2008 Woodie Awards
Lavapalooza
Pompeii exhibit festivity in Birmingham
Britney Almaguer
Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
The Birmingham Museum of Art will host a special event as part of the introduction to their new exhibition, "Pompeii: Tales from an Eruption."
The event, called Lavapalooza, begins Thursday, Nov. 1 and is open to both students and faculty members of colleges around the Birmingham area.
The guests can participate in an audio tour guide of the exhibition, a scavenger hunt with small prizes, as well as art activity and including pizza, cookies and punch.
Employees will walk around in gladiator costumes throughout the night posing for pictures and adding to the overall theme.
As part of the art activity, attendees will create a laurel wreath to wear around their heads, mimicking ancient, Roman garb.
The museum will also show Pink Floyd's "Live at Pompeii" video.
The exhibition features around 500 objects including sculptures jewelry, gladiatorial armor, frescoes and plaster casts from the victims of the Vesuvius eruption. There will be mosaics and sculptures on display as well.
The plaster casts are unique and "tell the stories of people caught in their last moments, struggling in vain to save themselves and the things they cherished most," according to the Birmingham Museum of Art's website.
"This is the first time that some of the objects have been seen outside of Italy," Assistant Curator of Education Kristen Greenwood said.
The audio tour guide relates the story of the ancient city of Pompeii following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The eruption caused the destruction of cities including Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and the countryside surrounding these cities.
Many of the victims of Pompeii who were unable to escape the destruction were caught in buildings that collapsed or were killed by the fumes emitted by the eruption.
It was not until later excavations that numerous objects were found.
"It's a wonderful event for college students, and I hope as many as possible will take advantage of the opportunity," museum docent and part-time Samford after Sundown instructor Michael Virga said.
In creating Lavapalooza, the museum was "interested in reaching out to the college audience and (was) trying to do something at a relatively low cost for the students," Greenwood said.
"It was also a way to introduce students to the museum who might be from out of town."
Lavapalooza will occur from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. until December. Admission tickets can be purchased at the door.
Regular admission is $16 for adults and $14 for college students with identification. Admission price includes the audio tour.
Those wishing to bring large groups should contact Kristen Greenwood at (205) 254-2856 or email at museum@artsbma.org.
For more information visit www.pompeiibirmingham.com.
The event, called Lavapalooza, begins Thursday, Nov. 1 and is open to both students and faculty members of colleges around the Birmingham area.
The guests can participate in an audio tour guide of the exhibition, a scavenger hunt with small prizes, as well as art activity and including pizza, cookies and punch.
Employees will walk around in gladiator costumes throughout the night posing for pictures and adding to the overall theme.
As part of the art activity, attendees will create a laurel wreath to wear around their heads, mimicking ancient, Roman garb.
The museum will also show Pink Floyd's "Live at Pompeii" video.
The exhibition features around 500 objects including sculptures jewelry, gladiatorial armor, frescoes and plaster casts from the victims of the Vesuvius eruption. There will be mosaics and sculptures on display as well.
The plaster casts are unique and "tell the stories of people caught in their last moments, struggling in vain to save themselves and the things they cherished most," according to the Birmingham Museum of Art's website.
"This is the first time that some of the objects have been seen outside of Italy," Assistant Curator of Education Kristen Greenwood said.
The audio tour guide relates the story of the ancient city of Pompeii following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
The eruption caused the destruction of cities including Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis and the countryside surrounding these cities.
Many of the victims of Pompeii who were unable to escape the destruction were caught in buildings that collapsed or were killed by the fumes emitted by the eruption.
It was not until later excavations that numerous objects were found.
"It's a wonderful event for college students, and I hope as many as possible will take advantage of the opportunity," museum docent and part-time Samford after Sundown instructor Michael Virga said.
In creating Lavapalooza, the museum was "interested in reaching out to the college audience and (was) trying to do something at a relatively low cost for the students," Greenwood said.
"It was also a way to introduce students to the museum who might be from out of town."
Lavapalooza will occur from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. until December. Admission tickets can be purchased at the door.
Regular admission is $16 for adults and $14 for college students with identification. Admission price includes the audio tour.
Those wishing to bring large groups should contact Kristen Greenwood at (205) 254-2856 or email at museum@artsbma.org.
For more information visit www.pompeiibirmingham.com.