Special public programming will be provided as well in honor of National Environmental Education Week and Earth Day.
SHREVEPORT, La., March 17, 2015 – The sixth exhibition of Marlene Tseng Yu’s Lucky Sevens opened March 17 at Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center in Shreveport. Melting Glacier Series will show through April 26, accompanied by several educational and thematic programs in honor of National Environmental Education Week on April 25 and 26 at Sci-Port, and an Earth Day celebration on April 22 at nearby Rainforest Art Foundation.
The Lucky Sevens is a series of seven different exhibitions at seven local venues in honor of Yu’s 77th year. Yu, a native of Taiwan and participant in the New York City art scene for much of her life, founded the Rainforest Art Foundation to raise environmental awareness through art. She is now honored by the Marlene Yu Museum in downtown Shreveport, one of the few museums in the nation dedicated to preserving and presenting the work of a single artist.
Yu states, “[Glacial melting] is my favorite subject. Without my realizing it, the series reflects what has become one of the most important issues today, as human lifestyles and habits increase global warming and cause glaciers to melt rapidly. I hope through my art to convey the urgent message—Earth is in danger, please let us protect it together.” Yu began the Melting Glacier Series in 1965 and continued through 2008.
The first five exhibitions in the Lucky Sevens took place at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, Robinson Film Center, Artspace, Meadows Museum of Art, and the Marlene Yu Museum. The Dream Series currently at the Meadows Museum shows through May 3, and Forces of Nature currently at the Marlene Yu Museum shows through May 31.
Art critic Robert Morgan, Ph.D., said of the series, “…a resilient flow of energy that is boundless and yet miraculously controlled… like good theater where the presence of the director remains unknown…”
During its time at Sci-Port, Lucky Sevens will be celebrated with special public programming provided at the Shreveport science museum, along with related items available in the Discoveries Unlimited Gift Shop. Programs will feature arctic mammal ecology (Blubber Mitts), the science of glaciers (Glacier Gloop), and the importance of keeping pollution out of our watersheds (What’s My Watershed?).
Sci-Port Programs and Education Grants Manager Dr. Heather Kleiner says of the partnership, “Sci-Port always tries to provide our visitors with a comprehensive learning experience. We’re excited to be able to match Marlene Yu’s Lucky Sevens art exhibit with hands-on programming and also the showings of the IMAX® movies To the Arctic and Journey to the South Pacific.”
The Earth Day celebration at RAF will take place April 22 from 4:30-7:30 pm with free admission with suggested $10 donation. At 5:30 pm, Bayou to Bay will give a presentation. Live music by Twang Darkly, and complimentary refreshments as well as food for purchase will be available by culinary artists such as Simply Cotton Candy.
Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center is a 92,000 square-foot science and entertainment center featuring 290 hands-on exhibits, 70 interactive programs and demonstrations, a Space Center and Space Dome Planetarium, IMAX Dome Theatre, gift shop and café. Bayou to Bay (B2B) is a program of Sci-Port with a mission to improve the health of children and waterways through education, action, and play.
The Marlene Yu Museum is a 501c3 non-profit with a mission to preserve, exhibit, document, and interpret the life and works of Marlene Tseng Yu. For more information visit www.MarleneYuMuseum.org. The Rainforest Art Foundation is a 501c3 non-profit with a mission to increase appreciation of nature through art. For more information visit www.RainforestArtFoundation.org.
Contacts:
Claire Floyd
Community Engagement Manager
Sci-Port: Louisiana’s Science Center
(318) 424-8678
cfloyd@sciport.org
Iris MacLean
Public Relations
Rainforest Art Foundation and Marlene Yu Museum
(318) 840-5213
irisrainforestart@gmail.com