, throwing blindfolded, tandem throwing (two people each use one hand to form a pot), team handle pull, and all day hand building.  Area high schools are invited to enter a team of students for competitions and for a chance to win prizes including a day with a working artist at their school.

Mudfest 2010 includes demonstrations by local potters, a children’s booth, pottery display area/information booths where people can learn more about clay and where they may take classes.

**Also: The ever-helpful, spunky and snarky Debbie Petruzzelli has thoughtfully put together a list of all the park museums and institutions that will be open and closed this coming Memorial Day. Plan ahead people!

Behind the Scenes: Art Alive 2010 at San Diego Museum of Art

We're loving the behind-the-scenes coverage of the florals arriving at the Art Alive installation at the San Diego Museum of Art. Check out SDMA's Facebook page for more pictures.

Art Alive 2010: Culture, Cocktails and Cocktail Dresses in Balboa Park

 
It's that time again. Time for Art Alive 2010, when the folks at the San Diego Museum of Art to turn the entire building into a floral extravaganza, where dozens of floral designers interpret the museums artwork in individual floral arrangements. The arrangements are displayed alongside the pieces of art, the museum throws a series of events over the course of four days to raise money for various education and public programming throughout the year.

Which brings us to the other real fun of Art Alive: The Parties. I've attend several Art Alive fundraisers over the years, and they always turn out to be just as their billed: Extravagant and beautiful--and not just the art and the flowers. San Diego's social set comes out in droves for the opening gala event, the special edition of Culture & Cocktails and many other events throughout the weekend. And everyone is dressed to the nines.  So when we approached SDMA (and their creative agency Bailey Gardiner) for a preview before the event, we had just one question on our minds:

What are you wearing?

"I'm wearing the Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti dress (far right) for the Opening Celebration event (I found it at this link but mine is blue not pink and I got mine on eBay), and for Culture & Cocktails, it's going to be the D&G black cocktail dress (near right). I got it at Nordstrom Rack." -- Sarah Grossman, SDMA special event coordinator. 

 

"I found this one at J.Crew (at left). It's an impressionist dress, just like the art on view at the San Diego Museum of Art. I love it because it looks floral and artistic at the same time -- perfect for the theme of events at Art Alive!" -- Jennifer Personette, Director of Advertising for Bailey Gardiner

 

"I don’t have a dress yet and am starting to stress a smidge. I found a great dress the other day, didn’t buy it, can’t find it online, and am totally kicking myself! I think the general feel we're all going for is bright, colorful, sexy and beautiful. Sarah Grossman [SDMA's special event coordinator] is focused on a headpiece. She always wears something with flowers or feathers."  -- Devon Foster (at right), SDMA Marketing Manager

"You are so right on about this one -- everyone's trying to find the perfect dress! I've been looking for a dress the past two weeks! I have my eye on this Alice + Olivia one (strapless frock at left), but I'm having such a hard time finding it in my size!" -- Kevinie Woo, account executive with Bailey Gardiner

We also heard that Julianne Markow, the museum's Deputy Director of Operations and Finance, will be wearing a long, green silk frock with hand-painted purple sunbursts on the skirt. And Individual giving coordinator Jen Gilderman will be donning a short dress for the opening evening celebration (at right), with fringe detail and just a smidge of sparkle.

Balboa Park Goes Hollywood, Gets Airtime from KTLA

Check out this fab feature on our lovely Balboa Park by the KTLA roving reporter Gayle Anderson:

 

Guest Blog Post: Summer Nights in Balboa Park

Performances, exhibits, lectures, films, and special musical interludes fill summer evenings in Balboa Park this year. Many more nighttime events will be available on the Balboa Park website throughout the season.

• Twilight in the Park kicks-off a free concert series on June 15 with  Stars on the Water. Twilight’s live music under the stars has been delighting visitors to the Park for 30 years, and programs range from military bands and Dixieland jazz to big band swing and Latin salsa. Concerts run through August 26, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. on the stage of the majestic Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Twilight Schedule
• The 23^rd year of the International Summer Organ Festival begins Monday, June 21. The concerts are at 7:30 p.m. every Monday evening through August 30 on world’s largest outdoor pipe organ in Spreckels Organ Pavilion. Internationally renowned concert and theater organists accompany elegant vocal works, jazz, and a silent movie on August 23. Summer Organ Festival Schedule
• The San Diego Museum of Art’s Screen on the Green returns on July 9 with an assortment of films. Dates are select Friday nights and include: July 9, July 23,  August 6 and August 20. Screen on the Green movies begin at 8:00 p.m. on the East lawn and movies are free to the public. 7/9 Reed Mexico Insurgente, (not rated); 7/23, Jason and the Argonauts; 8/6, The King of Masks; 8/20 Moulin Rouge (1952). www.TheSanDiegoMuseumofArt.org
• The Old Globe’s popular 2010 Summer Shakespeare Festival presents three plays performed in rotation beginning June 12 and running through September 26. Two Shakespeare productions: King Lear and Taming of the Shrews, along with Alan Bennett’s celebrated classic The Madness of King George are performed under the stars in the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre. www.theoldglobe.org
• Nighttime Zoo, the San Diego Zoo’s summer adventure, kicks off June 26 and runs through September 6.  Summer hours are 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. www.sandiegozoo.org
• StarlightTheatre presents musicals favorites for warm summer nights. SUDS: The Rocking 60s Musical begins the season on June 17; The Pajama Game opens on July 15; and everyone’s favorite matchmaker Hello, Dolly!  returns on August 19–all with Starlight’s unique flight-path stop-action format. www.starlighttheatre.org  www.starlighttheatre.org

               

       -- Debbie Petruzzelli, Public Relations Manager for Balboapark.org 

Viva Mexico! Balboa Park celebrates 200 years of Mexican Independence

Board Huichol "Birds", Yarn and Campeche bee's wax on wood, Mexico, Nayarit

The year 2010 marks the 200th anniversary of Mexico's Independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution, and Balboa Park is celebrating in more ways than one in San Diego. Check out all the details below in the full release to the press:

FOUR BALBOA PARK MUSEUMS PRESENT MEXICAN PROGRAMMING

Bicentennial of Independence and Centennial of Revolution

 The vibrant and diverse culture of Mexico will be the theme of exhibitions, programs, and films at four Balboa Park art museums throughout 2010. These complementary events commemorate the 200^th anniversary of Mexican Independence (1810) and the 100^th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution (1910).

A sampling of the many offerings celebrating MEXICO 2010 in Balboa Park:

MEXICO 2010 PROGRAMS

AT MINGEI INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM 

¡VIVA MÉXICO! – Heroes and Artisans is an exhibition of the folk art that colorfully and vitally expresses Mexico’s spirit. Just as the heroes of Independence and the Revolution were great artisans in crafting the nation’s constitution, laws and institutions, so are its many artisans also cultural heroes, vibrantly perpetuating Mexico’s historical memory and its distinctive, exuberant, and vital artistic tradition.  The exhibition continues through January 2, 2011. A complementary exhibition, TEMPERING MEMORY— Photographs of Contemporary Mexico by Julio Rodríguez, is an intimate exhibition of photographs of historical locations in Mexico by the respected Tijuana-based photographer. The exhibition continues through June 27, 2010. 

 AT THE SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART  

Created in the gallery while visitors watched, the powerful exhibition Brutal Beauty: Drawings by Hugo Crosthwaite will be on view through July 18. Ten Paintings by Raúl Anguiano will bring together an impressive group of paintings by the Mexican artist, Raúl Anguiano (1915– 2006). As a second-generation Mexican muralist and a member of the Taller de Gráfica Popular, Anguiano and his work form a direct link with the artists of the Mexican Renaissance that forever transformed the arts of Mexico. Throughout his long career, Anguiano created works that present intimate portraits of women, pre-Columbian history, and the contemporary indigenous population. The paintings included in this exhibition will reveal a multifaceted approach to Mexico, its people, and the consistent desire of Anguiano to express both a passionate and lyrical approach to his subject matter.

AT TIMKEN MUSEUM OF ART

Spanish-Language Storytelling, a free program for ages 5 and up will take place on Saturday, May 1, 2010 as part of the Children’s Day celebration in Mexico.  It will feature professional singer-songwriter Gabriela Flores and storyteller Lisette Atala.  The two will take listeners on a journey to 18^th–century France and the world of Louis XV.

Spanish-Language Art in the Afternoon Gallery Talk will take place on Thursday, April 29, at 12:30 p.m. Speaker Victoria Sancho Lobis, Curator of the Print Collection and Fine Art Galleries at the University of San Diego, will discuss "Rembrandt y el arte del grabado."  Admission is free. Space is limited.

 AT MUSEUM of PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS (MoPA) 

The Museum of Photographic Arts is presenting Mexican Film Classics on the second Thursday of each month throughout the year. Upcoming films include La Cobarde (1953), directed by Julio Bracho, on Thursday, April 8, 2010 at 7 p.m. and Los Olividados (1950)*, directed by Luis Buñuel, on Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 7p.m.  Also part of the series, in July, is a Santo Mini-Series featuring five films starring the iconic, masked Luchador. Entrance is free to MoPA members, $6 for students, and $8 for the general public.

Dinosaurs Coming Alive This Week at San Diego Natural History Museum

Check out the photos below taken during the final days of setup for the new Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opening at the San Diego Natural History Museum this weekend. It takes dozens of staff members, construction crews and security staff to get all the bones in place and raptors hung just right, and we got behind the scenes access last week while crews finishing setup. Check out the photos below, plus a Q&A with SDNHM Dinosaurs exhibition manager Tim Murray.

And don't forget to visit the exhibit opening this weekend, March 27th, 2010 at the San Diego Natural History Museum. 

 


Special thanks to the folks at SDNHM for getting us access to Dinosaurs exhibition manager Tim Murray. We asked Murray a few questions about what it's like to get an exhibition of this size up and running. Edited Excerpts follow:


Q. How long, start to finish, does setup of an exhibition of this size take? How many people are involved in the process?
A. Typically 15 – 20 days to set up. This time we only had 12 days to set up. Between loading and shipping the Darwin exhibit and receiving and setting up Dinosaurs, we loaded and unloaded 25 50-foot semi trailers of exhibits stuff. We have a crew of about 20 for this exhibition.

 Q.I saw a lot of crates with the word “fragile” on them. How are all the bones and exhibit pieces transported here?
A. Objects are shipped on a special truck equipped with “air ride” and climate control. They are shipped from the previous venue directly to us – no switching trucks, trailers or drivers.

Q. When an exhibit comes from the American Museum of Natural History, do they send a blueprint for how to set it up? Or do you have to adapt the exhibit to fit the San Diego Natural History Museum’s dimensions?
A. Typically, AMNH sends electronic files of the layout at their venue. We would then copy components from their floor plan to our floor plan and arrange/design the exhibit to best fit our gallery. We would send our floor plan back to the designers at AMNH to get feedback. (ex. - “That component usually goes against a wall because it does not have a attractive back to it.”)

Q. Can you give us an example of something “new” people will learn from this exhibit that we didn’t know before about Dinosaurs?
A. The diorama that depicts the environment where the dinosaurs existed looks very different from what was depicted before.

Q. What is the most notable part of the Dinosaurs exhibition, in your opinion?
A. The “walking” T rex. (pictured with Murray at right)

Q. How did you find yourself in this position? What exhibitions have you worked on in the past? What has been your favorite?
A. I have been here for the past 26 years. Many traveling and permanent exhibits, including Dead Sea Scrolls, Fossil Mysteries, and Backyard Monsters. A favorite of mine would be Jurassic Park because it was so popular and fun. Another favorite is Cats. The mounted cats were so well done and beautiful.

Q. What advice would you give someone who wants to become an exhibition manager at a museum?
A. Be very organized, see lots of exhibitions, have a diversity of personal interests, and get some experience doing the actual work of designing and installing exhibits.

Dinosaurs: Ancient Fossils, New Discoveries opens March 27th at the San Diego Natural History Museum.