FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Austin Museum Partnership Celebrates The 15th Annual Austin Museum Day on September 23, 2012

Media Contact: Alex Freeman (832) 715-2741 or [email protected]

Austin, TX — The Austin Museum Partnership is proud to host the 15th annual Austin Museum Day - a free, community-wide rediscovery of Austin museums. On Sunday, September 23, take the entire family out on the town to enjoy local exhibits and activities at nearly 40 participating institutions! Special activities planned include: hands-on activities at various locations including the Austin Children’s Museum, Blanton Museum of Art, and the Visual Arts Center; meet women scientists at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center; celebrate life at Mexic-Arte Museum’s annual Day of the Dead exhibition, take in some tunes at the Texas Music Museum; and enjoy a healthy MamboBerry treat onsite at AMOA-Arthouse at Laguna Gloria.

The Austin Museum Partnership is a consortium of Austin-area museums organized in 1998 to promote collaborations for the mutual benefit of the public and the museums. The membership includes art and science museums; historic sites and history museums; nature preserves, natural habitats, and botanical gardens; the University of Texas library and art repositories; a children's museum; a museum about Texas music; and the spectacular Texas State Capitol. And best of all, its all right here in Austin, Texas!

Find the participating sites and 2012 Museum Day activities below and at www.austinmuseums.org.

Special thanks to our sponsors the Austin Chronicle, Cap Metro, H-E-B, and YNN (Your News Now) / Time Warner Cable

AMOA-Arthouse at Laguna Gloria 3809 West 35th Street (512) 458-8191 12 - 4 PM Come explore the beautiful grounds of Laguna Gloria, design your own artist sketchbook, embark on a sculpture scavenger hunt, and make your artistic mark on our collaborative collage! See live artist demonstrations, and enjoy dynamic performances by the U Better Sing! youth chorus. Finish your visit with a healthy MamboBerry treat.

Austin Children’s Museum 201 Colorado Street (512) 472-2499 10 AM – 5 PM Join us for the last day of our feature exhibit, 123 Geometry Lane, where math leaps off the page and takes shape in beautiful and practical ways. Museum educators will facilitate a collaborative building activity and present Story time every hour. Enjoy other exhibit favorites such as Funstruction Zone, Tinkerer’s Workshop, Global City and more. Come explore, learn and play!

Austin History Center 810 Guadalupe Street (512) 974-7480 12 - 6 PM Get a sneak preview of the new exhibit “Building a Community: The First Century of African Americans in Travis County,” which officially opens on Tuesday, September 25. Come learn about O. Henry, aka William Sydney Porter, in the exhibit “O. Henry: A Short Story.” This exhibit chronicles his life through family photos and personal writings. Stop by our Reading Room to learn more about Austin’s history!

Austin Nature and Science Center 301 Nature Center Drive (512) 974-3888 12 – 4 PM Explore the workings of communities in nature at the Austin Nature and Science Center. Observe bees in our observation hive and learn about how each member of this community contributes to the overall success of the resident population. Discover creatures and plants that make up an aquatic community while collecting live specimens from our ponds.

Austin Tour Guide Association Booths at Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum & Brush Square, 409 E. 5th Street (512) 627-4097 11 – 4 PM Certified Professional Guides will staff booths near the Bullock Museum and Brush Square, providing information about the wide variety of excursions and hikes we lead throughout the metro area. We’ll also offer free, 30-minute walking tours of significant sites near the Museum and downtown. Even long-time Austinites will find our stories fascinating!"

Blanton Museum of Art 200 East MLK Blvd (512) 471-7324 12-5 PM Some artists have a flair for the dramatic. From theatrical portraits to large-scale sculptures to exciting images of athletes in motion, discover artworks with a sense of drama through making your own marionette, a live theatrical performance, a scavenger hunt, and many other fun activities. Admission and all activities are free.

Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum 1800 N. Congress Avenue (512) 936-8746 12 – 4PM Investigate the legacy that space exploration has had on earth’s orbits. Experience mind-boggling collisions, both natural and man-made during a FREE screening of Space Junk 3D in the IMAX Theatre. Then, examine real space junk, explore the challenges we face in protecting our planet’s orbit, and become part of a new age of space discovery with activities from NASA, the Austin Planetarium, and more! Teachers - earn CPE hours by attending the mid-morning teacher workshop and enjoy time with your families during the hands-on activities. "

Capitol Visitors Center 112 E. 11th Street (512) 305-8400 12 – 5 PM Come view our new exhibit, “Welcome Home” and learn about the recently completed Governor’s Mansion Restoration. Examine artifacts discovered during the project, learn about green initiatives at the Mansion and even try your hand at piecing together an architectural puzzle.

French Legation Museum 802 San Marcos Street (512) 472-8180 Grounds & house open from 10 AM – 5 PM Kids activities & music from 11AM – 3 PM Join the French Legation Museum as we celebrate our Grand Re-Opening following the quarter million dollar house restoration. Learn to play petanque with the Heart of Texas Petanque Club or have a picnic under the oak trees while enjoying live music, kids activities, and some of Austin’s finest food vendors.

George Washington Carver Museum 1165 Angelina Street (512) 974-4926 1-5PM Celebrate Museum Day with “Whispers of Africa” which will showcase the pride, passion and magnificent talents of the many people of Africa. The Day will be filled with African drumming, folktales, and dancing. Come and make a Sankofa medallion or an elephant mask. You could even walk away wearing a colorful African Headdress. The Sankofa will lead you to a wonderful part of the world in the Carver’s “Whispers of Africa.”

German-Texan Heritage Society / German Free School 507 E. 10th Street (512) 482-0927 11 AM – 4 PM The historic German Free School, built 1857 by German immigrants, the first school chartered in Austin, now home to German-Texan Heritage Society, Texas non-profit dedicated to preserving German heritage of Texas. Building tours, genealogy, and refreshments.

Goodwill Computer Museum 1015 Norwood Park Blvd. (512) 637-7539 10 AM – 5 PM Don’t miss the new exhibit, Digital Discourse: A Brief History of the Information Age, featuring computer technology from the 1960s to today. Enjoy vintage video games, tours of Goodwill’s GreenWorks program, and de-manufacturing computers for resale and recycling.

Harry Ransom Center 300 W. 21st Street (512) 471-8944 Noon-5 PM; Tours at 2 PM & 4 PM Visit the Ransom Center's new exhibition “I Have Seen the Future: Norman Bel Geddes Designs America” on Austin Museum Day. Docent-led tours begin at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m. Admission is free. Your donation supports the Ransom Center's exhibitions and public programs.

Humanities Texas 1410 Rio Grande Street (512) 440-1991 10 AM – 3 PM Come tour the newly-restored historic Byrne-Reed House, learn about Humanities Texas public programs, and view our newest traveling exhibition, Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World, produced by The Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, Philadelphia, and the American Library Association.

Joseph & Susanna Dickinson Hannig Museum 411 East 5th Street (512) 974-3830 12 - 5 PM The Joseph and Susanna Dickinson Museum will have the final day of the beautiful exhibit called Gone to Texas: Women and Quilts. Eight antique quilts from the 19th century are on display inside the museum. For a very special event, we will host Austin Quilt Historian Marcia Kaylakie, who will do a "Bed Turning" in our courtyard at 1 pm and 3 pm. She will show ten more antique quilts from her collection and teach about the history and culture of each quilt and era when they were created.

Jourdan-Bachman Pioneer Farms 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive (512) 837-1215 10 AM – 5 PM Experience Texas history like no place else! Don't miss our feature exhibit, Wheels of Time, a rare collection of historic Austin carriages, buggies and wagons. Interactive areas, music, food, historic shopping and more. Five restored historic sites feature costumed interpreters, Longhorn cattle and farm animals. Come explore Texas' colorful past at Central Texas' premier living history park."

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 4801 La Crosse Avenue (512) 232-0100 9 AM to 5:30 PM Join the Wildflower Center for our annual Women in Science program, which encourages and inspires young women (and boys) to pursue science careers. Meet women scientists from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Visitors Gallery. Docent-led garden tours offered and special discounts available in the store.

Landmarks, The Public Art Program of The University of Texas at Austin UT Campus 9 AM - 8 PM Enjoy a self-guided tour of public art on the UT campus and engage your children with Landmarks activity guides. Activity guides are available for three stages of development: younger children, older children, and adolescents. The guides provide an overview of the artworks and demonstrate relevant themes and activities. To print the guides before your tour, please visit http://www.landmarks.utexas.edu/education/activity_guides. To plan your tour, download a Landmarks map at http://www.landmarks.utexas.edu."

Mexican American Cultural Center Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center 600 River Street (512) 974-3772 1 - 5 PM; Music at 3 PM Main Gallery: Jose Antonio Garciaguerra “La Epoca de la Independencia de Mexico” The Era Mexico’s Independence. Community Gallery: Photographs by Faustinus Deraet presenting images of Mexico. Live music at 3 pm.

Mexic-Arte Museum 419 Congress Avenue (512) 480-9373 12 – 5 PM, Activities 12 – 3 PM Join us for our newest exhibition, Elements of Day of the Dead. This exhibition will explore contemporary artists’ interpretations of Día de los Muertos iconography and practices. The selected visual artists will re-imagine the elements of traditional Day of the Dead imagery and rituals. We will have live screen printing and other holiday related hands-on activities.

Neill-Cochran House Museum 2310 San Gabriel (512) 478-2335 10 AM – 5 PM This year the Neill-Cochran House Museum is full of surprises and traditions. Upstairs are three new exhibits -- two with newly acquired Cochran family furnishings and objects from the Victorian era; one with previously hidden wallpaper and an exhibition entitled “How We Did This.” The Civil War interpreters will be back to greet visitors, and, as always, ice cream, cookies, and lemonade will be served free to all on the veranda!

O. Henry Museum 409 East 5th Street (512) 472-1903 12 - 5 PM Celebrate the sesquicentennial of O. Henry, Austin's most storied writer, by viewing the new multi-media exhibition "O. Henry: Original Slacker." This show reveals how O. Henry forged the template for the characters in "Slacker," the cult-classic move by the renowned Austin filmmaker Richard Linklater. Visitors will be challenged to reconsider the definition of a slacker by seeing how O. Henry used this carefree approach to life as a strategy for success. Music, art, technology. Educationally rewarding for kids and adults.

Republic of Texas Museum 510 E Anderson Ln (512) 339-1997 12 – 4PM Come by and enjoy Great Grandma’s Backyard! Children can dress up and experience a day in the life during the Republic of Texas era. Other Exhibits include: “A Texas Childhood” – A look at what life like for a child of The Republic of Texas “The Albert Sydney Johnston Family” - A brief history on Albert Sydney Johnston, General in the Texas Army, US Army and the Confederate Army and his wife Eliza Griffith Johnston & family. Also on display, original drawings by Eliza Griffith Johnston of Texas Wildflowers. Come explore, learn and play!

Save Austin’s Cemeteries Oakwood Cemetery 1601 Navasota Street (512) 917-1666 9 AM – 1 PM Meet historic Austin residents and hear their fascinating stories at Oakwood Cemetery, which dates to 1839. Save Austin’s Cemeteries volunteers will conduct tours at 9 am, 10 am, and 11 am and answer questions. Come and learn how Oakwood preserves the living history of our community.

Sheffield Education Center 2201 Andrew Zilker Dr. (512) 481-1466 12 – 4 PM Celebrate the Barton Springs Ecological Community on Austin Museum Day by creating salamander springs chalk art on the front porch of the Sheffield Education Center. Take a short walk to Eliza Springs to discover historical and ecological information about this unique area and observe a live Barton Springs salamander up close.

Texas Archive of the Moving Image Visit the Texas Archive of the Moving Image's collection of Texas-related films and videos online at www.texasarchive.org. Dating back to 1900, TAMI's collection provides a historical view of the state (and Austin) through home movies, newsreels, television programs, industrial films and more.

Texas Department of Public Safety Historical Museum 5805 N. Lamar Blvd. (512) 424-7536 12 pm – 5 pm Have you ever sat behind the wheel of a patrol vehicle? Talked with a real CSI investigator? Climbed aboard a helicopter? Come meet the men and women committed to keeping your community safe. Explore state of the art law enforcement equipment including the new patrol vessel and the Tejas Mobile Command Center. Visit a special museum dedicated to the history of DPS.

Texas Medical Association History of Medicine Gallery 401 West 15th Street (512) 370-1300 1 – 4 PM Don’t Spit on the Sidewalk! Poison the Rat! Cover your Cough! See how these and other 20th Century public health campaigns added an average 25 years to your life. Journey through the fights against disease, dirty water, spitting, smoking, contaminated food, filthy privies, poor diet, smelly city dumps, and early infant death. Special Sunday hours. Last day to see this popular exhibit.

Texas Military Forces Museum- Camp Mabry 2200 West 35th St (512) 782-5659 10 AM – 4 PM Photo ID required for Adults Join us for a special Community Day in support of our Texas National Guard troops serving overseas. With 30,000 sq. feet of exhibits from the Texas Revolution to the War on Terror we are proud to honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Texas Military Forces.

Texas Music Museum 1009 E. 11th St. (corner of E. 11th and San Marcos)(512) 472-8891 1 - 5PM Celebrate the East Austin Community- free exhibit of over 150 African American and Mexican American artists who helped make Austin an important music capital. Also enjoy two of Austin's best community bands: 1:30 -3:00 pm. "New Austin Polka Band" including special arrangement of the rare "Austin Shottish" (written in 1874) and 3:30-5:00 pm. The Austin Banjo Club with special sing along program.

Texas Natural Science Center 2400 Trinity Street (512) 471-1604 1 – 4:45 PM Celebrate all things prehistoric at Family Fossil Fun Day at TNSC’s Texas Memorial Museum. Bring fossils for identification and participate in hands-on presentations by paleontologists. Make discoveries in our new fossil dig pit and enjoy paleo-themed story time, crafts and other activities – free fun for fossil- lovers in our community!

Texas State Capitol 1100 North Congress (512) 463-0063 12 - 5 PM Enjoy the opportunity to explore the beauty and grandeur of the Texas state Capitol. The first 50 guests who make a request will receive an embroidered flag sticker. Visitors can pick up a walking tour brochure about the interior of the lone star statehouse, including a guide to the historic spaces that have been returned to their turn-of-the-century appearance. Free guided tours of the Capitol will also depart from the first floor south foyer regularly throughout the afternoon.

The Williamson Museum 716 S. Austin, Georgetown (512) 943-1670 1 - 4 PM Stop by the Williamson Museum on the historic square in Georgetown to celebrate Austin Museum Day. See hands-on exhibits and an hourly puppet show about the influential Dan Moody. Enjoy a glimpse back in time that is sure to be fun for the entire family.

Tiny Park 1101 Navasota Street, Suite 2 [email protected] 12 – 5 PM Tiny Park, a new art space in central Austin, will feature an exhibition of large-scale drawings by local artist, Anthony Garza, along with artworks by other local and national artists. See website for details.

Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum 605 Robert E. Lee Road (512) 445-5582 10 AM - 4 PM SculptFest 2012. Come talk to live sculptors and watch 25 members of the Texas Society of Sculptors - surrounded by finished examples of their work - demonstrate how they sculpt in wood, wax, stone, bronze, plaster, or with found objects Try your hand at making a clay sculpture of your own to take home with you at one of our 10 clay tables.

Visual Arts Center 23rd and Trinity Street 512-471-1108 10 AM – 5 PM Experience five dynamic exhibitions with guided tours each hour from 10am–4pm. From 1- 4pm, create works inspired by the exhibitions in the art studio. Contribute to a collaborative work of art and experiment with various ways of creating an abstract work of art. No artistic experience necessary and open for all ages!

Women & Their Work 1710 Lavaca Street (512) 477-1064 12 - 5 PM Visitors to the Red Dot Art Spree will be amazed by the variety of fresh new art. The 17th Annual Red Dot Art Spree features over 200 artists from Texas and beyond. This inclusive exhibition has something for everyone. What kind of art do you like? We’ve got abstractions, portraits, still lives, street art, photographs, printmaking and sculpture. This colorful show is packed with of contemporary art. For families who visit on Austin Museum Day we’ll have a special game of ‘I SPY”. You will be challenged to locate particular details in artworks.

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