Mars Exploration Rover

One of the Mars Exploration Rovers has landed … at the Museum of Arts and Sciences!

Actually it’s a full-scale model of the rovers that have been studying the surface of Mars for almost five years.  The model is identical to the real rovers in every detail, except for all of the scientific equipment.  Since the Mars rovers, named Spirit and Opportunity, can never return to Earth, this is the closest you will ever get to seeing a real robotic space explorer!

The rover model will be on display at the Museum from August 23 through January 11, 2009.  Starting September 27, the rover will be incorporated into the Museum’s feature exhibition of the year: National Geographic MAPS: Tools for Adventure.  This interactive exhibition will take you on virtual journeys with renowned explorers, from the depths of the oceans all the way to other planets!

Also, the Mark Smith Planetarium is currently showing Updates from Mars, daily at 4 pm. through October 28.  This show describes remarkable discoveries and shows breathtaking pictures taken by Spirit and Opportunity, along with other space probes currently studying The Red Planet.

HEAD TO TOE

Newberry Gallery

March 28-August 31

Are you an herbivore or a carnivore? What can an x-ray see? Just how hard does your heart work? What do fingerprints do? The answers to these questions and more await you in the Museum's latest exhibit!

The human body is a fascinating and complex machine, with each of its many parts fulfilling a unique and interesting function. Head to Toe, based on Pacific Science Center's nationally acclaimed Science on Wheels: Blood and Guts exhibition, educated visitors about five bodily topics: skeletons, organs, the senses, general health and general body facts. Compare skulls and backbones to learn how each one works for different animals. Learn about your individual fingerprints and smell detector cells in your nose.

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!

Central Georgia

Chris and Ramona Sheridan

Dr. Zoé J. Jones

Open MRI of Macon, 

Hardeman Avenue at I-75

Edward and Virginia Tyson

Macon Occupational Medicine

Piedmont Community Bank

Dr. Ericha Benshoff

Dr. Lisa Farmer

Drs. Erskine and Candi James

Dr. and Mrs. Stephen A. Noller

Neurology Associates, 

Stella I. Tsai, MD

Billie L. Jackson, MD

Dale Mathews

13 WMAZ

THE ANDREW J. LYNDON III COLLECTION

North Gallery

July 25-September 14

Maconite Andrew Jackson Lyndon III (1918-1989) bequeathed his art collection to the Museum of Arts and Sciences in memory of his parents. During his lifetime, Lyndon strove to be a writer. Although he was never successful, he acheived recognition and acceptance through associations with noted literary figures Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote, among others for whom he was a worthy analyst and commentator.

Lyndon's lifelong friendship with Maconite Jordan Massee played a significant role in his circle of friends and development of his artistic interests, which led to the creation of a small but significant art collection. Massee specifically recommended The Fox by Georges Braque and Moonlight Bay by L.M. Eilshemius. Other works were obtained from the artists themselves or during extended travels. The collection is an amazingly diverse portfolio with works by important twentieth century Americans and Europeans. Chinese and Korean antiquities contribute an additional flare to the collection.

For Lyndon, collecting was a passion and a simple joy. Throughout his turbulent life, Lyndon may have lost much, but he kept his collection intact, returning it to Macon in the latter years of his life. Lyndon's honest passion, one that gave him pleasure and comfort, became his legacy to the Macon community he called home.

RECENT ACQUISITIONS

South Gallery

May 22-September 14

The permanent collection of the Museum of Arts and Sciences is our community's resource that highlights artists, media, natural history, and sciences. This exhibition presents additions to the Museum's collection over the past three years. The selection is extensive and diverse, thanks to gifts from donors, patrons, artists, the Fine Arts Committee, and memorial fund purchases. From antique porcelain and contemporary Chihuly glass to fossilized crinoids, this exhibition has something for everyone.

SEEING FACES

Hall Gallery

May 23-September 14

Portraiture is one of the most popular genres for artists. They can portray someone realistically or give you a hint of the person's character by using different colors or adding a smile or a crease to the forehead. This exhibition features portraits drawn from the permanent collection from the seventeenth  through twentieth centuries.  Come and learn how 'seeing faces' has changed  over time and through different techniques.