Oregon
- Where Past is Present
Experience 15,000 years of Northwest cultural history and 200 million
years of geology. Realistic environmental displays portray four geographic
regions of Oregon, each a different time in history.
The Great
Basin environment portrays an autumn, 6,000 years ago, when the
area we now know as desert, bloomed with abundance. View a traditionally
made wikiup and a cache of tui chubs, a food staple.
One of North
America's largest Native fishing and trading centers at Celilo Falls
is illustrated in the Columbia Plateau environment during the
summer fishing season some 250 years ago. Observe up close the span
of a fishing net used at the Falls for over 10,000 years.
A highlight
of the Pacific Coast environment is a three-dimensional replica
of a traditional winter plank house, situated in village at the mouth
of an inland estuary around 1,500 years ago.
In the Western
Valleys, view a mural of Native women gathering camas roots during
the spring harvest, in a valley surrounded by an oak savanna and a
pine forest some 1,000 years ago.
Murals of these
four regions have been painted by Don Prechtel, an Oregon artist known
for historically accurate paintings of the Western frontier and Native
American culture. You can find more information on Don at www.prechtelfineart.com.
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Scientific
at the Core
Explore an
interactive laboratory that offers hands-on science-based activities
for visitors of all ages. Discover how to relate to science through
these four questions: What is it? How old is it? Where was it found?
How was it used?
Scientific at the Core also
provides mini-exhibits on the most current museum research.
When visiting find out what's new in Science in the News - The History
Mystery.
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Current
Exhibits (click on the links below for more
information about each exhibit)
Shall We Dance? - Photographs by Brian Lanker (Through December 20, 2009)
World Harmony-Musical Instruments From Around the Globe (June 25, 2009 - January 3, 2010)
Down to Earth - A Geologist's Perspective (November 6, 2009 - February 28, 2010)
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Shall We Dance? - Photographs by Brian Lanker
From the controlled beauty of classical ballet to the vivacity of salsa, dance can be found in nearly every culture on Earth. Shall We Dance is the result of Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Brian Lanker's year of travel across the United States, documenting the huge variety of styles (from tap to tango, salsa to swing) and the dancers he encountered. Showing through Sunday, December 20, 2009 in the museum's public galleria.
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World Harmony-Musical Instruments From Around the Globe
June 25, 2009 through January 3, 2010
Is music a universal language? What is an instrument? What is considered beautiful music?
Every culture in the world makes music - there is a great diversity of traditions, as well as many commonalities. Explore musical instruments from many continents and learn about the people who use them and the role music plays in their cultures. Watch videos of master musicians demonstrating instruments from India, Ireland, Japan, Zimbabwe, and Oregon. Visitors also have a chance to try their musical talents on a range of instruments.
Click here to see a sample web gallery with images and sounds from this exhibit!
Images: Bowl Lyre (krar) and Slit Drum or Slit Gong (paté)
Photographs by: Chris White
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Down to Earth - A Geologist's Perspective
November 6, 2009 - February 28, 2010
The Earth has many faces. Some are smooth and flowing, others rocky and ravaged; all are shaped by dynamic geologic processes. The landscapes that we see today are the result of more than four and half billion years of transformation by powerful forces such as volcanoes, oceans, earthquakes, rivers and glaciers.
Understanding how this transformation takes place, University of Oregon geology graduate students and faculty photographed the ever-changing planet for an exhibit, Down to Earth: A Geologist's Perspective.
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In
the Museum Theater weekends
at 1:00 and 3:00 P.M.
View a select film related to natural and cultural history.
November: Making Music, Building Bridges
December: Oregon Experience: Bill Bowerman
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