PUBLIC PROGRAMS

EVENTS

IDITAROD DAY
1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 6
Mark the start of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race with films about the great race and hands-on science and art activities. Learn how Alaska animals stay warm. Included with admission, which is free for museum members, $10 adults (18-64), $8 military/senior citizens/students, free ages 17 and younger.

THEATER SATURDAYS
Noon and 1 p.m. Saturdays, March 6 and April 10
The history of the Alaska gold rush comes to life with two 15-minute plays: “The Gilded Tusk” by Joan Kane and “The Wheelman” by Tom Moran. Included with admission, which is free for museum members, $10 adults (18-64), $8 military/senior citizens/students, free ages 17 and younger.

NASA EVENT
Stormtroopers and Spacesuits
Noon Friday, March 12
NASA’s Space Center Houston delivers a live, interactive video conference comparing an astronaut suit with a “Star Wars” stormtrooper suit. Audience members may ask questions and get answers in real time as NASA educators explain the high-tech features of these suits and why they are necessary. This event is made possible through a partnership with NASA’s Space Center Houston and the Virtual Space Community. Included with admission, which is free for museum members, $10 adults (18-64), $8 military/senior citizens/students, free ages 17 and younger.

OPENING RECEPTION
Anchorage School District Art Exhibit: “Landscapes and Reflections”
5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 17
The 37th annual Anchorage School District student art exhibition showcases art by Anchorage’s most creative student artists. The exhibition is on view March 6 through April 11. Admission to the exhibit’s opening reception is free; however, admission to the “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit requires a full-price ticket.

RUSSIAN POETRY IN CHILDREN’S DRAWINGS
6 p.m. Friday, March 26
The unveiling of an Anchorage student art project based on the work of Russian poets, particularly Alexander Pushkin. A collaboration with Turnagain Elementary’s Russian Immersion Program. Admission to this event is free; however, admission to the “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit requires a full-price ticket.

LECTURES

NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM LECTURE SERIES
Museum Conservation: Works in Progress
7 p.m. Friday, March 5
Museum Conservator Monica Shah talks about the conservation of art and artifacts – the planning and preventative work that keeps them available for future generations. She also shows some treatments in progress, objects that will be displayed in upcoming exhibits. Admission to this lecture is free; however, admission to the “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit requires a full-price ticket.

THE ARTIST’S EYE LECTURE SERIES
Seeing vs. Looking
8 p.m. Friday, March 5
Contemporary fine art photographer Hal Gage shares insights and anecdotes about his 30 years as an Alaskan artist. Admission to this lecture is free; however, admission to the “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit requires a full-price ticket.

Short Stories and Other Fantasies
8 p.m. Friday April 2
UAA art professor and printmaker Garry Kaulitz gives an informal talk about collective intuition. Admission to this lecture is free; however, admission to the “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit requires a full-price ticket.

JEDI NIGHTS LECTURE SERIES
Jet Fighters to Star Fighters
7 p.m. Thursday, March 11
F-15 pilot Lt. Col. Norm “Nahmy” Lagasse, executive director of the Alaska Aviation Museum, offers a fighter pilot’s perspective on the Star Wars fleet. Free.

Killer Asteroids: How We Know What We Know
7 p.m. Thursday, April 15
UAA astronomer Dr. Andy Puckett talks about asteroids, the risks associated with asteroid impacts, and how we might avoid them. He also reviews what the “Star Wars” movies say about asteroids and planetary catastrophes, separating fact from fiction. Free.

War in the Aleutians
7 p.m. Thursday, April 22
A lecture featuring Dirk H.R. Spennemann, the artist behind the “Kiska and Adak: War in the Aleutians” photography exhibition and a cultural heritage management professor at Charles Sturt University in Australia. He discusses the significance of the Kiska occupation during World War II, and the challenges faced by historic preservationists when managing one of America’s most significant 20th century battlefields. Free.