Releases | New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs

Renaissance Fancies of Flight the Featured Focus at Museum’s First Friday Event in April

March 21st, 2018

(Albuquerque, New Mexico) – Unleash your imagination and curiosity and contemplate man’s ability to fly like the birds. As part of the current, temporary exhibition Da Vinci—The Genius at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science, find out how Leonardo da Vinci’s illustrations and study of natural flight eventually lead to modern aircraft during the next First Friday, April 6, from 5:30 – 9 p.m.

During this special evening, the Da Vinci—The Genius exhibition will be discounted by $5, making the final admission charge: Adults $17, Seniors $15 & Children $10. Anyone wanting to see the permanent exhibits without da Vinci may purchase museum-only admission for only $5 per person, a $3 savings from the usual adult price.

Visitors to the museum will engage in hands-on activities and chat with experts on flight. Learn about the wings of bats from the organization Fight White Nose Syndrome, birds from local educators Tish Morris and Karen Herzenberg, and flying machines from ultralight pilot Jeff Gilkey. There will be plenty of kid-friendly activities and great conversations!

“Leonardo carefully looked at bird wings to figure out how to build a flying machine. His beautiful sketches tell us a lot about flying,” said Ayesha Burdett, the museum’s Curator of Bioscience.

Da Vinci – The Genius demonstrates the full scope of Leonardo da Vinci’s remarkable genius as an inventor, artist, anatomist, sculptor, engineer, musician and architect. Guests will enjoy many unique pieces including life-size machine inventions, entertaining animations of da Vinci’s most notable Renaissance works, and an eye-opening, in-depth analysis of his most famous piece, “Mona Lisa.” Visitors will be able to push, pull, crank, and interact with many of these exhibits for a hands-on understanding of the scientific principles behind them.

The DynaTheater will be showing an episode of the Public Broadcasting Service Series Secrets of the Dead called Leonardo, The Man Who Saved Science. Admission to this program is included in da Vinci admission; however, donations are always appreciated. Two showings begin at 6:30 and 7:30 p.m. and each lasts one hour. The DynaTheater concession stand will be open before both showings and close when the video begins.

The Planetarium will present Fractal Friday at the usual times of 6, 7, 8 and 9 p.m. with the normal admission of: Adults $10, Seniors $7 & Children (3-12) $5. Shows typically sell out in advance, so get your tickets early on the Fractal Foundation’s website: fractalfoundation.org

The Museum Observatory will be open to the night sky April 6 for one hour from 8 – 9 p.m., weather permitting, and da Vinci exhibition admission will be required for access. The Nature Works store will be selling fascinating da Vinci merchandise and other unique gifts from 5:30 – 8 p.m. on this First Friday. The Hope Café will be open continuously from 9 a.m. – 6 p.m. that day, so you can enjoy dinner while waiting for the museum to reopen (only the café entrance will be open from 5 – 5:30).

Crack the da Vinci code and get a special discount! On each First Friday through July, a special word based upon a da Vinci invention will unlock a 10 percent discount on a da Vinci audio tour when deliberately said at the tour rental kiosk. The code word for April is “Deltaplano.”

About the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science: http://www.nmnaturalhistory.org. Established in 1986, the mission of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science is to preserve and interpret the distinctive natural and scientific heritage of our state through extraordinary collections, research, exhibits, and programs designed to ignite a passion for lifelong learning. The NMMNHS offers exhibitions, programs and workshops in Geoscience, including Paleontology and Mineralogy, Bioscience and Space Science. It is the Southwest’s largest repository for fossils and includes a Planetarium and a large format 3D DynaTheater. A division of the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs, the Museum is open seven days a week, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., and closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. 1801 Mountain Road NW, northeast of Historic Old Town Plaza, Albuquerque, NM 87104, (505) 841-2800.  Events, news releases and images about activities at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science and other divisions of the Department of Cultural Affairs can be accessed at media.newmexicoculture.org.

 

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Aerial Screw conceptual model of drawing by Leonardo da Vinci. Courtesy Grande Exhibitions

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