From the Barnum Museum:
Explore Visions of Historic
Architecture with an Eye to the Future
The Barnum
Museum in Bridgeport has the following programs in August:
Sunday, August 3 at 2 p.m. — The Show Must Go On!
Presented by Kathy Maher, Executive Director of The Barnum Museum
The Barnum
Museum has become a national model for disaster recovery, and Kathy Maher has
traveled from California to South Carolina speaking at national conferences on
the importance of readiness and response to many natural disasters. Maher will
also explain how the museum has been working to restore the historic building
and is currently planning the re-envision for the future of this iconic and
historic landmark with a 21st Century P.T. Barnum flair. Join us for this
fascinating talk on resilience and perseverance! No registration required. $5
suggested donation and kids under 12 are free.
Wednesday, August 13 at 12:15 p.m. — Fabulous Fragments: The Preservation of
Bridgeport's Architectural Past -Sneak Peek presented by
Adrienne Saint-Pierre, Curator of The Barnum Museum
The Barnum
Museum’s informal Sneak Peek
series continueswith programs focusing on the hidden gems in The Barnum Museum
collection. If you have ever driven through the Main Street of an older town or
city, you have probably marveled at the magnificent homes and buildings forming
the streetscape. Thanks to historic preservation champions throughout the
country, thousands of beautiful places have been saved and now define the
unique character of our communities. However, many wonderful buildings have
been lost to the wrecking ball or destroyed by fire, and only fragments and
photographs remain as documents of them. Join Saint-Pierre for a look at some
of the remarkable architectural fragments saved from the glorious buildings of
Bridgeport’s past, including Barnum’s Iranistan and the Harral-Wheeler Mansion.
No registration
required. $5 suggested donation and kids under 12 are free. Visitors are
encouraged to bring their lunch.
Saturday, August 23 1 to 3 p.m. — Artist in Residence Workshop: Inventive
Play
Artist Susan Tabachnick, creator of The Lost and Found Circus currently on
display at The Barnum Museum until August 30, will lead an informal workshop on
creating small sculptures with found objects. Creativity begins with a good
sense of play that leads to discovery and inventiveness. This "drop
in" workshop invites you to "play" with an assortment of interesting
found objects of metal, wood and ceramic to assemble and transform them into
intriguing new objects, perhaps with their own whimsical personalities.
Tabachnick will help you experiment and see the possibilities for how things
can fit together or balance. Found objects are supplied, but you may bring your
own favorites, if you wish. Appropriate for adults and kids, ages 8 and up. (We
have wood blocks for younger children to play with!) Free admission, but
donations are welcome.
Thursday, August 28 at
6:30 p.m.
— Beauty and the Beast:
Three Centuries of Architecture in Connecticut Presented by William Hosley
William Hosley
is the principal of Terra Firma Northeast, an independent scholar and former
Director of the New Haven Museum and Connecticut Landmarks. Tastes and visions
for grand architecture shift through time and Connecticut’s landscape is
spotted with examples of the elegant and the monstrous! Share in Hosley's
explorations and findings, gleaned from many years photographing Connecticut's
architectural features. Hosley will share his passion for architecture “that is the basis of ingenuity,
imagination and aspiration” and share his desire to protect,
preserve and interpret our historic past. No registration required. $5
suggested donation and kids under 12 are free.
WHERE:
The Barnum Museum, 820 Main Street, Bridgeport in the People’s United
Bank Gallery, entry located at the back of the historic building.
COST:
Various.
All events are free for Museum Vision Members. Call for more information at
203-331-1104 ext.100, M-F from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The back exhibition hall of
the museum featuring artifacts and a display of some of the renovated items
from the collection is open for viewing and exploration on Thursdays, Fridays
and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. To learn more about The Barnum Museum’s
current programs visit barnum-museum.org.
You can also visit the museum on Facebook, view past programs at www.barnummuseumexhibitions.org
or communicate on Twitter @BarnumMuseum.
The original Barnum Institute
building is owned by the City of Bridgeport and is listed in the National
Register of Historic Places.