Exhibits

Lecture: After the Grizzly

The landmark federal Endangered Species Act—the most powerful and comprehensive U.S. environmental law and most ambitious biodiversity conservation statute ever enacted by any country—turns forty in 2013. Is this anniversary a cause for celebration or despair? What have we learned during the past four decades? Why is endangered species conservation so complicated? And why do efforts to preserve endangered species often result in such bitter controversy? This talk will address these questions, place them in a broader historical context, and discuss some of the challenges and opportunities for biodiversity conservation in the twenty-first century.

Peter S. Alagona is an assistant professor of history and environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before joining the UCSB faculty, he was a Beagle Environmental Fellow in the Center for the Environment and Kennedy School of Government at Harvard and a postdoctoral fellow and visiting assistant professor in the Bill Lane Center for the American West at Stanford.

Admission is free for Museum Members; $5 for the general public (pay at door).

Thursday, May 30, 2013 - 7:00pm

Lecture: Passenger Pigeons, Back from Extinction?

Passenger pigeons were once the most common birds in North America, but by 1914 they were extinct. Their extinction was caused solely by humans: hunting and habitat disturbances. What if they could be brought back from extinction? How could it be done? How might they live again?

Find out first-hand from the researcher whose work on these questions has attracted recent attention from National Geographic and Audubon magazines.

Speaking at the Pacific Grove Museum, Ben Novak will address misconceptions and misunderstandings of passenger pigeon natural history. And he will discuss the status of his current research, sequencing the DNA of passenger pigeons from museum specimens.

Ben Novak is a graduate student at McMaster University and U.C. Santa Cruz. At U.C.S.C. he has joined the paleogenomics lab of Beth Shapiro. There he is refining the sequencing of passenger pigeon DNA and comparing it with the DNA of the extinct bird's closest relative, the band-tailed pigeon. 

Admission is free for Museum Members; $5 for the general public (pay at door).

 

Saturday, June 15, 2013 - 3:00pm

Exhibition Opening: Central Coast Landscapes, Celebrating Nature in Painting

This juried exhibition shows the Central Coast's dramatic and diverse scenery through the eyes and brushes of contemporary artists. Selected, juried artworks capture the natural beauty of our region, and attract visitors with a heightened awareness of this region's diverse habitats. They celebrate the tradition established by renowned landscape artist Albert DeRome (1885-1959), who painted scenic backgrounds for exhibits at the museum.

The opening reception will include an awards presentation for the juried artists.

If you are interested in submitting artwork to this juried exhibition, download the prosepectus here.

Saturday, November 9, 2013 - 5:00pm
Downloads: 
application/pdf iconCentral Coast Landscapes Exhibition Prospectus

Permanent Exhibitions

Explore the Museum's Permanent Exhibitions that showcase the unique and curious aspects of the natural history of the California Central Coast.

It's A MVSEVM in a MUSEUM!

 

Our new exhibition, endearingly pronounced The “Muh-vuh-seh-vem” celebrates the founding spirit of our Museum. Learn about careful collecting, taxidermy, and curation. Come join in the hands-on fun as you develop your own interpretive style.

This exhibition is now open!

"Illustrating Nature" Special Exhibition

The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is proud to partner with the Science Illustration Certificate program at California State University, Monterey Bay and showcase its graduates' spectacular works of art. This special exhibition of science illustration officially opens on Saturday, May 4th and closes on Sunday, June 16th. 

Saturday, May 4, 2013 - 10:00am
Downloads: 
application/pdf icon2013 Illustrating Nature flyer

Closing Day for "Illustrating Nature" exhibition

Sunday, June 16, 2013 - 10:00am

Now Open: Monarchs Come Home

Find out about the miraculous and unique annual cycle of western monarch butterflies, which includes a winter migration to California’s Central Coast. Highlights of this exhibition include real specimens, amazing videos, vintage artifacts, a "cabinet of curiosities," and multiple hands-on opportunities--all wrapped in the most up-to-date scientific knowledge and artistic presentation.

This exhibition was developed by the museum as a prototype for long-term installation. Make sure you fill in an evaluation form when you visit. (Or send an email to the Exhibitions Curator, Annie Holdren, holdren@pgmuseum.org.)

To propose a Special Exhibition

With 32 scientific Institutions around the Monterey Bay, it is little wonder this area is sometimes called "Science Bay." The Museum is honored to collaborate with this scientific community on educational lectures, on possible research through the Museum Collection, including its library, and on the creation of permanent and special exhibits. These collaborations raise the profile of specific research and provide researchers with a channel for public education while deeply enriching Museum visitors' experience.

The Special Exhibit Proposal Form (downloadable below) contains frequently asked questions regarding proposing a special exhibition at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. This document also contains the proposal form for proposing a special exhibition at the museum. For more information, contact the Exhibitions Curator, Annie Holdren, PhD, by phone at (831) 648-5716, ext. 17; or by email at  holdren@pgmuseum.org.

Downloads: 
application/pdf iconUse these FAQs and proposal form to propose a special exhibition at the Museum

Permanent Exhibitions

Explore the Museum's Permanent Exhibitions that showcase the unique and curious aspects of the natural history of the California Central Coast.