AMNH Announces December-January Public Programs

SciCafe: Mapping the Evolution and Spread of Languages
Wednesday, December 5, at 7pm
21+ with ID
Free with cash bar
Human languages first appeared between 30,000 and 100,000 years ago but the question of how languages spread and evolve is still under investigation. Join Museum Curators Peter Whiteley and Ward Wheeler to learn how advanced computational techniques, typically used in genetic analyses, are also being used to help understand anthropology, language shifts, and key patterns in human social evolution.

Enjoy cocktails, cutting-edge science, and conversation at this popular after-hours series, which takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. For more details, visit amnh.org

SciCafe is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

Nature and Poetry: A Conversation with E. O. Wilson and Robert Hass
Thursday, December 6, at 7:30pm
$15; $13.50 for Members, students, and seniors
Former U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Hass, author of What Light Can Do: Essays on Art, Imagination, and the Natural World, engages in conversation with internationally acclaimed entomologist and two-time Pulitzer Prize-winner E.O. Wilson, author of The Social Conquest of Earth. Sharing the stage for the third time in the course of their careers, these two extraordinary thinkers and writers discuss how art and science mix in their respective fields to raise awareness of the world around us. Hass and Wilson examine how the close observation of nature, which is central to both poetry and science, can inspire the conservationist in all of us.

Presented in collaboration with Poets House.

This program is part of the celebration of the reopening of the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial at the American Museum of Natural History.

Family Monthly Series: Observe and Collect: Sketching Safari
Saturday, December 8, at 11 am, 1 pm, and 2:30 pm
$12
Join artist Patricia Wynne to learn the skills of observation and animal drawing in this child- friendly workshop that brings Museum collections to life. Kids will take home a journal of their work. (Materials are included).

Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Root Vegetables with Alex Guarnashelli
Thursday, December 13, at 6:30 pm
$30
Join Alex Guarnaschelli, executive chef at Butter restaurant and The Darby, as she discusses the importance of sustainable agriculture. By creating savory vegetable samplings, Guarnaschelli will inspire you to make smart buying choices and raise awareness of how necessary root vegetables such as celery and rutabaga are to Earth’s ecosystem and biodiversity. Chef Guarnaschelli will be joined by Eleanor Sterling, director of the Museum’s Center for Biodiversity and Conservation and co-curator of the new exhibition Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture. Ticketholders to this program will receive complimentary after-hours admission to Our Global Kitchen from 5:45 to 6:15 on the night of the event.

Exclusive corporate sponsor for Our Global Kitchen is J. P. Morgan.

The Kitchen Experience is presented by Whole Foods.

Additional support for the Our Global Kitchen exhibition, as well as the Educator’s Guide and exhibition website, was provided by The GRACE Communications Foundation, in furtherance of its mission to promote public awareness of the problems associated with our food systems and provide information, resources, and tools for consumers to make change.

Black Hole and the Fate of the Universe with Gunther Hasigner
Monday, December 17, at 7:30 pm
$15 Adults; $13.50 Members, students, and seniors
Stellar remnants of the first generation of stars have been the seeds of supermassive black holes, which are found at the centers of galaxies including the Milky Way. As the universe continues to expand, the largest black holes continue to grow and will survive much longer than other forms of matter. Join Gunther Hasinger as he discusses black holes and the role they play in the universe.

Earth, Migrations, and The Human Effect
Tuesday, December 18, at 7 pm
Free
Life on Earth’s surface depends on the energy of the Sun and the cycles of seasons and climate. Join the Museum’s Director of Astrovisualization Carter Emmart for a presentation in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater that draws on data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to see what causes these cycles, how life on Earth responds in grand migrations, and the effects of human habitat change.

Winter Solstice and Telescope Party
Thursday, December 20, at 6:30 pm
$15; $13.50 Members, students, and seniors
Join Museum astronomers and members of the Amateur Astronomers Association for the final night of the autumn season. First, see a “sneak preview” of the night sky in the Hayden Planetarium Space Theater. Weather permitting, head out to the Arthur Ross Terrace for observations of celestial objects such as Jupiter and the full Moon. Participants are welcome to bring their own binoculars and telescopes.

Kwanzaa 2012! First Fruits of the Harvest
Monday, December 17, from noon to 5 pm
Free for Members or with Museum admission
Join the Museum’s 34th annual Kwanzaa celebration to experience the rich traditions of Kwanzaa and honor the holiday’s seven guiding principles. The festival, hosted by storyteller Linda Humes, will include a special interview about Karamu (African Feast) with pioneering restaurateur B. Smith, family-friendly hands-on activities, and an international marketplace. Restoration Dance Theatre Company and Balance Dance Theatre, led by acclaimed choreographer Obediah Wright, will perform in an exciting program that also includes newcomers Soul Steps and Underground System Afrobeat.

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

Support for Kwanzaa 2012! is made possible, in part, by the
May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation, Inc., and the family of Frederick H. Leonhardt.

Kwanzaa 2012! is co-presented with Community Works and New Heritage Theatre Works.

The Kwanzaa Marketplace is organized by the Harlem Arts Alliance.

SciCafe: Art/Sci Collision: Raising Ocean Conservation Awareness
Wednesday, January 2, at 7 pm
21+ with ID
Free with cash bar
National Geographic explorer Tierney Thys discusses the crucial partnership of science with art—from film to dance—to raise awareness and action on vital ocean conservation issues. Drawing from her research about the giant ocean sunfish and more, Thys discusses myriad ways to help restore the ocean world.

Enjoy cocktails, cutting-edge science, and conversation at this popular after-hours series, which takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. For more details, visit amnh.org

SciCafe is proudly sponsored by Judy and Josh Weston.

Wild, Wild World: Wolves
Saturday, January 5, at 11am (for children 5 and under), 1 pm, and 2:30 pm
$12
Meet Atka, an Arctic gray wolf from the Wolf Conservation Center (WCC) in South Salem, New York, on his visit to the Museum. Learn about wolves, highly endangered predators that play a vital role in sustaining a healthy ecosystem. WCC staff will discuss the organization’s participation in a program to reintroduce wolves into their traditional ranges in the western United States.

How to Feed at Growing Planet
Thursday, January 10, at 7 pm
$15; $13.50 for Members, students, and seniors
The world population is estimated to surpass 8 billion people in the next 20 years—how can we ensure that our food system will sustain us? Join us for an exciting round-table discussion exploring long-term global food security. Panelists include Raj Patel (Food First Policy Fellow, researcher, activist, and best-selling author of Stuffed and Starved, Food Rebellions, and The Value of Nothing), Molly Jahn (professor in the Laboratory of Genetics and Department of Agronomy at the University of Madison-Wisconsin; former Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the USDA), and Marcus Samuelsson (award-winning chef and author, UNICEF Ambassador, and owner of Red Rooster restaurant in Harlem,).

This program is presented in conjunction with Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture, the latest exhibition at the American Museum of Natural History.

Exclusive corporate sponsor for Our Global Kitchen is J. P. Morgan.

The Kitchen Experience is presented by Whole Foods.

Additional support for the Our Global Kitchen exhibition, as well as the Educator’s Guide and exhibition website, was provided by The GRACE Communications Foundation, in furtherance of its mission to promote public awareness of the problems associated with our food systems and provide information, resources, and tools for consumers to make change.

Near-Earth Objects with Don Yeomans
Monday, January 14, at 7:30 pm
$15; $13.50 for Members, students, and seniors
An impact by a large comet or asteroid has the potential to end civilization. Yet these near-Earth objects also offer tantalizing clues to the solar system’s origins and, someday, could serve as stepping-stones to space exploration. Donald Yeomans introduces the science of near-Earth objects, its history, applications, and ongoing quest to find near-Earth objects before they find us. Book signing to follow.

Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Global Inspiration: American Foods, Indian Flavors
Tuesday, January 22, at 6:30 pm
$30
Take a culinary journey across the globe with Chef Floyd Cardoz, Bravo’s season 3 Top Chef Master and executive chef of North End Grill known for his use of signature Indian spices and taste memory. Chef Cardoz will discuss the techniques and incorporation of Indian flavors used to successfully blend culinary traditions with Western cuisine, sharing stories of gourmet inspiration from his native country along the way.

Food tastings included. A book signing of Chef Cardoz’s cookbook One Spice, Two Spice to follow.

Adventures in the Global Kitchen will also be held in February; check amnh.org/calendar for more details.

Event ticket-holders for this season’s Adventures in the Global Kitchen will receive complimentary, after-hours admission to Our Global Kitchen: Food, Nature, Culture, the latest Museum exhibition, from 5:45 to 6:15 on the night of the event.

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

Exclusive corporate sponsor for Our Global Kitchen is J. P. Morgan.

The Kitchen Experience is presented by Whole Foods.

Additional support for the Our Global Kitchen exhibition, as well as the Educator’s Guide and exhibition website, was provided by The GRACE Communications Foundation, in furtherance of its mission to promote public awareness of the problems associated with our food systems and provide information, resources, and tools for consumers to make change.

Festival Luna
Friday, January 25, and Saturday, January 26, from noon to 6 pm
Free for Members or Museum admission
In anticipation of the upcoming Lunar New Year, this festival invites visitors to explore and experience traditions old and new that celebrate the Moon. Enjoy a meditative reflection on the dawa (moon) with a Lama from Tibet; learn a Grandmother Ehnita song from singer-songwriter Bear Fox and Akwesasne Women Singers of the Mohawk Nation; and create your own Dong Ho Vietnamese folk painting. Fly to the moon with Chinese Theatre Works, dance to the majestic sounds of the Korean Daegeum bamboo flute, music by Paul Yeon Lee and the New York Korean Traditional Marching Band, share favorite holiday stories at the Kitchen Conversations mobile recording booth, and look forward to the Year of the Snake by learning about Chinese culinary holiday traditions with master wok chef GrAce Young.

Astronomical Calendar
Tuesday, January 29, at 6:30 pm
$15; $13.50 Members, students, and seniors
Four simple shapes—a triangle, square, diamond, and hexagon—can unlock the secrets to find seasonal constellations and view deep-sky treasures throughout the year. Follow Earth’s 584-million-mile journey about the Sun to find out what astronomical events will happen during the upcoming year and how to best observe them.

Museum Information

Hours

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

Space Show Hours

Space Shows are shown Monday through Friday every half hour, 10:30 am–4:30 pm except Wednesdays (first show on Wednesday begins at 11 am). Saturday through Sunday, every half hour, 10:30 am–5 pm.

Admission

Suggested general admission, which supports the Museum’s scientific and educational endeavors and includes 46 Museum halls and the Rose Center for Earth and Space, is $19 (adults) suggested; $14.50 (students/seniors) suggested; $10.50 (children) suggested.

The Museum offers discounted combination ticket prices that include suggested general admission plus special exhibitions, IMAX films, and Space Shows.
o Museum plus special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show: $25 (adults), $19 (students/seniors), $14.50 (children)
o Museum Supersaver, which includes the Space Show, IMAX, and all special exhibitions: $33 (adults), $25.50 (students/seniors), $20.50 (children)

Visitors who wish to pay less than the suggested Museum admission and also want to attend a special exhibition, IMAX film, or Space Show may do so only on-site at the Museum. To the amount they wish to pay for general admission, they should add $22 (adults), $18 (students/seniors), or $12 (children) for a Space Show, special exhibition, or IMAX film.

Public Information
For additional information, the public should call 212-769-5100 or visit the Museum’s website, amnh.org.