Press Release

August 11, 2006

The Burke Museum Fall Events

Seattle– The Burke Museum has a full schedule of events planned for fall 2006:

Wed., September 13, 2006
7:00 pm, Burke Room
Slide Presentation: Paul Bannick, “Wild Wings”
Owls and woodpeckers are the focus of this special evening with one of the Pacific Northwest’s best conservation photographers. $5 members; $7 non-members. For more information or to purchase tickets, call the Education Office, 206-543-9681, or e-mail burked@u.washington.edu.

Sun., September 17, 2006
10 am – 4:30 pm
Bug Blast!
Explore the wild and wonderful world of bugs in a full day of displays and hands-on activities for bug-lovers of all ages!

Sat., September 30, 2006
Opening Day: A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico
This fall, the Burke Museum presents A Celebration of Souls: Day of the Dead in Southern Mexico, a bilingual photography exhibitfrom the Field Museum exploding with the rich color and spirit of the traditions of Day of the Dead (Da de Muertos) in rural Oaxaca, Mexico. Celebration of Souls will be anchored by a 6 x 9 ft. altar created by local Mexican artist Isaac Hernndez Ruiz, giving visitors an up close look at the creativity and symbolism that shape this Mexican tradition. Ruiz will be an Artist in Residence for the exhibit’s opening two weeks, presenting in the galleries traditional Mexican art styles.

Sat., October 14, 2006
10 am – 2 pm
Free Event: Archaeology Day at Discovery Park: “Tsunamis, Sewage, and Salmon”
Specialists from the Burke’s archaeology division and Seattle’s Department of Parks and Recreation conduct a day filled with exciting tours and activities. Find out what tsunamis, sewage, salmon, and archaeology have to do with each other. Learn who lived at Discovery Park thousands of years ago. Discover the geological history of the West Point peninsula. Try your hand at archaeology activities for all ages. This event is co-sponsored by Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation.

Sat., October 22, 2006
9 am – 3 pm, Burke Museum and UW campus
Workshop for Adults and Kids: “Closer to Home: Words and Pictures to Get You There”
Led by Burke educators David B. Williams and Tim Stetter, this workshop will fine-tune your observation of the world through writing and drawing. Using Burke collections and the natural environment of the UW campus, cultivate skills by practicing techniques such as haiku writing, blind contour drawing, and map-making. No writing or art experience required. Ages: Adults and kids over 14 if accompanied by an adult. Cost: $54 Burke members, $60/nonmembers; 10% discount for teenager accompanied by parent. Registration or information: burked@u.washington.edu or 206-543-9681

Sun., November 4, 2006
Opening Day: Vanished Kingdoms: The Wulsin Photographs of China, Tibet, & Mongolia, 1921–25
Two early American explorers delved into Tibet and China, taking in the process the 39 photographs featured in this exhibit. Get a glimpse into the world of some of the earliest explorers and cultural anthropologists working in China, Mongolia, and the borderlands of Tibet. These stunning photographs depict religious ceremonies and landscapes as experienced by Frederick and Janet Wulsin on a four-year trek during a National Geographic Society expedition (1920s).

Sun., November 4, 2006
Opening Day: Sacred Portraits
Featuring eleven stunning and rare Tibetan thangkas (large painted portraits on cloth) from the Burke’s ethnology collection,

Sacred Portraits presents the artistry and traditions of Tibetan culture as a complement to the photographs of Vanished Kingdoms. Thangkas are panel-like works that traditionally depict Buddhist iconography, used for study and contemplation.

Thurs., November 9, 2006
6:30 pm, Burke Room
Reading/Book Signing: Lawney L. Reyes, “Bernie Whitebear: An Urban Indian’s Quest for Justice”
Join Lawney Reyes as he reads from this biography of his brother, renowned Indian activist, Bernie Whitebear. Reyes interjects this tribute with personal accounts of this brother’s upbringing on the Colville Reservation in the 1930s, and traces the life of this remarkable local visionary from his early advocacy of Indian Rights to his prominence as a nationally recognized leader with deep influence on the life of your region.