SMITHSONIAN PRESENTS MUSEUM DAY
Families who love art and history are in for a treat Saturday thanks to Smithsonian magazine’s annual Museum Day, when participating museums offer free admission to those who download a branded ticket.
More than 1,500 museums and cultural institutions from all 50 states are signed up to participate in this year’s event to emulate the spirit of the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington, D.C.-based facilities, which offer free admission every day, said Amy Wilkins, chief revenue officer at Smithsonian Media.
There are many great venues throughout our country families may not even know about, some right in their own backyards, Wilkins said.
“Museum Day draws attention to these hidden gems, showcases their programming, both year-round and Museum Day specific, and provides an impetus for children and adults alike, to visit without ticket costs posing a barrier,” Wilkins said.
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE’S 15TH ANNUAL MUSEUM DAY
>> Where: Hawaii State Art Museum, Iolani Palace, Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii Historical Gallery and Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum
>> When: Saturday
>> Cost: Free with ticket (available at smithsonian.com/museumday)
>> Note: Visitors who present a ticket will gain free entrance for two Saturday at participating venues; one ticket is permitted per email address, contact participating museums directly for more info
CELEBRATE VARIOUS CULTURES AT HAWAII’S PLANTATION VILLAGE
Free samples of Filipino pancit bihon and Portuguese bean soup, a mini film festival including a Japanese immigration film, and Hawaiian and Chinese entertainment are among the highlights at E Pluribus Unum — Out of Many, One: A Multi-Cultural Festival, Saturday at Hawaii’s Plantation Village.
“In one unique setting, you get to see, taste and hear from many of our cultures that make Hawaii special,” said Daniel Pyun, president of the Korean American Foundation Hawaii, which is presenting the festival.
Other food offerings include taro, Japanese tsukimi somen, Okinawan fried udon and Korean bibim kuksu. There will also be performances by Korean, Puerto Rican and Micronesian (Marshallese, Chuukese and Pohnpeian) groups.
Films showcasing immigration to Hawaii include “Finding Sandalwood Mountain” (Chinese) at 10:30 a.m., “Great Grandfather’s Drum” (Japanese) at noon and “Arirang” (Korean) at 1:30 p.m.
“The festival provides an easy, fun and unique way of celebrating the commonality of our immigration experience,” Pyun said.
E PLURIBUS UNUM: OUT OF MANY ONE
A Multi-Cultural Festival
>> Where: Hawaii’s Plantation Village, 94-695 Waipahu St.
>> When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday
>> Cost: Free
>> Info: 677-0110, kafoundationhi.org
>> Note: For details about an essay contest of the same name — Out of Many, One — visit kafoundationhi.org; contest deadline is Oct. 1
NEW BISHOP EXHIBIT COMBINES ART, SCIENCE
Explore the world of marine invertebrates at a new exhibition that combines art and science, “Spineless Wonders: Rising from the Deep,” opening Saturday at Bishop Museum.
“Spineless Wonders” features images by Susan Middleton, a nature photographer who specializes in the portraiture of rare and endangered species. The exhibit also includes marine invertebrates from the museum’s collections.
“Susan’s photographs portray the vibrant and mysterious diversity of marine invertebrate species throughout the Pacific,” said exhibit designer Rachel Filbeck. “Many of these portraits, however, are of creatures found at shallower depths, and much of what Bishop Museum is researching involves plunging into deeper waters.”
So the pairing of the museum’s specimens with Middleton’s portraits tells the story of how diverse and adaptive marine invertebrates are as levels of sunlight and oceanic pressures change, she said.
“This is a rare opportunity to see some of the most mysterious creatures up close and in person,” Filbeck said.
“SPINELESS WONDERS: RISING FROM THE DEEP”
>> Where: Bishop Museum, J.M. Long Gallery
>> When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through March 29 (closed Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day)
>> Cost: $10.95-$24.95, free for children 3 and younger; $5 parking per car
>> Info: bishopmuseum.org/spineless-wonders-rising-from-the-deep
