Enjoy free adventure for Museum Day on Saturday
Sep. 16—On Saturday, more than 1,000 museums — including two in Bakersfield — across the country will offer free admission as part of a campaign to promote the value of cultural experiences.
Hosted in association with Smithsonian Magazine, the 17th annual Museum Day Live will offer people free access to a participating museum on the list with a branded ticket they can download at smithsonianmag.com/museumday.
The downloaded ticket is good for admission for the ticket holder and a guest.
California has 41 participating facilities including the Bakersfield Museum of Art and the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History and Science.
Although the Bakersfield Museum of Art is between seasonal exhibitions, visitors will still be able to view its Anne Katherine Brown Permanent Collection Gallery, which showcases recent accessions into its permanent collection.
Guests can also take a self-guided tour of the Tejon Sculpture Garden. More information about the sculptures is available at bmoa.org/sculpture-garden.
Those who want a sneak peek of the upcoming exhibition "On The Edge: Los Angeles Art, 1970s, 1990s, from the Joan and Jack Quinn Family Collection," can tune into the latest episode of the museum's podcast, which drops on Saturday. Prolific art collector Joan Aganaian Quinn speaks with curator Rachel Magnus for the new episode.
BMoA will also hold a Saturday Studio for kids and teens focusing on the abstract art and the work of Charles Arnoldi, whose work will appear in the upcoming Fall Exhibition "On The Edge." The cost is $25, $20 for members (sign up at bmoa.org/saturday-studio) for the 10:30 a.m. class.
BMOA is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 1930 R St.
And, after an especially trying year and a half weathering the pandemic and a devastating fire, the Buena Vista museum is ready to shine on Saturday.
The museum is home to an impressive display of local miocene fossils dating back 14 to 16 million years as well as unique displays including an African animal exhibit, a rock, gem and mineral exhibit with some rare finds, and a replica of a Native American Yokuts village.
Its latest acquisition is a replica of the thigh bone of titanosaurus, maybe the largest dinosaur to ever walk the earth, that is 8 feet in length and thick as a tree trunk.
Buena Vista Museum is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 2018 Chester Ave.
Visit smithsonianmag.com/museumday to download your free tickets.
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter: @realstefanidias.
