EUGENE, Ore. -- (June 1, 2010) – The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History invites the public to visit its current exhibits before June 14, when it will close for a make-over to freshen up the inside and prepare for future expansion. Admission is free Friday, June 12, through Monday, June 14.
Current exhibits include, "PaleoLab-Oregon's Past Revealed: Whales of Deep Time," and "How Water Speaks to Us - Photographs by Shirley Collins." Both exhibits will close on June 14.
"The museum is excited about the upcoming changes that will enhance the experience for visitors," said Judi Pruitt, assistant director, visitor services. "The current exhibits have been well-attended and we hope graduates and their families plan to visit as part of their graduation celebrations before our brief closure."
Beginning June 15, the day after UO Commencement, the museum will be closed for renovations and retrofitting to enable expanded exhibit and workshop space in the future.
The museum plans to reopen Aug. 4 with "PaleoLab – Oregon's Past Revealed: Horses and Grasslands," and in the Northwest Artist Gallery, "Solitude in Absolute Form – Photographs by Jon Christopher Meyers."
Visible changes to the museum will be an updated lobby and expanded entryway to the Galleria. The museum store, Past and Presents, will be refreshed with new paint and new inventory. The renovations also will expand the size and function of the museum's education room that is used frequently by school tour groups, classes and others to get hands-on experience with exhibits.
"The museum's public programs aim to inspire curiosity and there's no better way to do it than seeing and experiencing our research and collections directly," said Ann Craig, assistant director of education. "The expansion to the education room is going to benefit the community – especially the approximately 4,000 K-12 students who visit us each year."
Behind-the-scenes work will transform the former workshop and collection vault into a future exhibit space. When completed, the space will almost double its current size.
The UO Museum of Natural and Cultural History is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3 for adults; $2 for seniors and youths ages 17 and under; and $8 for families (two adults and up to four youths). Museum members, university faculty, staff and students are admitted free. Admission is free for the public on Wednesdays.
About the University of Oregon
The University of Oregon is a world-class teaching and research institution and Oregon's flagship public university. The UO is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), an organization made up of the 63 leading public and private research institutions in the United States and Canada. The University of Oregon is one of only two AAU members in the Pacific Northwest.
Contact: Judi Pruitt, assistant director, visitor services, 541-346-1671, judip@uoregon.edu
Link: Museum of Natural and Cultural History, http://natural-history.uoregon.edu