Can't travel this summer, follow George ....

NATIONAL CONSTITUTION CENTER COUNTS DOWN TO

SUMMER OF GEORGE WASHINGTON WITH TWITTER CAMPAIGN

Follow @GeorgeInPhilly as he visits his favorite sites

and tweets clues about his location

Philadelphia – George Washington is coming back to Philadelphia – and this time, he’s tweeting! To kick off the countdown to this summer’s must-see exhibition, Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon at the National Constitution Center (July 1 – Sept. 5, 2011), George will tweet daily clues about his whereabouts in the Philadelphia region. From May 24, 2011 – the day before the start of the Constitutional Convention – to Sept. 17, 2011 – Constitution Day – follow George at @GeorgeInPhilly as he revisits his favorite Philadelphia-area haunts, all the while sharing personal stories and dispelling pesky rumors about cherry trees and wooden teeth!

Each Saturday beginning June 4, and culminating with his arrival at the National Constitution Center on June 30, George will make in-person appearances at popular historic sites that held significance to him during his time in Philadelphia. Sites currently include Brandywine Battle Historic Site (June 4) and Valley Forge Historical Park (June 25). Additional appearances will be announced. At each site, George will pose for photos and answer questions from fans. Constitution Center staff members also will provide coupons to the Discover the Real George Washington exhibition.

Beyond the Center’s exhibition, organizations across the Philadelphia region are coming together to make the “Summer of Washington” a can’t-miss experience. A special “Summer of Washington” map, a dynamic mobile application, and Washington’s tweets, will lead visitors to sites offering a myriad of options for Washington fans of all ages.

Discover the Real George Washington provides a new and refreshing perspective on Washington, his achievements, legacies, family, intellectual pursuits, and entrepreneurial ventures. Architectural models, decorative and fine art items, maps, manuscripts, and paintings reveal his personal side and uncover his roles as an entrepreneur, farmer, and businessman. Three life-size models of Washington at ages 19, 45, and 57, developed through an unprecedented two-year forensic investigation, serve as focal points of the exhibition.

The Center is pairing the exhibition with its first-ever Kids Free Summer promotion! Families can save a pocketful of “Washingtons” with this special deal: free admission to the Center for up to four children (ages 12 and under) with one paying adult. The promotion applies to both general admission and group reservations.

Admission to Discover the Real George Washington is $15 for adults and $14 for seniors (ages 65 and up) and students. Children ages 12 and under and active military are FREE. Group rates also are available. Admission to the Center’s main exhibition, The Story of We the People, including the award-winning theater production “Freedom Rising,” is included. iPod audio tours cost an additional $5. For ticket information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

Discover the Real George Washington: New Views from Mount Vernon was organized by the Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association and funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, a philanthropic organization founded in 1954 by the late media entrepreneur for whom it is named.

“Summer of Washington” regional partners include: African American Museum in Philadelphia, American Revolution Center, Brandywine Battle Historic Site, Chester County Conference and Visitors Bureau, City of Philadelphia, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Historic Germantown, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Independence National Historical Park, Independence Visitor Center, National Museum of American Jewish History, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Visit Bucks County, and Washington Crossing Historic Park.

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues. The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, “Freedom Rising.” The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. Also, as a nonpartisan forum for constitutional discourse, the Center presents – without endorsement – programs that contain diverse viewpoints on a broad range of issues. For more information, call (21).409-6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

This can be a day trip, or multiple day trip, depending on how you plan it. But we think is well worth it for you to know about.


WASHINGTON -- You don't have to be a rocket scientist or an astronaut to work for NASA. Engineers, pilots, physicists, astrobiologists, and, yes, artists, too, have helped further the mission of the space agency.

In 1962, NASA administrator James E. Webb invited a group of artists to illustrate and interpret the agency's missions and projects. Artists, participating in the NASA art program, many of them renowned, have been documenting the extraordinary adventure of spaceflight ever since. Granted special access to historic moments, they have offered their perspectives on what they have witnessed.

"NASA | ART: 50 Years of Exploration," on view from May 28 to Oct. 9 at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, features works by artists as diverse as Annie Leibovitz, Alexander Calder, Nam June Paik, Norman Rockwell, Andy Warhol and William Wegman. The exhibition includes drawings, photographs, sculpture and other art forms and media from the collections of NASA and the National Air and Space Museum. The more than 70 works, ranging from the illustrative to the abstract, present a different view of NASA than the one in history books or on news shows.

Several of the artists have captured the faces and personalities of the men and women who have flown in space. Other members of the team, scientists, engineers, technicians, managers and thousands of others who made the space program possible, also are portrayed.
Bunkers, gantries, radio dishes and the towering Vehicle Assembly Building at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, attracted other program artists, some of whom were struck by the co-existence of the space-age architecture of the Cape with the beaches, swamps, birds, and animals that surround the facility.

The exhibition is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and NASA in cooperation with the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The museum, located at Sixth Street and Independence Avenue SW, is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). Admission is free.

To see images from the NASA | ART exhibit and for more information, visit:

http://www.nasm.si.edu/exhibitions/gal211/NASA_art.cfm

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov

The ToonSeum in Pittsburgh, will be presenting several animated and documentary film screenings in conjunction with their summer exhibit Superheroes: Icons and Origins, a exploration of the timeless characters of Marvel and DC Comics. All screenings are free an open to the public. Donations are always welcome.The first half of this series highlights the exceptional work of animator and producer Bruce Timm. Having cut his teeth in early 80s working with Don Bluth and Ralph Bakshi, and later on shows like He-Man and G.I. Joe, Timm soon moved to Warner Brothers animation, where he worked on the Tiny Toons series. Shortly thereafter, Timm stepped into the spotlight as the writer, animator, and design artist behind Batman: The Animated Series. His success led to a Superman, Justice League, and several spin-off Batman TV series, as well as a on-going stream of remarkable direct-to-video movies highlighting the best stories of the DC Universe. In edition to his animated work, Timm and frequent collaborator Paul Dini have won multiple Eisner Awards for their work in comics.
Check http://www.toonseum.org/
May 26th, 7:00pm - Wonder Woman (2009) - The ultimate comics superheroine gets a fierce update in this action-packed retelling of Princess Diana's origin story. Dark, quirky, and thoroughly modern, Timm's Wonder Woman follows Diana from her mystical birth to her arrival as the sworn protector of the World of Men. Featuring Kerri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Alfred Molina and Rosario Dawson. Presented with the documentary Wonder Woman: A Subversive Dream chronicling the history of the character from her creation in 1941 through the women's rights movement of the 70s and today. The film is rated PG-13 for violence and adult themes.
June 16th 7:00pm All-Star Superman (2011) A bold adaptation of Grant Morrison's landmark 12 issue comic series, All-Star Superman finds the Man of Steel facing the unthinkable: his mortality. The film was also the final project of African-American writer Dwayne McDuffie who redacted the epic series into a surprisingly funny, empathetic, and explosive animated experience. Starring James Denton, Christina Hendricks, and Anthony LaPaglia. Presented with several shorts, including vintage 1940s Fleischer Studios masterpieces. The feature film is rated is PG for adult themes, all others G.June 30th 7:00pm Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000) One of the earliest and arguably the best of Timm's DC features, Return of the Joker expands the Dark Knight mythology thirty years into the future, where an elderly Bruce Wayne acts as reluctant mentor to a new Batman, Terry McGinnis. When The Joker somehow returns from the grave deadlier than ever, Terry must unravel the darkest secrets of Bruce's past to find a way to stop him. Starring Kevin Conroy, Will Friedle, and Mark Hamill. Presented with a selection of shorts from Batman: The Animated Series. The feature is rated PG-13 for violence, all others G.
July 14st 7:00pm Justice League: The New Frontier (2007) Based on Darwyn Cooke's re-imagining of the formation of the Justice League, New Frontier finds the iconic DC superheroes neutralized and hiding in the wake of the Cold War and McCarthyism. Blending real historical events with DC mythology (including JFK's landmark inaugural speech), New Frontier shows the emergence of Hal Jordan and Martian Manhunter as they must ally with Superman, Wonder Woman and the renegades Batman and the Flash to save the world from an ancient evil. A unique take on the Korean War and the Space Race, featuring the voices of David Boreanaz, Lucy Lawless, and Neil Patrick Harris. Presented with selections from JLA: The Animated Series. The film is rated PG-13 for violence and adult themes.
July 21st 7:00pm Jack Kirby: Storyteller (2007) This feature length documentary chronicles the life and career of The King of Comics, Jack Kirby, from his rough and tumble childhood to his arrival as one of the most influential artists of the 20th Century. Highlighted with in-depth interviews with fans, experts, collaborators and fellow artists like Neal Adams, Walter Mosley, and Stan Lee, Storyteller offers a unique insight into the Kirby Universe. Presented with Superman/Batman: Apocalypse, the 2010 animated film that features Kirby's Darkseid and the New Gods facing off against the team of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and Supergirl. All features are rated PG-13. .

FOR A LIST OF PARTICIPATING MUSEUMS, CHECK THE LINK BELOW.

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology announced the launch of Blue Star Museums, a partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Star Families, and more than 1,300 museums across America to offer free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011.
Military personnel and their families need only to show valid military personnel or military family ID. Leadership support has been provided by MetLife Foundation through Blue Star Families.
The complete list of participating museums is available at http://1.usa.gov/jBsjMs
Penn Museum boasts two timely exhibitions now on view: Battleground: War Rugs from Afghanistan and Iraq’s Ancient Past: Rediscovering Ur’s Royal Cemetery. Battleground, open through July 2011, made its U.S. debut at the Penn Museum and features more than 60 “war rugs,” which reflect the wartime life experiences of Afghans beginning with the Soviet invasion of 1979 and the country’s many upheavals throughout the early 21st century.
Scenes of modern warfare and the weaponry of war, and images of the global war on terrorism resonate in updated iconography, as birds become fighter jets, flowers become bombs, and horses, tanks. Iraq’s Ancient Past has recently re-opened after major renovations and features a world-renowned collection of artifacts discovered and excavated from the Royal Cemetery of Ur, in present-day Iraq. Iraq’s Ancient Past brings to life the famous expedition with resplendent artifacts including the “Ram-Caught-in-the-Thicket,” the impressive headdress of Ur's Queen Puabi, and a new presentation of the “Bull's Headed Lyre” panel.
Iraq's Ancient Past looks to the present and future as well, exploring the ongoing story of scientific inquiry and discovery made possible by those excavations, and the pressing issues around the preservation of Iraq's cultural heritage today. “With America engaged in military operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan, these two exhibitions are especially relevant,” noted Dr. Richard Hodges, the Williams Director of the Penn Museum.
“Battleground provides a look at how one celebrated artistic tradition has been changed by war, while Iraq’s Ancient Past explores an extraordinary ancient culture and heritage now at great risk from modern-day looting.”
The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology is at 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, (on Penn's campus, across from Franklin Field).
Public transportation to the Museum is available via SEPTA's Regional Rail Line at University City Station; the Market-Frankford Subway Line at 34th Street Station; trolley routes 11, 13, 34, and 36; and bus routes 12, 21, 30, 40, and 42. Museum hours are Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Wednesday, 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, with P.M. @ PENN MUSEUM evening programs offered select Wednesdays. Closed Mondays and holidays. Admission donation is $10 for adults; $7 for senior citizens (65 and above); $6 children (6 to 17) and full-time students with ID; free to Members, PennCard holders, and children 5 and younger; "pay-what-you-want" the last hour before closing. Penn Museum, a Blue Star Museums partner, offers free admission to all active duty military personnel and their families with valid active duty military personnel or military family I.D., from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2011.
Hot and cold meals and light refreshments are offered to visitors with or without Museum admission in The Pepper Mill Café; the Museum Shop and Pyramid Shop for Children offer a wide selection of gifts, books, games, clothing and jewelry. Penn Museum can be found on the web at www.penn.museum <http://www.penn.museum/> .
For general information call (215) 898-4000. For group tour information call (215) 746-8183.

Designers from Delaware, Chester and Bucks Counties have transformed 24 rooms inside the 1914 Stonebridge Mansion in Chadds Ford. The mansion will be open daily from 10 to 4 p.m., through May 30, to benefit the Oxford Arts Allliance. For more information, visit www.showhouseandgardens.com. The Oxford Arts Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to “Cultivating Community Through the Arts.”
Stonebridge Mansion, on the corner of Route 1 and Webb Road, Chadds Ford, is a stately Georgian-style stone landmark near the Brandywine Battlefield. It was built ca. 1914 by a wealthy Philadelphia brewer. It features 19-inch stone walls.
Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. For more information about the showhouse, visit www.showhouseandgardens.com. The Oxford Arts Alliance is a non-profit organization dedicated to “Cultivating Community Through the Arts.”

West Mifflin – Kennywood kicks off the 2011 summer season this weekend.
At Kennywood the unofficial start of summer is here. This season the park boasts to be “full of thrills, fun and excitement.” Highlights include Potato Patch Fries, entertainment and the launch of Sky Rocket for its first full season.
The Kennywood Laser Spectacular is all-new for 2011. This nightly laser show will take place over the lagoon and feature an array of lasers, fire, and popular songs all set to the sights and sounds of America's heartland on a huge screen next to the Racer.
Live entertainment takes center stage starting with the daily season on May 19. Featured performances include the high-energy acrobatics and classic rock of Cirque Rocks, located by the Kennywood Lagoon, and the interactive challenge and fun of The Kennyville Game Show at the Kennyville Stage.
Kiddieland will be home to a brand new set of family restrooms, a patio sitting area and a new refreshment stand featuring healthy options for the little ones.
Kennywood’s historic Parkside Café, built in 1898, will now feature air conditioning, as well as larger and improved restroom facilities.Kennywood Season Passes are available for $89.99 at www.kennywood.com. The regular FunDay price is $36.99, Seniors (55 +) $17.99, children 46” and under $23.99. After 5 p.m. NightRider tickets are $21.99, Senior NightRider tickets $10.49.
Following opening weekend, May 7 and 8, Kennywood is open Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15. Daily season begins Thursday, May 19. Gates open at 10:30 a.m.; rides open progressively each morning beginning at 11 a.m.
For more information visit http://www.kennywood.com..
(Image from www.kennywood.com).