Visitors can sample chocolate treats and purchase hand-crafted gifts and specialty foods from over 30 local vendors at the New York State Museum’s eighth annual Chocolate Expo & Holiday Gift Market on Sunday, December 8, 11:00 AM – 4:30 PM.

Admission is $3 (cash only); children ages 12 and under are free. Local vendors will offer samples and sales of chocolates, desserts and specialty foods. There will also be a variety of hand-crafted jewelry, handmade bath and skincare products, clothing and accessories on sale.

Visitors will also find chocolate fountains in the Museum galleries, compliments of We Do Fondue. Promotional sponsors include Price Chopper and SmileMonster.com. The Museum will open to the public at 11:00 AM on December 8 (standard hours are 9:30 AM – 5:00 PM).

The annual Holiday Tree Lighting and Fireworks Festival at the Empire State Plaza will also be held on December 8, 3:00 – 8:00 PM.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

Follow the State Museum on Twitter @nysmuseum

A large American flag recovered from the site of the World Trade Center following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City is on display for the first time in the lobby of the New York State Museum to commemorate the 12th anniversary of the attacks. The flag was draped over the crushed remains of the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) Engine Company 6 pumper as it was removed from Ground Zero. The Engine 6 pumper is now installed in the State Museum’s World Trade Center exhibit.

Six firefighters from Engine 6 were dispatched to the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001 and four men from the Company—Lieutenant Thomas O’Hagan, Firefighter Paul Beyer, Firefighter William Johnson, and Firefighter Thomas Holohan—were killed in the collapse. Firefighters Billy Green and Jack Butler survived. The Engine 6 flag will hang in the State Museum lobby through the end of October.

“This historic American flag resonates with the history of September 11, 2001,” said State Museum Director Mark Schaming. “For the first time this iconic flag is on display in the Museum along with the FDNY Engine 6 pumper, an artifact central to the State Museum's 9/11 collection. These objects from the World Trade Center site speak to the loss, heroism and global impact that the exhibition evokes for visitors.”

In addition, there are new artifacts on display in the Response section of the World Trade Center exhibition, revisiting the many individuals and groups in New York City and around the country who helped to preserve a legacy of those tragic days. Five collections of objects from the World Trade Center Sites are on display. Items include a handprint flag made at Fort Myers (Florida) High School that hung in the respite center at the World Trade Center Recovery Operation on Staten Island; objects sent to The World Trade Center Relief fund including a teddy bear and two albums filled with children’s drawings that were sent in with their contribution, usually their weekly allowance or a few coins; personal items of a fallen Port Authority attorney and his family including a family pass, safety helmet, booklet, and badge that were used to gain access to the site; and a canvas banner where visitors to Saint Paul’s Chapel were encouraged to write comments and reflection. Also on view is a roof truss fragment from one of the World Trade Center buildings; a piece of the building that was constructed to hold the building together.

With hundreds of thousands of artifacts, the State Museum is the world’s largest repository of objects recovered from the World Trade Center site after September 11, 2001. The artifacts are rotated through the Museum’s permanent World Trade Center exhibition, which opened in September 2002. The Museum also supports other institutions nationwide and beyond with their World Trade Center-related exhibitions. More information about the exhibit is available here:
http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/exhibits/longterm/wtc/.

Photos of the flag are available here:
http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/PRkit/2013/flag/index.html.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. 

Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

ALBANY, NY – The New York State Museum will be closed to the public on Saturday, May 3 for preventive maintenance electrical work, requiring a power shutdown.

The Museum will reopen Sunday, May 4 at 9:30 a.m.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department. It is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. It is generally open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website.

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NYS MUSEUM INSTITUTE APPOINTS DIRECTOR OF SPONSORSHIP

Albany – The New York State Museum Institute has promoted Lucy Larner of Troy to director of sponsorship, announced Dr. Cliff Siegfried, Museum director.

Larner has served as sponsorship officer since joining the Institute in November 2004. The New York State Museum Institute is a separate, private, non-profit organization that supports the exhibitions, programs and research of the New York State Museum.

As director of sponsorship, Larner is responsible for recruiting corporate partners to provide financial and in-kind support for the Museum. Sponsors are recruited at the national, regional and local levels. Larner also manages sponsorship stewardship and works closely with the Institute’s board of trustees.

Prior to joining the New York State Museum Institute Larner managed marketing and public relations for Bellevue Woman’s Hospital in Niskayuna. She has held similar positions at Mount Snow (VT), the Fulton County (Atlanta, GA) Arts Council and the City of Atlanta Bureau of Cultural Affairs. As a consultant, Larner’s clients have included the Hudson Valley Greenway Conservancy, the City of Troy, Gilda’s Club Capital Region New York and the Arts Center of the Capital Region.

The State Museum, a cultural program of the New York State Department of Education, was founded on a tradition of scientific inquiry. Started in 1836, the museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. Further information is available by calling 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

ALBANY – Driven to Abstraction: Works by Contemporary American Artists opens at the New York State Museum on Saturday, January 28, featuring the work of 11 artists of African descent, including two from the Capital District.

In accordance with this year’s theme for Black History Month (in February) – “Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social and Civic Institutions” – Driven to Abstraction is a tribute to the 30-year-old Capital District-based Black Dimensions in Art Inc. (BDA). BDA is a non-profit organization of artists, craftsmen and art enthusiasts who work together to stimulate interest in the creative expression of African-American artists. Stephen J. Tyson, the exhibition’s guest curator, is a member of BDA.

Two area artists – George Simmons of Albany and Tyson of Clifton Park – are among the artists of the African Diaspora, whose works are represented in the exhibition. On exhibit through March 26th, the works range from those emerging in the postwar years of the 1940s and the Civil Rights era of the 1950s and ‘60s to the postmodern era of the 1980s and ‘90s.

During the early years of Abstract Expressionism in post-World War II America, gifted trailblazers like Hale Woodruff, Norman Lewis, and Harlan Jackson demonstrated—contrary to the opinions of certain scholars and critics—that artists of color could indeed use abstraction in art as a viable means for conveying the depths of human intelligence and emotion. Although they may not have received the recognition that they deserved, their displays of courage, commitment, and artistic integrity have continued to inspire succeeding generations of artists—including many of the second- and third-generation abstract artists in this exhibition.

Other artists represented in the exhibition are Frank Wimberley, Ed Clark, Bill Hutson, Nanette Carter, Gregory Coates, Ralph Raphael Fleming, Howardena Pindell, Angelo Rombley and Herbert Gentry.

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Each work in Driven to Abstraction is the result of a creative process in which the artist has

enacted a balanced arrangement of lines, shapes, colors, or textures within a two-dimensional format. The

materials used range from canvas, paper, charcoal, and oil to more recent technological products and media like carbon paper ink, Mylar, and digital photography.

Driven to Abstraction is co-sponsored by Black Dimensions in Art with partial funding from the New York State Council on Arts.

The New York State Museum is a program of the New York State Department of Education, the University of the State of New York and the Office of Cultural Education. Started in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible. Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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ALBANY, NY – “Birds, Butterflies and Bats’’ is the theme of the New York State

Museum’s next Family Fun Weekend, February 3 – 4.

“Family Fun Weekend, Presented by Fidelis Care,” takes place from 1- 4 p.m.

both days. Activities, which are free of charge, are held in Bird Hall, on the Museum’s

first floor.

Throughout the afternoon, “Mammals Revealed’’ will be screened. Narrated by Dr.

Roland Kays, the Museum’s curator of mammals, the video shows how scientists study

wild mammals and share their discoveries. Visitors can also see the Museum’s

unique collection of birds, bats and butterflies.

They can make and decorate butterfly-shaped sun catchers to hang in the window, as

well as stenciled note cards shaped like butterflies. Children can also go on a scavenger

hunt, participate in coloring activities and get a packet filled with coloring sheets and

puzzles to take home.

At 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. the “Winter Sky” show will be presented in the inflatable Star

Lab Planetarium. The display will provide a preview of the stars’ position that night,

which participants can check for themselves later. The show, in the Carole F. Huxley

Theater (formerly known as Museum Theater), is limited to 30 people, who must obtain

a free ticket at the information desk in the lobby.

“Family Fun Weekends, Presented by Fidelis Care,” offer theme-based family

activities, on the first weekend of the month.

The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York

StateEducation Department. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in

Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving and

Christmas. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible.

Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling

(518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum Web site at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

A State Museum scientist has co-authored a new research article, representing the most detailed genomic study of its kind, which shows that wolves and coyotes in the eastern United States are hybrids between gray wolves, coyotes and domestic dogs.

Dr. Roland Kays, the Museum’s curator of mammals, was one of 15 other national and international scientists who collaborated on the study that used unprecedented genetic technology, developed from the dog genome, to survey the global genetic diversity in dogs, wolves and coyotes. The study used over 48,000 genetic markers, making it the most detailed genomic study of any wild vertebrate species.

The research results are especially relevant to wolves and coyotes in the Northeast. The study shows a gradient of hybridization in wolves, with pure wolves in western states and increasing hybridization as you move east. Wolves in the western Great Lakes area averaged a genetic makeup of 85 percent wolf and 15 percent coyote, while wolves in Algonquin Park in eastern Ontario averaged 58 percent wolf, and the ‘red wolf’ in North Carolina was only 24 percent wolf and 76 percent coyote. Populations of eastern coyotes, which only colonized the region in the last 60 years, were also minor hybrids, with some introgression of genetic material from wolves and domestic dogs. For example, Northeastern coyotes, including those in New York State, had genetic material primarily from coyotes (82 percent), with a minor contribution from dogs (9 percent) and wolves (9 percent). Midwestern and southeastern coyotes were genetically 90 percent coyote, with an average of 7.5 percent dog and 2.5 percent wolf.

The advanced genetic techniques used in this study also allowed the scientists to estimate when the hybridization initially occurred. Kays said “In most cases this breeding across species lines seems to have happened at times when humans were hunting eastern wolves to extinction, and the few remaining animals could find no proper mates, so took the best option they could get.” Kays continues, “The exceptions were an older hybridization between coyotes and wolves in the western Great Lakes dating from 600-900 years ago, and a coyote-dog hybridization in the eastern U.S. about 50 years ago, when coyote were first colonizing eastern forests.”

This study also provides fresh data on the controversy over the species status of the Red Wolf in North Carolina, and the Eastern Canadian Wolf in Ontario. Both are medium-sized wolves that some have argued represent unique species. However, this new detailed genetic data shows both are the result of hybridizations between coyotes and wolves over the last few hundred years, and do not share a common origin in a unique eastern wolf species.

This research is also relevant to a recent U.S. Fish and Wildlife proposal to remove the western Great Lakes wolves from the Endangered Species Act by showing that those wolves are only marginally hybridized with coyotes, should be considered a subspecies of the Gray Wolf, and have no genetic ties to a more endangered form of eastern wolf.

The research is published online in Genome Research, an international, peer-reviewed journal that publishes outstanding original research that provides novel insights into the genome biology of all organisms, including advances in genomic medicine.

This study follows another research paper co-authored by Kays last year in the journal Biology Letters, which used museum specimens and genetic samples to show that eastern coyotes hybridized with wolves to rapidly evolve into a larger form over the last 90 years, dramatically expanding their geographic range and becoming the top predator in the Northeast. This hybridization contributed to the evolution of coyotes from mousers of western grasslands to deer hunters of eastern forests. The resulting coy-wolf hybrids are larger, with wider skulls that are better adapted for hunting deer.

In the past, Kays has also studied coyote diet and distribution in Albany’s Pine Bush and in the Adirondack Mountains. His research indicated that deer accounted for approximately one-third of the coyote’s diet and that they made extensive use of forested areas. Kays also writes a blog about his research for the New York Times “Scientist at Work” feature. This blog is the modern version of a field journal, a place for reports on the daily progress of scientific expeditions — adventures, misadventures and discoveries. Kays’ posts can be found at Scientist at Work.

The New York State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Started in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, it is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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ALBANY, NY – The Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s first exhibition, as part of the Bank of America Great Art Series, debuts April 8th at the New York State Museum with the opening of Op Art Revisited: Selections from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

This exhibition, open through August 13th in the Museum’s West Gallery, is the 15th installment of the Great Art Exhibition and Education Program, which brings art from New York State’s leading art museums to Albany.

"The Albright-Knox Art Gallery is pleased to be the first upstate representative for the Bank of America Great Art Series at the New York State Museum," said Gallery Director Louis Grachos. "The Gallery, which is best known for its superb collection of modern and contemporary art, is happy to share many of its outstanding examples of Op Art with Capitol District museum visitors. Many of these works were included in last summer's highly acclaimed exhibition Extreme Abstraction."

“The State Museum is delighted to welcome the Albright-Knox Art Gallery to the Bank of America Great Art Series,” said State Museum Director Dr. Clifford Siegfried. “We are excited about the opportunity to showcase these outstanding selections from the world-renowned collections of Albright-Knox.”

Organized by the Gallery’s Associate Curator Holly E. Hughes, the exhibition includes 35 paintings and sculptures from artists central to the Op Art or Optical Art movement, such as Josef Albers, Richard Anuskiewicz, Bridget Riley, Julian Stanczak, and Victor Vasarely. Through the use of parallel lines, concentric circles and electric colors, these artists manipulated depth, perspective, space and color to create an “optical illusion.”

The movement began in the 1950s and peaked in 1965 when the Museum of Modern Art in New York mounted the first comprehensive exhibition on Op Art called The Responsive Eye. More recent works by contemporary artists Tim Bavington and Susie Rosmarin are also included in the exhibition to exemplify a resurgence of interest in Op Art.

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In the 1920s, the Albright-Knox became one of the first museums in the country to collect modern art, including the works of Picasso, Matisse, and other modern masters. Today, the Albright-Knox continues as one of the nation's top centers for contemporary art, collecting and exhibiting noted and provocative works by many top international artists

Located four miles from downtown Buffalo, the Albright-Knox is one of three new institutions to join the expanded Great Art Series. The others are the Brooklyn Museum, which ended its first exhibition March 6, and the Studio Museum of Harlem, which will debut its first exhibition in the fall. These institutions join The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Modern Art, the Whitney Museum of American Art and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, which have been part of the Great Art Series since it began in 1999.

The New York State Museum expresses its gratitude to Bank of America, First Lady Libby

Pataki, the New York State Senate and New York State Assembly for making this exhibition possible. Support was also provided by Hodgson Russ, LLP, a Buffalo-based law firm with an office in Albany.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Department of Education. Started in 1836, the museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the United States. The state museum is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. It is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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ALBANY – An exhibition commemorating the 100th birthday of Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller will open July 8 at the Empire State Plaza and New York State Museum, showcasing selected artwork, the governor’s official car, campaign memorabilia, and other items reflecting Rockefeller’s passionate interest in art, politics and architecture.

Rockefeller at 100 is a four-part exhibition made possible by a collaboration among the State Museum, State Archives, State Library, Office of Public Broadcasting and the Office of General Services (OGS) Plaza Art Collection.

"Nelson Rockefeller's legacy lives on all around us," said First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson. "From his advocacy for affordable housing and the highest minimum wage in the nation, to his major land preservation and infrastructure development projects, Nelson Rockefeller laid the groundwork for much of what makes our State great. I encourage all New Yorkers to learn more about this Governor, who went on to serve our nation as Vice President."

The exhibition, open through October 12, will reflect Rockefeller’s lifelong interest in art and architecture. As governor he wanted to create the most beautiful state capital in America – a capital that would reflect the Empire State’s political and cultural importance. He hired one of the nation’s most prestigious architects -- Wallace K. Harrison -- who had designed Rockefeller Center, Lincoln Center and the United Nations Building. They envisioned the Empire State Plaza as a monumental seat of government and culture, which would include an impressive collection of modern art. A serious art collector himself, Rockefeller was determined to bring art out of the sanctity of a museum to a larger public audience.

Selected artwork, acquired by Rockefeller for the Plaza Art Collection, will be displayed on the Museum’s fourth-floor Terrace Gallery. Works will include an Andy Warhol painting, “Portrait of Nelson Rockefeller,” loaned to the collection by Mrs. Nelson (Happy) Rockefeller. The works reflect the former governor’s interest in the New York School of Art and will include five other paintings, created by

Philip Guston, Grace Hartigan, Kenzo Okada, James Brooks and Conrad Marca-Relli, and sculpture by Seymour Lipton.

The modern art collection on the Empire State Plaza was selected by a commission of art experts appointed by Rockefeller as the Empire State Plaza was being constructed between 1965 and 1978. The collection consists of mostly abstract works created in the 1960s and 1970s by artists who were members of the New York School, the first American art movement to have worldwide significance.

In the first floor lobby of the Cultural Education Center, the architectural model of the Empire State Plaza will be on display. There also will be a slide show of images of the governor, as well as others showing the construction of the Empire State Plaza. It is believed that Rockefeller was motivated to build the Empire State Plaza when Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands visited and he was embarrassed to show her Albany’s deteriorated downtown area. Inspired by the Dalai Lama’s palace atop the hill in Tibet, the governor dictated the Plaza’s basic design and was deeply involved with all aspects of its planning. Construction began in 1965 and the Plaza was completed in 1978, at a cost of $1.7 billion.

Campaign memorabilia covering Rockefeller’s four political campaigns for governor, from the Museum and State Library’s William E. Winnewisser Collection, will be on display in the Museum’s West Gallery corridor. Special messages Rockefeller delivered to the Legislature, to support legislation he was particularly interested in, will also be on exhibit in this area. These documents are from the collection of the State Archives.

In the south end of the concourse, visitors will see the 1967 Lincoln Continental Lehman-Peterson limousine that the governor used while traveling in the Albany area. He used an identical, privately owned car in New York City. Covering 86,000 miles, the official car also saw considerable use during the administrations of succeeding governors.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department, the University of the State of New York and the Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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The Best of SUNY Student Art Exhibition returns to the New York State Museum June 15, showcasing art created by SUNY’s top student artists from across the state.

Open until September 15, the juried exhibition features artworks chosen by individual art departments across SUNY’s 64 campuses. Included are 62 works selected from more than 300 pieces submitted for the SUNY Art Student Exhibition Fall 2012 and Spring 2013 at the State University Plaza in Albany.  The traditional areas of drawing, ceramics, painting, printmaking, mixed media, photography sculpture and digitally produced works are included.

Three student artists in the Best of SUNY Student Art Exhibition will receive $1,000 scholarships. Honorable Mention awards of $500 will be given to four additional students. SUNY will announce the awardees later this month.

“The Board of Regents understands the value of public access to art," New York State Education Commissioner Dr. John B. King, Jr. said.  "Collaborations of this kind strengthen education in New York.  The Best of SUNY Student Art Exhibition at the State Museum speaks volumes of the quality of artwork being created on SUNY campuses and also highlights the gifted faculty who teach in the arts. This is a wonderful opportunity for SUNY’s student artists to exhibit their artwork.  Thousands of New Yorkers will view their work over the next few months.  This a great exhibit for the Museum and a great achievement for these students.”

“The Best of SUNY art exhibition showcases works created by our top student artists from colleges and universities across New York over the past year,” said SUNY Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher. “This annual exhibit at the Museum has become a must-see attraction in our state’s capital city and we are pleased to partner with the State Education Department and the Museum to present our student masterpieces once again. Congratulations to all of this year’s contributors.”

“The New York State Museum is pleased to host the Best of SUNY Student Art Exhibition,” said State Museum Director Mark Schaming.  “Each year a new group of talented student artists create diverse and captivating art work that reflects the superior art education opportunities at SUNY campuses across the state.  New York State’s position is unique given the power of the public university system, the talents of these emerging artists and the synergy of the art world that is central to this state. Once again thousands of visitors to the State Museum will have a chance to view the outstanding work that is the result of these exceptional programs.  It is a great tribute to the artists, faculty and families across the state who are dedicated to a public education in the visual arts.”

The SUNY student art shows were initiated in 2002 so that the work of SUNY’s most talented student artists would be seen by a wider audience.  SUNY student art is also on display year-round at State University Plaza in Albany, SUNY Global Center in New York City, and Governor Cuomo’s Washington, DC office.  This will be the sixth time since 2006 that the State Museum hosted the exhibition.

The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive university system in the nation, educating nearly 468,000 students in 7,500 degree and certificate programs.  More information is available at SUNY.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.  It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

ALBANY, NY – Berenice Abbott’s Changing New York: A Triumph of Public Art opens in the New York State Museum’s Crossroads Gallery June 13 showcasing what is considered to be one of the monumental achievements of 20th century photography.

The exhibition, open through October 4, features 40 original photographs taken by Abbott when she was employed from 1935 to 1939 by the Federal Art Project (FAP) of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) to capture the rapidly changing urban scene in New York City. In addition to photographs in the State Museum’s collection from this Depression-era project, which Abbott called “Changing New York,” the exhibition will also include additional images from the Museum of the City of New York (MCNY).

Born in 1898 in Springfield, Ohio, Abbott left Ohio State University after one year and moved to Greenwich Village at age 19 to become an artist in New York City. In 1921 she joined the bohemian exodus to Paris where she worked as a darkroom assistant to successful photographer Man Ray. After three years, she had become a skilled photographer and opened her own studio. Soon her reputation rivaled that of her mentor.

Through Ray she met Euge?ne Atget, an elderly photographer who had spent years documenting Paris. When Atget died in 1927, Abbott salvaged the contents of his studio and made his work her cause.

In 1929, after eight years in Europe, Abbott returned to New York City for what she expected would be a short visit. But during her absence, hundreds of 19th-century buildings had been razed to make way for dozens of skyscrapers, and the unprecedented building boom inspired her to give up a thriving Parisian portrait practice to photograph the new face of New York. She was inspired by Atget’s documentation of Paris.

Soon after her return, the Stock Market crashed, the Great Depression began, and Abbott struggled for five years to pursue her project. In 1935, she was offered the financial and staff support she needed to continue her project by the FAP, a work-relief program for artists under the auspices of the WPA. But, although Abbott was an FAP star whose works were featured in exhibitions and a book, “Changing New York,” Abbott lost her FAP support in 1939 due to budget cuts.

She was able to complete her project by 1940, creating two sets of 305 exhibition prints for her sponsor, the Museum of the City of New York, and a partial set for the State Museum. She then worked for two decades inventing ways to visualize scientific phenomena. In 1958, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology hired her to illustrate an innovative physics textbook and a series of popular books. In 1961 she retired in Maine, where she lived to age 93.

The Museum will sponsor several programs to complement the exhibition. “Creative Art Day” participants will meet at the Crossroads Gallery to visit the Berenice Abbott exhibition on Saturday, August 29 from 1 to 3 p.m. During this free program families participate in artful activities.

During the Wednesday, August 12 session of “Creative Quest: Museum Art Camp” students will focus on urban photography and the Berenice Abbott exhibition. During this program, students are taught about history through creative art projects focused on a specific theme. There also are sessions relating to other exhibition galleries planned for Monday, August 10 and Friday, August 14. There is a fee. For more information or to register for any of these programs call 518-473-7154 or e-mail psteinba@mail.nysed.gov.

Also, this fall, Bonnie Yochelson, the consulting historian for the Berenice Abbott exhibition, will present a public program in conjunction with the exhibition, sponsored by the New York State Archives Partnership Trust.

Several books focusing on Berenice Abbott’s works will be for sale in the Museum Shop. They are Yochelson’s 1997 “Berenice Abbott: Changing New York,” an expanded version of the 1937 book; Douglas Levere's “New York Changing; Berenice Abbott, Photographer: An Independent Vision” 2006, a book by George Sullivan for children; “New York in the Thirties,” a soft cover Dover reissue of the original “Changing New York” and “Berenice Abbott,” a two-volume set by Commerce Graphics.

The Berenice Abbott exhibition was made possible by the support of the New York State Museum, the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, the Museum of the City of New York, Bonnie Yochelson, Commerce Graphics Ltd, Inc., Douglas Levere and Joan and Clark Worswick.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department, the University of the State of New York and the Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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ALBANY – In honor of Veteran’s Day, the New York State Museum has installed two new cases in its Citizen Soldier exhibition, including personal items of the late Sgt. David Fisher, formerly of Watervliet, who was killed in Iraq in December 2004.

Vicki DiMura, the mother of Sgt. Fisher, has loaned the items to the Museum for display in the section of the exhibition documenting the role of Task Force Wolfhound in Iraq. The 21-year-old graduate of Watervliet High School was one of the Task Force Wolfhound soldiers and served with the 1st Battalion 101st Cavalry based at the Glenmore Road Armory in Troy. He was working as a humvee gunner during a patrol in Baghdad when his vehicle rolled over during a high-speed maneuver intended to avoid improvised explosive devices.

The items installed in the exhibition include a print of a portrait of Sgt. Fisher painted by artist Phil Taylor of the American Fallen Soldiers Project http://www.americanfallensoldiers.com/ that provides, at no cost to family members, an original portrait of their loved one. Also on display are a memorial bracelet, a copy of Sgt. Fisher’s dog tags, a photo of him taken on the day he was killed, an unfinished lego tank, a stuffed Elmo doll given to Fisher by his unit on his 21st birthday, a frog ornament honoring Fisher’s nickname of “Squeak Frog” and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy.

The other new addition to the exhibition is in the Spanish-American War section. It includes a cartridge belt with .45-70 cartridges worn by Sgt. James S. Martin of Brooklyn. This was loaned to the Museum by Martin’s grandson, Marty Pickands of Delmar. Martin enlisted in Company L, the 71st regiment. He and his regiment marched to San Juan Hill with the Rough Riders. Following the battle, Sgt. Martin was stricken with yellow fever and was so ill that he was mistaken for dead and placed alongside other American dead. A passing soldier noticed Martin “twitch” and promptly sought medical help for him. He later attended Yale Medical School and became a doctor.

The “Citizen Soldier: New York’s National Guard in the American Century” exhibit recounts the history of the New York National Guard and those who carried out its mission through wars and battles, natural disasters and national emergencies. The exhibition features personal stories of soldiers from across New York State, as well as mementos, uniforms, and artillery pieces from the State Museum, New York State Military Museum, members of New York’s National Guard, and local collectors.

Open in Exhibition Hall through March 2011, the exhibition can also be found on the Museum’s website at http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/citizensoldier/. The exhibition focuses on the 20th century, which witnessed the transformation of the United States from an isolationist nation into a dominant power with the ability to shape world events. It was dubbed the American Century in 1941 by Time Magazine Publisher Henry Luce. During that time the National Guard evolved from an ill-equipped and poorly trained militia into a modern-day force capable of protecting American interests around the world.

Encompassing nearly 7,000 square feet of gallery space, the exhibition covers the service of New Yorkers in the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the first Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also included are the missions closer to home – the Capitol Fire (1911),blizzards in Buffalo (1944, 1977) and New York City (1996), the Woodstock concert (1969), the Attica riots (1971), the ice storm in northern New York (1998), the Mechanicville tornado (1998), the 2001 terrorist attacks and other smaller calamities around the state.

Visitors entering the exhibition will see the M8 Greyhound Light Armored Car that was first introduced into combat in 1943. The 16,000-pound vehicle was used in all theaters of World War II, including Europe, where it was issued to the men of the 101st Cavalry Group of the New York National Guard. The car is now owned by Gregory Wolanin of Loudonville. Also on display are a flamethrower and bazooka, a 37 mm gun, as well as various other military equipment. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see the History Channel film, “Defending America,” which will be shown in the gallery.

There are many personal stories of courage and heroism throughout the exhibition. Medals of Honor were awarded to Col. William J. O’Brien and Sgt. Thomas A. Baker of Troy, both of the 105th Infantry Regiment, for their courage in the face of a horrifying enemy attack by the Japanese on Saipan in 1944. First Sgt. James Meltz of Cropseyville, a member of the 108th Infantry Regiment, received the Bronze Star for valor after rescuing fellow soldiers from a burning humvee in Afghanistan in 2008.

The exhibition also features profiles of other members of the 108th Infantry who served in Iraq, including Sgt. 1st Class John Ross of Latham, Sgt. 1st Class Luis Barsallo of Halfmoon and Private 1st Class Nathan Brown of Glens Falls. Brown was killed in Iraq in 2004 when an insurgent fired a rocket-propelled grenade into the back of the 5-ton truck he was riding in.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information about programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

ALBANY, NY – “Life in the Adirondacks” will be the theme of the New York State Museum’s next Family Fun Weekend, August 5 – 6.

The program, which is free of charge, takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. both days, and will acquaint people of all ages with the basics on hiking, canoeing and other activities in and near the Adirondack Park.

Throughout Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Mike Carpenter of Queensbury, the co-author of the “Common Man Trail Guide Series,” will share information from his books on short hikes and interesting walks in the Adirondacks and Saratoga Springs area. He also will discuss flatwater canoe/kayak trips in the Adirondacks.

On both days “The Sky Tonight,” a show in the Museum’s inflatable planetarium, will show the constellations as they will appear that evening. Tickets to the show, to be presented in the Museum Theater, are limited to 30 people and are available in the Museum lobby. All other activities will take place in Adirondack Hall.

Tents will also be set up and equipment will be displayed to show what a modern campsite would consist of. Throughout the weekend, children can make birch bark canoes and ornaments that resemble s’mores, the popular campfire snack. There also will be a scavenger hunt, with prizes, and participants will get an activity pack to take home. Story Time, focusing on the Adirondacks, will be at 3 p.m. Saturday and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

On Saturday, Smokey the Bear and Karen Glesmann, a forest ranger with the Department of Environmental Conservation, will provide safety tips for hiking or camping in the Adirondacks.

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Family Fun Weekends offer theme-based family activities, which are held the first weekend of the month.

The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York State Education Department. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible. Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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ALBANY, NY – The New York State Museum will celebrate the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain on Saturday, November 3 with “Adirondack Day,” an inaugural daylong event that will complement the Museum’s exhibition on iconic Adirondack photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard.

The free event, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include a concert, lectures, displays, tours and films presented by the New York State Museum and many of the North Country’s leading educational and cultural institutions. Participating are the New York State Museum, Adirondack Museum, Adirondack Life magazine, Fort Ticonderoga, Great Camp Sagamore, John Brown Lives, Lakes to Locks Passage, Mountain Lake PBS, Paul Smith’s College, The Wild Center, and the Trudeau Institute.

The highlight of the day will be a 2 p.m. concert by award-winning Adirondack folk musician, educator and story teller Dan Berggren. Berggren’s roots are firmly in the Adirondacks where he was raised, but he has entertained audiences across the country and overseas in Belgium, Bulgaria, Romania and Central Africa. Hearing stories and songs from local friends and neighbors, he has developed a style that captures the spirit of the mountains. He has produced 14 albums and has won awards from the NYS Outdoor Education Association, the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, the Adirondack Mountain Club and SUNY Fredonia.

Guided tours will be offered of the Seneca Ray Stoddard: Capturing the Adirondacks exhibition. Stoddard’s photographs provide a visual record of the history and development of the Adirondacks. His work was instrumental in shaping public opinion about tourism, leading to the 1892 “Forever Wild” clause in the New York State Constitution.

The exhibition includes over 100 of Stoddard’s photographs, an Adirondack guideboat, freight boat, camera, copies of Stoddard’s books and several of his paintings. These and other items come from the State Museum’s collection of more than 500 Stoddard prints and also from the collections of the New York State Library and the Chapman Historical Museum in Glens Falls. An online version of the exhibition is also available on the State Museum website at http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/virtual/exhibits/SRS/.

The events are presented by the New York State Museum with the support of sponsors Paul Smith’s College and Stewart’s Shops.

The State Museum is a program of the State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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ALBANY -- Two leaders in the areas of science and education will bring their personal messages to young people at the State Museum January 28 as part of the African-American History Month “Celebration of Math and Science: Honoring the Contributions of African-Americans Past, Present and Future.”

Dr. George C. Campbell, president of Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York City, and Dr. Marshall Jones, author and General Electric (GE) research scientist, will discuss their life experiences and the paths that brought them to where they are today.

The forum, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Kenneth B. Clark Auditorium, is open to all but is designed especially for middle and high school students. A question and answer session for middle school students will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. and another for high school students will follow the formal presentations. Price Chopper will provide refreshments.

Founded in 1859, The Cooper Union is an all-honors college and one of America’s most selective institutions of higher education. Its historic Great Hall has provided a platform for American presidents from Abraham Lincoln to William Jefferson Clinton and has provided a forum for major social reform movements of the 19thand 20thcenturies.

For 11 years prior to his current appointment Dr. Campbell was president and CEO of NACME, Inc., a non-profit corporation focused on engineering education and science and technology policy that offered the nation’s largest private engineering scholarship program for economically disadvantaged students. Previously, he spent 12 years at AT&T Bell Laboratories. For seven years he served as a U.S. delegate to the International Telecommunications Union. Earlier in his career, Campbell was a member of the faculties of Nkumbi International College in Zambia and Syracuse University. He is co-editor of “Access Denied: Race, Ethnicity and the Scientific Enterprise,” Oxford University Press. Campbell has been a regular guest commentator for PBS-TV's “Nightly Business Report” and has been profiled in a lead article in The Wall Street Journal. He earned a doctorate in theoretical physics from Syracuse University, a bachelor’s degree in physics from Drexel University and is a graduate of the Executive Management Program at Yale University. Among Campbell's awards are the 1993 George Arents Pioneer Medal in Physics and the Drexel University Centennial Medal. On behalf of NACME, he accepted a U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence and the U.S. Department of Labor's EPIC Award. He's a Fellow of both the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Jones is the author of the children’s book, “Never Give Up- -- the Marshall Jones Story.” A mechanical engineer, he is an elected member of the National Academy of Engineering and is a Coolidge Fellow at GE Global Research in Niskayuna. He earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan, and his master’s and doctorate in the same field from the University of Massachusetts. He worked at Brookhaven National Laboratory from 1965 to 1969 and joined GE in 1974. Jones has spent most of his GE career addressing laser material processing, laser device development and fiber optics, He holds 49 U.S. patents. In 1982 he was a member of an International Industrial Study Mission to Japan on Laser Technology. His research on laser/fiber optic/robot systems was voted one of the nation’s top 100 innovations of the year by Science Digest magazine in 1985. The University of Massachusetts awarded him the Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in 1986 and the Chancellor’s Medal in 1987. In 1990, he was elected a Senior Member of the Laser Institute of America.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Department of Education. Founded in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the U.S. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website.

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ALBANY – The New York State Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) and the New York State Museum will present weekly lectures in April focusing on recent biodiversity research, conservation and education initiatives in New York State.

All lectures are free and will be held on Wednesdays at noon in the Huxley Theater. Lecture topics and dates are:

April 1 – “Acid Rain, Mercury Deposition, Forest Birds, and Electricity: Are They Linked?” Coal burned to produce electricity releases not only greenhouse gases, but also ions responsible for acid rain and mercury deposition. Dr. Stefan Hames, research associate at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, presents research, from a network of sites across New York, into the relationships between declines in some nesting bird species, soil properties, and these pollutants.

• April 8 – “Emerging Ecology of the Worm Invasions: Predatory Planarians and Non-native Earthworms.” Dr. Peter K. Ducey, of the Department of Biological Sciences at the State University of New York College at Cortland, discusses how soil ecosystems are often dominated by many species of non-native invertebrates. The interactions of invasive predatory planarians (from Asia) and non-native earthworms (presumably from Europe and Asia) with each other, and with native species, have created new ecological dynamics. Study of these interactions may shed light on the role of evolution in the shaping of predator-prey interactions and on the potential impacts of the invasions.

   

• April 15 – “Predicting and Mitigating Hotspots of Herpetofauna Road Mortality.” Mortality of amphibians and reptiles is a serious problem on public roads in New York state. Dr. Tom Langen, associate professor of biology at Clarkson University, presents his research findings on how locations of road-kill hotspots can be accurately predicted using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). He also discusses how this predictive tool can be used to develop a program of road network surveys and mitigation planning.

   

• April 22 – “Long-term Responses of Breeding Birds to Habitat Loss and Fragmentation.” As the first-ever resurveyed state bird atlas, the New York State Breeding Bird Atlas, provides a unique opportunity to study the long-term responses of breeding birds to changes in habitat availability. Dr. Benjamin Zuckerberg, a post-doctoral associate at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, presents research on the responses of forest birds to patterns of forest cover throughout New York.

The New York State Legislature created the Biodiversity Research Institute in 1993 to help meet the challenges associated with preserving the state’s biodiversity. The BRI serves as a comprehensive source of information, which is used to advise both public and private agencies on matters relating to the status of New York’s biological resources. Housed within the New York State Museum, the BRI is funded through the Environmental Protection Fund. The BRI includes several collaborators, including the State Museum; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; State University of New York; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Audubon New York; New York Natural Heritage Program and The Nature Conservancy. Further information is available at: http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/bri/ or by calling (518) 474-6531.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department. Founded in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the U.S. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website.

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ALBANY – Shoppers can sample chocolate treats, listen to holiday carolers and purchase hand-crafted gifts from more than 40 vendors at the New York State Museum’s fourth annual Chocolate Expo & Holiday Gift Market on Sunday, December 6.

The Expo, from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., will offer samples and sales of chocolates, desserts, wines and specialty foods. Vendors from New York State and New England will also sell a variety of hand-crafted jewelry, glassware, ornaments, handmade bath and skincare products, clothing and accessories.

There also will be two chocolate fountains stations, free to all visitors, compliments of Price Chopper, presenting sponsor, and We Do Fondue. From 1:15 until 2:30 p.m., Vocal Point, South Glens Falls High School's premier choral ensemble, will perform a wide variety of holiday music, representing various traditions, beliefs and cultures from around the world. The school's flute choir will also perform from 2:30-3 p.m.

As a special promotion, visitors who purchase a State Museum membership will be eligible to win a gift basket full of products from Expo vendors.

Many products offered at the Chocolate Expo are made using fresh, locally produced ingredients. Products will include organic and hand-dipped chocolates, chocolate fudge, candy, and several varieties of truffles, including vegan. Specialty foods and beverages will include homemade gourmet sauces, pesto, and wines “with an attitude.”

Other gift items will include chemical-free soaps, hand creams and bath products; handmade jewelry and Italian glass beads; hand-swirled glassware; hand-painted Christmas ornaments and children’s clothing; hand-knit sweaters and accessories, including scarves, hats and mittens made from hand-spun llama yarn.

Ayana Sofia Imports will donate 10 percent of its sales to LHA India and A.S.I.A., two non-profit organizations. Ayana sells textiles and jewelry from India, Nepal and Thailand, including tapestries made from vintage wedding saris, silk-viscose scarves/shawls, dyed bone jewelry and silk skirts.

Promotional sponsors are Fidelis Care and SmileMonster.com. Additional support is provided by Fortitech and Hampton Inn & Suites.

The New York State Museum is a program of the State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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ALBANY, NY – The cultures of Asia, Europe and Africa will be celebrated at the New York State Museum’s next Family Fun Weekend on March 15 and16.

Family Fun Weekend takes place from 1 – 4 p.m. both days. Activities, which are free of charge, are held on the Museum’s first floor.

This month’s event will be known as World Heritage Weekend. On Saturday only, Peter, Paul and George will lead simple traditional dances, which visitors areinvited to try. They will introduce musical instruments immigrants brought to this country. Peter, Paul and George are a group that is part of Homespun Community Dancing, an educational organization that teaches about different countries, focusing on their music and dance.

On Sunday, from 1-2 p.m., Carol Morley, an adoptive mother of two Korean children, will lead a Korean cultural program. From 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. members of the Albany Soo Bahk Do Club will demonstrate the art of self-defense.

During both afternoons, Family Fun participants can also make and decorate an Irish craft.

Family Fun Weekends offer theme-based family activities on the third weekend of the month.

The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York

State Education Department. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible.

Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website.

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ALBANY, N.Y. - All Stars: American Sporting Prints from the Collection of Reba and Dave Williams tells the story of sports in America from the late 19th century through the late 20th century through the eyes of printmakers. The exhibition will be at the New York State Museum from July 7 through Oct. 28, 2001 in the Photography Gallery.

There were few "sports" in the United States before the Civil War. Society and its attitude toward sports began to change when America eased into the Gilded Age, which brought with it prosperity and greater leisure. All Stars provides insights into American culture and social history and illustrates how the increase in leisure time in America gave rise to the popularity of sports and, subsequently, of depictions of sports in art.

The exhibition, including such artists as Winslow Homer, George Bellows, Childe Hassam, Alex Katz and Robert Rauschenberg, brings together 66 prints by 52 artists and features images of more than 30 sports, including baseball, tennis, polo, wrestling, cycling and hockey. The exhibition encompasses the entire spectrum of print processes and many major art styles of the 20th century.

The exhibition is culled from the collection of Reba and Dave Williams. The entire collection numbers over 5,000 prints and includes the work of more than 2,000 artists. In addition to being collectors, the Williamses are avid art history researchers and article writers. Reba Williams has served on the New York State Council on the Arts and was President of the New York City Art Commission.

"Almost everyone is interested in sports, and these artists have tried to capture the vitality, energy and excitement of athletic events in their prints," Ms. Williams said. "We think All Stars is great fun, and hope visitors will enjoy it."

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*Color slides are available by calling 518-486-2003.

The New York State Museum is open 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

ALBANY, N.Y. -- One billion years of life above and below the earth's surface and 165 years of leading research into New York State's geologic past are showcased in Ancient Life of New York: A Billion Years of Earth History at the New York State Museum from July 14 to March 31, 2002.

The exhibition includes about 40 significant samples from the Museum's collection of rocks and fossils that piece together what is known through "deep time" -- time measured in the tens of millions of years.

Curated by Museum paleontologists, the series of displays, graphics and hands-on activities with fossils illustrates not only how old old can be but also the massive changes in animal and plant life that take place over geologic time.

The time line puts into perspective the relatively recent existence of dinosaurs just 100 million years ago. Museum scientists also hope the time line demystifies New York's geologic heritage.

"Paleontologists devote their careers to better understanding the epic journey of life through time seen in New York's fossils, but anyone who picks up a fossil can immediately tell something about ancient New York,'' said Chuck Ver Straeten, a Museum paleontologist. "Where do corals live? In warm, tropical seas. And plants? On land. With a little knowledge of fossils and their modern relatives anyone can begin to understand the deep history of New York."

New York has the oldest animal fossils in the eastern United States - dating to a time that takes eight zeros to express. The exhibition includes photos of these, a star-like trail discovered in Washington County. But with Ancient Life of New York, we also see fossils that are even older, stromatolites made by blue-green bacteria living more than a billion years ago in the seas of what are now the Adirondacks.

Also displayed are trilobites, ancient relatives of the horseshoe crab, which lived 450 million years ago in the muddy sea over present-day Utica, Oneida County. Visitors can also learn about the most ancient forest in the world, the 385-year-old forest in Gilboa, Schoharie County. Tree stumps and photos of a microscopic spider from that habitat will be exhibited, along with specimens from the Earth's oldest coral reef, 460 million-years-old, which occurred in the northern Lake Champlain Valley.

In addition, maps show how North America slowly shifted from the southern to northern hemispheres leading to the building of the Appalachian, Adirondack and Taconic ranges.

The exhibit also features several classic dioramas of ancient life and a large photo of the "Gilboa Forest" reconstruction. The dioramas, constructed in the 1940s and 50s, were displayed at the old New York State Museum when it was in the State Education Building.

Just as recorded human history is identified by periods such as the Middle Ages, geologic time is divided into distinct eras. Six separate stations in the exhibition will be devoted to each, from the Precambrian (1.5 billion years ago) to the Mesozoic (about 100 million years ago).

In addition to the Ancient Life exhibition, Laura Flagg, a fourth grader at Fayetteville Elementary School, is displaying her own fossils - the Time Line of Life Collection - in the Museum's Kids Collect display case. Laura began hunting for fossils when she was in first grade. Her collection includes specimens from as far away as France and as close as her grandma's backyard in Delmar, Albany County. The Museum periodically features collections by children.

Origins of some fossil specimens featured in Ancient Life of New York:

• Saratoga County:
  Fossil stromatolites (formed by bacteria), trilobites (ancient relatives of horseshoe crab, and brachiopods (clam-like animals with two shells), from Lester Park, a New York State Museum geological park west of Saratoga Springs. Dating from the Cambrian Period, c. 495 million years ago.
• Clinton County:
  Fossil trackway of "mystery animal," which looks like a motorcycle track in sand. Dating from the Cambrian Period, c. 495 million years ago.
  World's oldest fossil coral reefs. Dating from the Ordovician Period, c. 480 million years ago.
• Washington County:
  Star-like fossil track of an unknown animal that lived in deep ocean. Dating from the Cambrian Period, c. 517 million years ago
• Oneida County:
  Fossil trilobites (extinct animals related to the horseshoe crab) and cephalopods (related to modern squid, octopus). Dating from the Ordovician Period, c. 450 million years ago.
• Montgomery County:
  Fossil graptolites (extinct animals distantly related to vertebrates). Dating from the Ordovician Period, c. 450 million years ago.
• Erie County:
  Fossil eurypterids, sometimes called "sea scorpions" (related to scorpions); exhibition will include the New York State Fossil, Eurypterus remipes. Dating from the Silurian Period, c. 420 million years ago.
  Fossil brachiopods (clam-like animals with two shells), cephalopods (related to modern squid, octopus). Dating from the Devonian Period, c. 385 million years ago.
• Madison County:
  Fossil clams. Dating from the Devonian Period, c. 385 million years ago.
• Schoharie County:
  Fossil tree stump from the famous Devonian Gilboa fossil forest.
  Photos of microscopic fossil arthropods (spider, centipede, mite) from the famous Gilboa fossil forest.
  Fossil clams, cephalopods (related to modern squid, octopus).
  Fossil cephalopod "graveyard," with many specimens. All dating from the Devonian Period, c. 385 million years ago
• Genesee County:
  Fossil corals. All dating from the Devonian Period, c. 385 million years ago.
• Onondaga County:
  Fossil cephalopod (related to modern squid, octopus). Dating from the Devonian Period, c. 385 million years ago.
• Tompkins County:
  Fossil sponges and hydrozoan ("soft corals"). Dating from the Devonian Period, c. 380 million years ago.
• Rockland County:
  Fossil dinosaur tracks, New York's only dinosaur fossils. Dating from the Triassic Period, c. 210 million years ago.
• Nassau County:
  Fossil leaves, including from an ancient magnolia tree, from the age of dinosaurs. Dating from the Cretaceous Period, c. 90 million years ago.

ALBANY, NY -- “Farmers, Warriors, Builders: The Hidden Life of Ants” will open at the New York State Museum January 29 showcasing the photography of ant expert Dr. Mark Moffett, an award-winning photojournalist, ecologist and explorer.

The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. It will be open at the State Museum through April 10 and then continue on a 15-city national tour through 2015.

Moffett’s macro photographs chronicle the work of entomologists in the field and tell incredible stories about the lives of ants — hunting, communicating, dealing with disease and agriculture. The exhibition features 39 large-scale color photographs, a touchable three-dimensional aluminum cast of an ant nest, and a touchable oversized ant model. Visitors can explore the model of a leaf cutter worker ant that has been blown up to 50 times its actual size, and learn how it uses its body to work and survive in the colony.

A real-life adventurer who has been called “the Indiana Jones of entomology” by the National Geographic Society, Moffett has won the highest honors in exploration – the 2006 Lowell Thomas Medal from the Explorers Club and Rolex, and the Chapman Andrews Society Distinguished Explorer Award (2008).

He received a doctorate from acclaimed conservationist Edward O. Wilson at Harvard University and remains active in science with over 80 peer-reviewed publications. He has written more than 25 articles for National Geographic Magazine, which has featured nearly 500 of his images. He also has appeared on the Conan O’Brien show, twice on the Colbert Report and on NPR. His most recent book, “Adventures Among Ants: A Global Safari With a Cast of Trillions,” won the National Outdoor Book Award. More information is available at Doctor Bugs.

SITES has been sharing the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside Washington, D.C., for nearly 60 years. SITES connects Americans to their shared cultural heritage through a wide range of exhibitions about art, science and history, which are shown wherever people live, work and play. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at SITES.

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History, located at 10th Street and Constitution Avenue N.W. in Washington, D.C., welcomes more than 7 million visitors annually. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (except Christmas Day).
Admission is free. More information about the museum is available at www.mnh.si.edu or by calling (202) 633-1000, TTY (202) 633-5285.

The State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Founded in 1836, the Museum has the longest continuously operating state natural history research and collection survey in the U.S. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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The New York State Museum will be closed to the public on Saturday, April 26th and Sunday, April 27th so that repairs can be made to electrical equipment that controls the power in the building.

The Museum will reopen Monday, April 28 at 9:30 a.m.

Similar repairs were made to the west side of the building requiring a partial shutdown of the museum March 22-23. During the weekend of April 26-27th repairs will be made to the east side of the building. However, this time the power outage is expected to be more widespread affecting all of the museum's restrooms, as well as the lobby and most galleries.

The New York State Museum is a cultural program of the New York State Education Department. It is located on Madison Avenue in Albany. It is generally open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the museum website.

ALBANY, NY – In celebration of Jazz Appreciation Month, the New York State Museum will host a series of free programs during April break week to include performances by accomplished jazz musicians and a presentation on the history of jazz, featuring video from one of the world’s largest jazz video collections in the world.

The jazz events are part of a week-long program of special events planned during school break week April 17th through 20th. All events are free.

Music historian and jazz drummer Hal Miller of Albany will speak Tuesday, April 18 at 2 p.m. about the history of jazz in a presentation liberally illustrated with footage from his own collection of more than 9000 items, which include jazz concert and program videos. Miller has provided video for numerous television programs including Ken Burns’ PBS series on Jazz. He has written liner notes for recordings by Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Carlos Santana. As a jazz drummer and Latin percussionist he also performed with Santana, James Spaulding and others.

Jazz pianist Natt Phipps of Schenectady, who has played with such jazz celebrities as George Benson, Booker Irving and Rahsann Roland Kirk, will perform with his jazz quartet Wednesday, April 19 at 2 p.m. Phipps spent most of his professional years playing in New York City and New Jersey leading several jazz groups that included Wayne Shorter, Chris White, Grashon Moncur III, Woody Shaw and Tom Macintosh. Joining Phipps will be drummer Joe Sorrentino, Peter Toigo on bass and Paul Couch on flute, clarinet and saxophone.

The performance on Thursday, April 20 at 2 p.m. will feature the Peg Delaney Trio, whose sophisticated stylings draw from American, Latin and Brazilian idioms. The trio will include Bill Delaney on upright bass and vocalist and drummer Earl Davis. Delaney of Troy is a two-time recipient of the New York State Council for the Arts: Meet the Composer grant and was a semi-finalist in Musician Magazine’s Best Unsigned Band Competition. Her work has been

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recognized by the Saxophone Journal, New York State Music Teachers Association and national jazz educators.

An Earth Day celebration is also planned during break week. On Friday, April 21st from 1 to 4 p.m. scientists, nature lovers, conservationists and Smoky the Bear will lead visitors in hands-on activities.

Star Lab Planetarium shows will be held at 1, 2 and 3:30 on Monday, April 17th and Thursday, April 20th for children ages seven and older. Each show is limited to 30 people and tickets must be picked up at the Museum’s main lobby desk.

During “Artful OpArt” on Monday, April 17 from 1 to 3:30 p.m., visitors will be invited to stroll through the newly opened Bank of America Great Art Series exhibition – Op Art Revisited: Selections from the Albright-Knox Art Gallery -- and then express themselves using colorful art materials while learning about Optical Art.

A felt flower pin arts and crafts activity will be taught on Tuesday, April 18 from 1:30 to 3:30 and on Thursday, April 20 from 2 to 4 p.m. children will learn techniques for drawing birds and other animals. “Trash To Treasure” will be featured on Wednesday, April 19 from 1 to 3:30 p.m.

Further information about Museum programs and events can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877. The New York State Museum, established in 1836, is a program of the New York State Department of Education. Located at the Empire State Plaza on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New

Year's Day. Admission is free and the Museum is fully accessible. Additional information on the Museum is available on the museum website at www.nysm.nysed.gov.

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ALBANY – Topics ranging from potential landslide hazards in New York State to the global demand for the state’s valuable Rare Earth Elements will be discussed in an April lecture series at the New York State Museum focusing on new geological research.

Four free lectures will be held every Wednesday, beginning April 4 at 12:10 p.m. in the Huxley Theater. Lecture topics and dates are:

• April 4 – “Slip Sliding Away: Landslide Hazards in New York!” On May 4, 2011 the largest landslide in New York State history occurred near Keene Valley in the high peaks region of the Adirondacks. Approximately 82 acres of land and five homes were impacted, one of which was destroyed. In the Capital District a year of heavy rains, combined with large scale temporal events such as Hurricane Irene, created numerous slope failures. Dr. Andrew Kozlowski, a glacial geologist at the State Museum, will describe New York State’s sliding slopes and the potential for the development of more geologic hazards.
• April 11 – “Ultimate Geo-Puzzler: The Rocks Atop the Appalachians -- 400 Million Years Ago.” New York State Earth Science students all learn of the uplift of the Appalachian Mountains, which have been eroding for millions of years. In fact, sand, mud and gravel from their erosion make up much of New York’s sedimentary rocks. Dr. Chuck Ver Straeten, curator of stratigraphy and sedimentology, will discuss whether it is possible to determine what kinds of rocks were visible up in the mountains around 400 million years ago.
• April 18 – “The Trenton-Black River Natural Gas Reservoirs.” In the past decade, over30 new natural gas fields have been discovered in laterally discontinuous dolomites of the Upper Ordovician Black River Group in south-central New York. These fields occur as long, linear-shaped bodies that develop around basement-rooted wrench faults. Brian Slater, a State Museum geologist, will explain how and when these valuable state resources formed.
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• April 25 -- “Mineral Resources for High Technology: The Rare Earth Elements (REE)” Many "green" technologies, the automobile industry, and advanced military technology depend on Rare Earth Elements (REE). Dr. Marian Lupulescu, curator of geology, will talk about the Economic Geology of the REE mineral deposits, their strategic significance, national priority, and global demand and supply. 

Founded in 1836, the State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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ALBANY – Research findings on a 200-300-year-old skull found in a wall in Coeymans – the subject of recent news accounts – will be one of the topics discussed during a series of free weekly lectures on “Research in Archaeology” at the New York State Museum.

The five lectures will be held every Wednesday through March 28 at 12:10 p.m. in the Huxley Theater. Lecture topics and dates are:

• February 29 – “The Archaeology of Eurocentrism.” Historical archaeologists study the role of Europeans in post-1500 history, but sometimes this research is labeled Eurocentric. Dr. Charles Orser, curator of Historical Archaeology, will address the problems of adopting a purely emotional view of Eurocentrism and argue instead for its examination.
• March 7 – “Preserve, Protect, Document: Archaeology of the Bailey Site, Onondaga County, New York” The State Museum's Cultural Resource Survey Program assists state and federal agencies in meeting their historic preservation mandates by documenting and preserving cultural remains before they are lost through construction. State Archaeologist Dr. Christina Rieth will discuss the Bailey site and stewardship activities carried out at this 15th-century horticultural hamlet.
• March 14 – “Learning from Pottery.” Broken pieces of pottery, or sherds, are one of the most common artifacts recovered from archaeological sites younger than 3,000 years old. Dr. John P. Hart, director of the State Museum’s Research & Collections division, will discuss recently completed research on sherds that provides information on how Native Americans interacted across what is now New York state.
• March 21 – “The Skull in the Wall: The Case of the Coeymans Lady.” The discovery of a human skull during repairs to the stone foundation at the historic Coeymans House in southern Albany County raised many questions about the person’s identity and manner of death. Lisa Anderson, curator of bioarchaeology, will take a closer look at the skeletal evidence and historical context of the case.
• March 28 – “Cache and Carry: New Insights on Ice Age Technology of New York Paleoindians.” New York's first people colonized the state at the end of the Ice Age. Ranging widely across New York and beyond, many have wondered how these hunter gatherers created a portable stone technology compatible with their mobile way of life. Dr. Jonathan Lothrop, curator of archaeology, describes new insights from the study of a Paleoindian stone tool cache discovered in the upper Susquehanna Valley.

Founded in 1836, the State Museum is a program of the New York State Education Department’s Office of Cultural Education. Located on Madison Avenue in Albany, the Museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day. Admission is free. Further information can be obtained by calling (518) 474-5877 or visiting the Museum website.

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