Tang Museum offers all-day activities Oct. 10

The Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery is marking its 10th anniversary, and to celebrate in style the museum is inviting the public to a full day of activities, billed as "10 Hours of Tang," on Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010. The event - featuring exhibitions, music, curator's tours, a scavenger hunt, hands-on art activity, and a panel discussion - will run from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and is designed to appeal to a wide range of age groups and interests. 

Admission to the day's activities is free and open to the public.

"We decided to celebrate our 10th anniversary for 10 hours on the 10th day of the 10th month of 2010. And of course we had to start our event at 10 a.m.," said John Weber, Dayton Director of the Tang Museum. "We had fun planning this special day, and we think the community will find it enjoyable and educational." Joked Weber, "We're definitely hoping that most of the participants will rate the event as a '10'."

The day's schedule features the chance to enjoy four current exhibitions, with a wide variety of additional activities keyed into the exhibitions. The full schedule of activities follows:

Exhibitions                       10 a.m. - 8 p.m.

Enjoy extended gallery hours throughout the museum. (See details on the exhibitions below.)    

Scavenger Hunt               10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Follow the clues to explore the exhibitions from a different perspective.

Films                               11 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m.

Themes of jewels, thievery, and museums run through the movies for this special day. Call 518-580-8080 for details.

Curator's tours                

12:30 p.m.  Suzanne Bocanegra: I Write the SongsandPaula Hayes: Understory  

4:30 p.m.  The Jewel Thief

Special Presentation          1 - 2 p.m. and 4:30 - 5:30 p.m.

"Little Dot" performed in the exhibitionSuzanne Bocanegra: I Write the Songs.  Drop in at any point during the hour to view a part of this cyclical piece to see a live sculpture.

Drop-in Art Activity            1 - 4 p.m. - Decorate for the Decade 

Here's a chance for artists from the age of 5 and older to put their stamp on a special decade. Get ready to share your vision of what "10" should look like. Drop-in activity.   No advance reservation necessary.

Music                                 

2 p.m. - Pulse! Dynamic found-object percussion group

2:30 p.m. - Roots-based Red Hen, which presentsnew old-time music with a bluegrass/Celtic twist

3:30 p.m. - Sonneteers and Drastic Measures a cappella groups

6:30 p.m. - Skidmore student jazz performance

Artists Panel                    5:30 p.m. - Artists respond to the exhibition The Jewel Thief

Closing Reception            6:30-7:30 p.m.            

Hors d'oeuvres served and music provided by Skidmore jazz musicians  

8 p.m.  Building closes

Exhibitions

This 10 ^th anniversary year will continue a Tang tradition of showcasing exhibitions that continue to invite dialogue and break down barriers. Currently the Tang is bursting with artwork, with four exhibitions plus a sound installation in the elevator. Details about each follow.  

-The Jewel Thief,  Sept. 18, 2010 - Feb. 27, 2011

The Jewel Thief  combines works by more than 60 contemporary artists with eccentric arrangements and a spectacular installation architecture to explore new ways to think about and experience abstract art. The diverse range of artwork includes painting, sculpture, textiles, wallpaper, chandeliers, drawing, and photography. Co-curated by Ian Berry and artist Jessica Stockholder.

-Eye Rhymes, Sept. 7, 2010 - Jan. 2, 2011

Eye Rhymes  introduces viewers to the intersections of text and image while serving as a classroom space for the fall 2010 Scribner Seminar, Ways of Seeing: Image, Text, Illumination. Examining the relationship between visual studies and knowledge formation, viewers are challenged to question how a message is formulated by the way our senses are massaged or manipulated. Organized by Michelle Rhee, assistant professor of English, Skidmore College.

-Opener 21- Suzanne Bocanegra: I Write the Songs, July 17, 2010 - Jan. 2, 2011

Suzanne Bocanegra: I Write the Songsfeatures a range of work by this New York-based artist, including wall works, sound and video installations, and a new work that combines live dance and recorded sound. From wall arrangements that map the work of 17 ^th-century Flemish painter Jan Bruegel the Elder to a sound piece made in collaboration with a mathematician and a classically trained opera singer, Bocanegra's work springs from creative dialogues with a range of collaborators.

-Opener 20- Paula Hayes: Understory, July 17, 2010 - April 17, 2011

Paula Hayes's living art intimately connects people with the natural environment. Both living sculptures and mini-ecosystems, Hayes's body of work over two decades forges new relationships between artwork and owner, and the natural and human environment. For Understory, Hayes transforms the Tang's Payne Room into an immersive environment brimming with life.

Check the Tang Museum Web site for updates on these and all activities, or please call 518-580-8080.