|
|
Hard Rock Cafe, Austin, pin |
Loretto – The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Loretto
will celebrate one of America’s most dynamic forefathers
this spring while offering one of its most eclectic
exhibitions to date. Opening April 18, the Museum is pleased
to offer the community the traveling exhibition, Cents &
Sensibility: Benjamin Franklin and Popular Culture. The
exhibition, which debuted in 2006 at Franklin & Marshall
College, was organized to commemorate the 300th
anniversary of the birth of Franklin. The exhibition will
remain on view through July 20. Because of its rich
historical context, the exhibition makes for a wonderful
cross-curricular school tour experience, spanning subjects
such as art, history, science, and language arts.
Cents & Sensibility was developed
with young audiences in mind, and offers a fresh look at one
of the nation’s most important historical figures.
Throughout the 19th and 20th
centuries, Franklin emerged as an advertising icon,
appearing on items from beach towels to postage stamps to
Grateful Dead posters. This collection of Franklin
memorabilia, more than 200 pieces in all, was assembled and
organized as a tribute to an American personality who
largely invented the American persona. A broad range of
primarily 20th century artifacts, ephemera and
kitsch, including audio and video recordings, print media,
advertising buttons, product containers, action figures,
clothing and bobblehead dolls, will be on view.
Few people have had as much of an impact on
American culture as Franklin. A self-made man with little
formal education, Franklin was successful as a printer,
diplomat, scientist and satirist, among other ventures. He
constructed and shaped the media of his era into a
formidable tool for priming and propelling the nation, along
with his reputation. A man of great communication skills and
business savvy, Franklin’s ability to reach out to young
people, writers, scientists, women, politicians, diplomats,
businessmen and artisans throughout the world helped cement
his legacy and gravitas for three centuries. Now, 300 years
after his birth, his likeness is still prevalent in American
culture, featured prominently throughout movies, television
shows, popular music, plays, cartoons, literature and
legends.
Visitors to Cents & Sensibility will
undoubtedly marvel at how Franklin’s image has not only
endured the test of time, but also transcends so many media.
Franklin may be as popular today as he was nearly 300 years
ago when he was a major factor in shaping the American
political and cultural landscape. Cents & Sensibility
was co-curated by Roy E. Goodman, Curator of Printed
Materials for the American Philosophical Society in
Philadelphia, and Sherry Bufano. The exhibition was produced
in collaboration with Franklin & Marshall College and
supported by a grant from the Richard C. von Hess
Foundation.
To help celebrate the exhibition, the Museum
will host a “Ben Franklin Day” on Saturday, June 28.
Beginning at 1 p.m., SAMA will offer a Franklin Family Fun
program designed to help children learn about Franklin by
participating in various museum activities, including
exhibition tours, art projects and science experiments. At 7
p.m., the Museum will host a lecture with Cents &
Sensibility co-curator, Roy E. Goodman. Both events are
open to the public free of charge. For more information,
please call SAMA Education Coordinator Liz Garlena at (724)
238-6015.
The Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at
Loretto is located on the campus of Saint Francis
University. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday
through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. The Museum is
open to the public free of charge. For more information,
please contact the Museum at (814) 472-3920 or visit
www.sama-art.org.
Check out these Franklin links for lesson plans,
biographies, timelines and more!
BenFranklin300.org
TeachingFranklin.org
PBS.org |
