NATURAL HISTORIES Exhibition to Open 10/19 at AMNH; THE ZUNI WORLD Opens Today

The new Natural Histories exhibition, which will open on Saturday, October 19 at AMNH, was inspired by the 2012 book, Natural Histories: Extraordinary Rare Book Selections from the American Museum of Natural History Library, edited by Tom Baione, the Museum Library's Director.

It showcases 50 striking, large-format reproductions from seminal holdings in the Museum Library's Rare Book collection. The works cover disciplines ranging from astronomy to zoology, including illustrations by celebrated artists Albrecht Dürer, Joseph Wolf, Moses Harris, and John Woodhouse Audubon.

A:shiwi A:wan Ulohnanne-The Zuni World is an exhibition of 31 new Zuni map art paintings, opens today, October 17 in the Museum's fourth-floor Audubon Gallery, and will run through January 12, 2014. The exhibition, produced in partnership with the A:shiwi A:wan Museum and Heritage Center in Zuni, New Mexico, also includes videography and a recording of the Zuni "Grand Canyon Song."

The Zunis, rather than relying on Western cartography, asked artists within their community to paint representations of historically and culturally important places. The paintings are rich in Zuni references, and many of the images reflect the activities and ideas of the Zuni religious societies.