PEM Activities for November and December

The Peabody Essex Museum always seems to have a number of special activities going on.  There are many different kinds of activities, certainly something for everyone, from gardeners to fashionistas to children.

 Here is their NOVEMBER – DECEMBER 2010 CALENDAR

NOVEMBER

Wednesday, November 3
11 am - noon
FREE with museum admission

Historic House Tour and Garden Program: Putting Your Garden to Bed

Ropes Mansion Garden
Reservations by November 2

The work you do now to prepare your plants and beds for the winter increases the odds for a successful garden next spring. Come help tuck in Ropes Mansion Garden with Robin Pydynkowski of Cape Ann Tree Service and learn how to put your own garden to bed for the season. Made possible by the Ropes Botanical Garden Lecture Fund. The program will be canceled if it snows before the date. Check www.pem.org for the most current information.

Friday, November 5
8 pm
Members $20, Non-Members $24, Students $12

Concert: Boston Artists Ensemble
Philip Library Auditorium

For individual Tickets, please call 978-745-9500, ext. 3011
For series tickets, please call 617-964-6553

Schubert’s monumental Trio in E-flat D 929, Opus 100, and Ravel’s Piano Trio, written in 1914. The first movement is built on a Basque 3-2-3 rhythm. The second movement, titled Pantoum, is from a Malayan folk verse form.

Saturday, November 6
9:30 - 11 am
Members-only

Breakfast for Family-level Members
East India Marine Hall
Reservations by November 3rd

Beijing artist and teacher, Judy Wang Bedell, leads Chinese art activities exclusively for Family members, including calligraphy for kids, and making 3-D dragons or lanterns. Enjoy bagels, muffins and fruit.

Saturday, November 6
11 am - 6 pm
FREE with museum admission

Weekend Festival: Exploring the Emperor’s Paradise

Join us for a festival fit for an emperor! Martial arts, brush painting, music and more transport you to the Qianlong emperor’s reign in China, from 1736 to 1796.

Demonstration: Chinese Martial Arts
Atrium
11 am
For all ages

Lin Lin Choy and her students from Red Lotus Tai Chi demonstrate the hard and soft styles of martial arts.

Demonstration: Traditional Chinese Painting
Atrium
11 am-2 pm

Artist Yahong Shen codes the unique style of traditional Chinese painting by showing the composition of painted objects, blank spaces, calligraphy, poetry and artists’ seals. Also, participate in a painting activity suitable for families and children.

Drop in Art Activity: Chinese Fans with Plum Blossoms
Atrium
11 am - 3 pm

Plum blossoms are among the Three Friends of Winter, along with pine and bamboo, because they blossom in winter. Make and decorate your own fan to take home!

Demonstration: Chinese Landscape Design
Atrium
11 am - 4 pm

Explore elements of Chinese landscape design.

Story Time: Tales from Ancient China
Morse Auditorium
11:30 am
For all ages
Reservations by November 4

Storyteller Li Min Mo tells a series of lively short stories including personal accounts of growing up in China.

Performance: Chinese Bamboo Flute
Atrium
1 - 1: 30 pm and 3 - 3:30 pm

Master dizi player Tai-Chun Pan plays Chinese tunes from folk music, opera and the modern Chinese orchestra.

Family Workshop: Penjing
Art Studios
2 pm
For ages 7 and up
Reservations by November 4

Lin Min Mo helps you create a miniature garden, with “strange rocks,” ponds, bridges and gazebos.

Presentation: The Gardens of China
Morse Auditorium
2 pm
Reservations by November 4

Landscape designer Yo Yi Chen presents an overview of the history, design, materials and basic elements used in Chinese gardens.

Adult Workshop: Traditional Chinese Painting
Art Studios
3 - 4 pm
Reservations by November 4

Compare Chinese and Western painting styles with artist Yahong Shen. Work on your own version of the traditional Three Friends of Winter theme — plum blossoms, pine and bamboo. Materials are provided.

Film: For Fun
Morse Auditorium
4 - 5:45 pm
For adults
Reservations by November 4

An old man, forced to retire from his lifelong job as manager of the local opera house, meets up with a cantankerous group of elderly amateur singers in the park and organizes the men into a troupe. 1993, 97 minutes. Mandarin with English subtitles.

Sunday, November 7
11 am - 6 pm
FREE with museum admission

Weekend Festival: Exploring the Emperor’s Paradise –– See November 6 listings

Demonstration: Chinese Martial Arts
Atrium
11 am

Artist Demonstration: Traditional Chinese Painting
Atrium
11 am - 2 pm

Drop-in Art Activity: Chinese Fans with Plum Blossoms
Atrium
11 am - 3 pm

Demonstration: Chinese Landscape Design
Atrium
11 am - 4 pm

Story Time: The Empty Pot
Meet at the Information Desk
11:30 am

For children ages 5 and up with adult
Reservation by November 5

The story of a wise old Chinese emperor who must choose an heir to his crown.

Performances: Erhu Chinese Fiddle
Atrium
1 - 1:30 pm and 3 - 3:30 pm

Zhantao Lin returns to PEM to play the Erhu, a two-stringed instrument with a thousand-year history in China.

Film: Liang and Lin
Morse Auditorium
2 - 2:45 pm
Reservations by November 5

Liang Sicheng was the first architectural historian in China and the first to consider the evolution of architectural styles in Chinese buildings, including those in the Forbidden City. His equally famous wife, Lin Huiyin, was a noted 20th-century Chinese architect and writer. Said to be the first female architect in China, she was also known for stirring up “turmoil in the hearts of three famous men.” Based on the book Liang and Lin: Partners in Exploring China by Wilma Fairbank. Holly Fairbank, daughter of author Wilma, introduces the film and leads a Q&A afterward.

Family Workshop: Sewn Sketchbooks
Art Studios
2 - 3 pm
For ages 8 and up
Reservations by November 5

Create your own beautiful sketchbook to record your thoughts and poems.

Film: Preserving the Forbidden City
Morse Auditorium
4pm
Reservations by November 5

Nancy Berliner, PEM’s curator of Chinese art, introduces this film about the changes in the Forbidden City since 1949. The footage reveals the care of, ancient buildings, construction of underground storehouses, recent restoration and conservation of the palace and the use of scientific techniques such as digital technology. 2005, 43 minutes,produced by China International TV Corporation.

Friday, November 12 and Saturday, November 13

Symposium: Artful Retreat: Garden Culture of the Qing Dynasty

Scholars from China, the United States, Australia and Europe explore the artistic, literary, political, historical and economic aspects of garden culture in China since the 17th century. Keynote speaker is Geremie Barmé of Australian National University. Held at Harvard University and PEM, in conjunction with the special exhibition The Emperor’s Private Paradise. To register, visit pem.org/calendar or http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~fairbank/Artful_Retreat/welcome.html.

Wedneday, November 17
9:30 am
Members $15

Member’s Only Gallery Talk
Meet at the Information Desk
Reservations by November 15

Nancy Berliner, Chinese art curator at PEM and curator of The Emperor’s Private Paradise: Treasures from the Forbidden City, leads this tour.

Thursday, November 18
6:30 - 9 pm
Members $25, Nonmembers $30

Iris is Back! Inspired by Asia, with Iris Apfel
Atrium
Reservations by November 15
Program 7 - 8 pm, shop open 5 - 9 pm

The namesake of our popular exhibition Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel returns to PEM for a conversation about the influence of Chinese textiles on Apfel’s own aesthetic. Apfel is joined by Lynne Francis-Lunn, PEM’s director of merchandising, and Karina Corrigan, The H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art, as they look at beautiful Asian textiles from the PEM collection and preview Apfel’s picks for the shop. Museum staff will model many of Apfel’s selections. Light hors d’oeuvres and cash bar.

Friday, Nomember 19 & Saturday, November 20
Admission $15; Students and Seniors $10

Conference: Visual Arts and Global Trade in the Early American Republic

An international panel of scholars discusses the impact of American participation in global trade from the 1780s to the 1850s on all aspects of visual art production including architecture, painting, sculpture, furniture, ceramics, fabrics and clothing. PEM’s Karina Corrigan, The H.A. Crosby Forbes Curator of Asian Export Art, talks about Chinese silks. Conference attendees may also view Illustrated Voyage Narratives, an exhibition of richly engraved geographies, travel narratives and natural histories from the Salem Athenaeum’s collection, as well as tour PEM, Federal period homes and more. For information and to register, visit terra.salemstate.edu

Saturday, November 20
1 - 3 pm
FREE with museum admission

Studio Saturdays: Plant a Cup of Tea
For all ages

Decorate a pot and plant a Camellia sinensis seed to grow your very own tea. Then take an activity sheet to the Fish, Silk, Tea, Bamboo exhibition and further explore natural motifs in Asian art. Made possible by American Dental Partners.

Sunday, November 21
2 - 3 pm
FREE with museum admission

Art and Nature Story Time: Follow the Moon
Reservations by November 19
For children ages 3 - 6 with adult

What happens to nighttime when the Night Eater isn’t hungry? Find out when we read Ana Juan’s whimsical tale The Night Eater. Then sponge paint your own moonlit scene.

Tuesday, November 30
9:30 am
Members $15

Members-Only Gallery Talk: The Emperors Private Paradise
Reservations by November 28

See November 17 listing

DECEMBER

Thursday, December 2
10:30 am - 7:30 pm

Members’ Holiday Shopping Extravaganza
Museum Shop

Sample chocolates, teas and other delectables while you shop. Spend up to $150 and receive a 15% discount instead of the usual 10%. Spend more than $150 and your discount increases to 20%!

Friday, December 3
7:45 - 9 pm
FREE with museum admission

Nature Program: Forays into Birdology with Sy Montgomery
For adults and teens
Bartlett Gallery
Reservations by December 1

Naturalist and award-winning author on animals, Sy Montgomery, presents an entertaining program based on her acclaimed book Birdology (2010), which delves into the world of birds through personal encounters with six different avian groups. Montgomery highlights the individuality of birds, the qualities that distinguish different species, and how birds differ from humans while still sharing more traits and abilities with us than you might imagine. A book signing follows the program. Co-sponsored by the Essex County Ornithological Club. The E.C.O.C. meeting is held from 7:30 to 7:45 pm.

Saturday, December 4 & Sunday, December 5
FREE with museum admission

Film Festival: PEM and Indo-American Arts Council

For the first time, the Peabody Essex Museum and the Indo-American Arts Council Inc. (IAAC) collaborate to present award-winning selections from the Mahindra-Indo American Arts Council Film Festival in NYC. Guest speaker is Parag Amladi, a longtime teacher of film studies and noted author of essays about Indian filmmakers.This festival captures the independent cinema world in India, focusing on films that go beyond the mainstream Bollywood genre. For film selections and times, visit pem.org/calendar.

Tuesday, December 7
6 - 9 pm
FREE with museum admission

Presentation and Gallery Talks: Reawakening in the Emperor’s Private Paradise, The Conservation and Restoration of the Qianlong Garden

First created 235 years ago, the Qianlong Garden and its 27 lavishly decorated buildings have sat dormant for almost a century. A massive conservation project, slated for completion in 2019, will preserve and restore the complex and its furnishings to their original splendor. Come discover the intricate process that continues to reveal the Qianlong emperor’s vision.

Saturday, December 11
1 - 3 pm
FREE with museum admission

Studio Saturdays: Quill a Snowflake
For all ages
Meet at the Information Desk

Create a snowflake with artist Rahat Mama. Made possible by American Dental Partners.

Sunday, December 12
2 - 3 pm
FREE with museum admission

Art and Nature Story Time: Under a Frozen Pond
Reservations by December 10
For children ages 3-6 with adult
Meet at the Information Desk

Find out how frogs survive winter from animal expert Rick Roth, and meet some of his amphibian friends. We’ll read It’s Winter by Linda Glaser and create frog puppets.

Tuesday, December 14
9:30 am
Members $15

Members-Only Gallery Talk: The Emperor’s Private Paradise
Reservations by December 12

See November 17 listing

Tuesday, December 21 – Sunday, January 2
10 am - 5 pm
FREE with museum admission

Interactive Games: The Art and Nature Center’s Greatest Hits
Art Studios

Play with your favorite interactive stations and games from past Art & Nature Center exhibitions in the Art Studios during this annual event. Re-discover the Aeolian Landscape wind machine, Find-the-Fish Lure game, Nature Watch challenge (with the rolling eyeball!), Wood in Art magnetic collage panel and many more activities.

ONGOING

PEM PALS
Wednesdays
10:30 - 11:30 am
Meet at Information Desk

FREE with museum admission
For families with children up to 6 years old

This fun, interactive program with books, movement, music, art and hands-on activities is designed for preschoolers and their caregivers. Note: PEM Pals will not meet on November 24, December 22, 29. Happy holidays! Visit pem.org/calendar for program dates and themes. Made possible by American Dental Partners.

DROP-IN ART ACTIVITIES
Saturdays & Sundays
1 - 3 pm
Art and Nature Center
FREE with museum admission

Explore art, nature and more at weekend drop-ins. Pick up a monthly schedule in the Art & Nature Center.

PLEASE NOTE: Information is current as of September 27, 2010. All information is subject to change. Please contact the Public Relations Office at (978) 745-9500 x3228 to confirm details prior to publication. To make a program reservation, please call 978-745-9500 x3011