Tag Archives: education

To The Brink: JFK And The Cuban Missile Crisis At The JFK Presidential Library And Museum

It was a close call—maybe the closest call in human history. For two weeks in October 1962, the world teetered on the edge of thermonuclear war and the end of civilization as we know it. Earlier that fall, the Soviet Union, under orders from Premier Nikita Khrushchev, began to secretly deploy a nuclear strike force in Cuba, just 90 miles from the United States, with missiles that could reach most major U.S. cities in less than five minutes. President John F. Kennedy said the missiles would not be tolerated, and insisted on their removal. Khrushchev refused. The stand-off nearly caused a nuclear exchange and is remembered in this country as the Cuban Missile Crisis.

“To the Brink” is a look back at the crisis from the 50-year mark, which is drawn mainly from U.S. sources and presents a U.S. viewpoint. Pieces of the story that appear hazy now may come into sharper focus over time; others that are now clear will blur as the episode recedes further into history. Unbeknownst to almost all the participants, JFK recorded those White House meetings. Excerpts from the 43 hours of secret recordings relating to the Cuban Missile Crisis are presented in the gallery and form the centerpiece of this exhibit. Original documents, artifacts, and photographs from the National Archives and the Kennedy Library complement the tapes in a dramatic presentation that draws the visitor into this milestone 20th-century event.

The JFK Presidential Library and Museum is located at UMass-Boston. “To The Brink” will be on display at the Library until December 1, 2013. Click here for more information.

Dive right in! Penguins, otters, whales & more at the Shedd Aquarium!

The John G. Shedd Aquarium, a not-for-profit institution dedicated to public education and conservation, cares for more than 32,500 animals representing nearly 1,500 species from around the world. Beautifully situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, Shedd Aquarium welcomes more than 2 million guests annually.

Animals connect you to the living world, inspiring you to make a difference. From whales to snails, tarantulas to turtles, you’ll meet creatures from aquatic habitats around the world. Explore Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium, where you can get face to face with beluga whales, dolphins, sea otters, sea lions and penguins. Polar Play Zone is a permanent exhibit where kids and their families can play, pretend and discover through hands-on activities. See the aquatic show, starring the dolphins, belugas and more, and don’t miss the “Jellies” special exhibit. Then meet some of Shedd’s critters up close during live animal encounters in the Waters of the World galleries, talk to a diver in the 90,000-gallon Caribbean Reef, take a walk through a flooded forest in Amazon Rising and watch sharks overhead in Wild Reef. And visit Granddad, the oldest fish in any aquarium or zoo! Two million annual visitors can’t be wrong: Shedd Aquarium is the “must-sea” destination in Chicago! Click sheddaquarium.org for more information.

Exciting Exhibits Now At The Field Museum!

Remember capturing fireflies on a warm summer evening? Its light seemed rare and magical, and yet there are thousands of other living things that blink, glow, flash, and flicker. Creatures of Light delves into the mysterious world of bioluminescence – from the glowworms dangling from the ceiling of New Zealand’s famous Waitomo Caves, to the deep-sea fishes that illuminate the perpetually dark depths of the oceans. Discover the variety of ways in which light is used to attract a mate, lure unsuspecting prey, or defend against a predator, and see how scientists study this amazing ability to glow. Immerse yourself in these magical environments and revel in the beauty of this remarkable natural phenomenon, only at The Field Museum.

Discovered by chance in 1940 by four teenagers, the Lascaux caves in southern France have inspired and awed anthropologists, pre-historians, scientists, and artists ever since. Beautifully subtle paintings and engravings of animals line the deep cave walls – sophisticated artwork created at the hands of our early ancestors nearly 20,000 years ago. In an effort to preserve their fragile existence, the caves have remained closed indefinitely, denying us even a glimpse of their shadowed majesty.

But now, during its North American debut, you can experience your own thrill of discovery in the new exhibition, Scenes from the Stone Age: The Cave Paintings of Lascaux. Walk through exact cave replicas by flickering light, marveling at full-size copies of the paintings—including some never before seen by the public—and see them through the eyes of ancient artists. Deconstruct the paintings’ many layers of complexities, meet a lifelike Stone Age family, and discover why the true meaning and purpose of the caves remain a mystery even today. For a limited time, uncover the birthplace of artistic creativity, only at The Field Museum.

Check out fieldmuseum.org for more information.

Picasso is Back at the Art Institute of Chicago!

A century ago, in 1913, the Art Institute of Chicago became the first art museum in the country to present the work of a young Spaniard who would become the preeminent artist of the 20th century, Pablo Picasso. This February the museum celebrates the special 100-year relationship between Picasso and Chicago by bringing together over 250 of the finest examples of the artist’s paintings, sculpture, prints, drawings, and ceramics from private collections in the city, as well as from the museum’s collection, for the first large-scale Picasso exhibition organized by the museum in almost 30 years.

The show runs from February 20, 2013 through May 12, 2013. The exhibit shows such diverse and significant works from the museum’s own exceptional holdings and from collections throughout the city, Picasso and Chicago not only charts the full gamut of Picasso’s artistic career but also chronicles the growth of Chicago as a place for modern art and the storied moments of overlap that have contributed to the vibrant interest in Picasso from 1913 to today. Visit artic.edu for more information.he Art Institute is celebrating a 100 year relationship with the artist by bringing together over 250 of Picasso’s finest works of Art.

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Explore The Past at The National Museum of American History!

In 2013 the country will commemorate two events that changed the course of the nation – the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation and the 1963 March on Washington. Standing as milestone moments in the grand sweep of American history, these achievements were the culmination of decades of struggles by individuals – both famous and unknown – who believed in the American promise that this nation was dedicated to the proposition that “all men are created equal.” Separated by 100 years, they are linked together in a larger story of freedom and the American experience.

To commemorate these two pivotal achievements, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in collaboration with the National Museum of African American History and Culture will present an exhibition that explores the historical context of these two crucial events, their accomplishments and limitations, and their impact on the generations that followed. The exhibition will be on view from Dec. 14, 2012 through Sept. 15, 2013. Click here for more information.

The diverse collections of the National Museum of American History reflect a wide variety of subjects relating to the history of the United States as well as the history of science, medicine, and technology.

Explore French Impressionists And Others At The Barnes Foundation

The new 93,000-square-foot, two-story building, designed by architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien, is described as a “gallery in a garden, a garden in a gallery.” Boasting a textured grey-and-gold Ramon limestone exterior and a glass canopy that glows at night, the building is a breathtaking addition to the Parkway Museum District.

The four-and-a-half acre landscaped grounds reference the Barnes Arboretum in Merion, which will reopen in the late summer of 2012. In addition, the building boasts a number of sustainable features, including a green roof and permeable surfaces that allow for rain and grey water re-use.

But the true draw is the Barnes Collection featuring 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes and 59 Matisses, along with works by Manet, Degas, Seurat, Prendergrast, Titian and Picasso.

The 12,000-square-foot gallery preserves the scale, proportion and configuration of the original Merion location. The priceless works are symmetrically arranged according to size, and often paired with artifacts and furniture (think: African sculpture, Pennsylvania Dutch folk art, antique Chinese paintings) organized around themes and formal elements. The scheme is the physical manifestation of the teachings of the man who collected the works, Albert C. Barnes. Click here for more information.

Visit the JFK Presidential Library and Museum

Visit us in our striking I.M Pei building on Boston’s waterfront. Located on Columbia Point, the Library and Museum is set on a ten acre park landscaped with pine trees, shrubs and wild roses reminiscent of the landscape of Cape Cod familiar to President Kennedy.

Experience our Museum through our three theaters, period settings, and 25 dramatic multimedia exhibits, and enter the recreated world of the Kennedy Presidency for a “first-hand” experience of John F. Kennedy’s life, legacy, and leadership. Click here for more information.

Newseum

Newseum Blends High-Tech With Historical.

The Newseum — a 250,000-square-foot museum of news — offers visitors an experience that blends five centuries of news history with up-to-the-second technology and hands-on exhibits.

The Newseum is located at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Sixth Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., on America’s Main Street between the White House and the U.S. Capitol and adjacent to the Smithsonian museums on the National Mall.

The exterior’s unique architectural features include a 74-foot-high marble engraving of the First Amendment and an immense front wall of glass through which passers-by can watch the museum fulfill its mission of educating the public about the value of a free press in a free society and telling the stories of the world’s important events in unique and engaging ways.

The Newseum features seven levels of galleries, theaters, retail spaces and visitor services. It offers a unique environment that takes museumgoers behind the scenes to experience how and why news is made. Click here for more information.

Brazil in Chicago: é ótimo!

DSCN0339 With Brazil in the spotlight for its booming economy and upcoming major events: World Cup 2014 and Summer Olympics 2016, there’s never been a better time to tap into your inner Brazilian. Plus it makes you super sexy of course.

Nestled in a cozy home in the German ‘hood of Lincoln Square is the oh-so Brazilian abode of Brazil in Chicago. Here Windy City residents can tap into their inner Brazilian by taking Portuguese lessons which are even offered for native French and Spanish speakers and kid’s classes. In addition, cooking classes and dancing lessons (samba anyone) are available. Muito obrigada to Marcelo Jarmendia, the brains behind this recently booming school.

Hemingway Foundation: Read All About It

4157818-Ernest_Hemingway_Museum-Oak_Park Just a quick and easy ride on Chicago’s CTA Green Line westbound to Harlem will bring you to the idyllic suburb of Oak Park. Here you may feel you’re walking on a movie set as the brick streets, mansions and adorable eateries seem too cute to be real.

This suburb defies the word by being anything but cookie-cutter and is packed full of culture. It is home to the Frank Lloyd Wright Museum and the somewhat lesser known Hemingway Foundation Exhibit. Yep, it’s right here in Oak Park. The celebrated author is originally from this cute town and thus Chicagoans and tourists can enjoy anything from wine auctions at the Foundation to tours, lectures and educational programs.

Afterward, head across the street to ponder life at Hemingway’s Bistro.

Chicago Botanic Garden: A Theraputic Oasis in the Windy City

When Chi-towners are in need of some fresh air, green pastures and loads of flowers, they head to the Chicago Botanic Garden. A hidden oasis just 30 minutes from downtown in Highland Park (an easy Metra ride), the garden boasts paths that allow you to peruse the place as if it were your own.

From Japanese and English gardens, isles reached by arched bridges and a tropical garden with orchids dangling from palm trees, perhaps the best feature of the Chicago Botanic Garden is its full calendar of events from educational programs to social mixers. Classes they offer range from cooking classes, gardening, kids programs, horticultural therapy and wellness programs. In a nutshell – this place is Chicago’s therapy.

The Field Museum: Still Rocking a Century Later

With its presence so large, so bold, so daunting, it’s no surprise the Field Museum is still rocking as one of Chicago’s top tourist destinations, visited by global trekkers day in and day out. Its large, impressive columns speak of antiquity (its prized possession is Sue, the largest and most complete T. Rex in the world), but the big, bold flags of new exhibits draping the museum scream of its modern take on history.

And its been rocking since it was incorporated in the State of Illinois on September 16, 1893 as the Columbian Museum of Chicago, later changing its name to the Field Museum to honor its benefactor, Marshall Field. Sitting proudly and prominently in Chicago’s Museum Campus (strikingly visible from Millennium Park), the museum attracts hundreds daily to ooh and ahh over the vast collections of over twenty million specimens, like ancient African and Islamic vases to nearly perfectly preserved mummies. From lectures to regular classes, specialized tours and overnight stays for children, it’s quite hard to find an angle the museum doesn’t reach.

Today, aside from serving as one of the world’s top museums, its research is constantly recognized as a leading developer in science, thanks to joint efforts with the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois. Make sure to check the calendar for exhibit and event listings coordinating with your visit