Flocks & Feathers: Birds in Science, Culture, & Art

February 1 through June 1, 2008

Birds take flight in the human imagination and play an important role in the global ecosystem. They travel millions of miles every year migrating around the world, and their life cycles, bird song and evolutionary characteristics have inspired scientists, cultures and artists for millennia. The Everhart Museum of Natural History, Science & Art began its 2008 centennial celebration with an interpretive exhibit based on the foundation of the Everhart Museum collection of birds; the Museum’s founder, Isaiah Fawkes Everhart, was a physician who expressed a lifelong interest in ornithology (the study of birds). In fact, when founding the Museum in 1908, Everhart donated over 2,000 bird specimens to begin the Museum’s collection, and ever since the Everhart Museum has continued to collect bird-oriented cultural and scientific materials. Flocks & Feathers showcased the Museum’s collections of specimens from around the world, cultural objects that use feathers or depict birds, as well as contemporary art inspired by avian creatures. Financial assistance for this exhibit was provided by Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Inc. and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission.

Art of the Land: John Willard Raught and the Continuing NEPA Landscape Tradition

June 20 through September 1, 2008

Art of the Land was based on the 50+ works by John Willard Raught held by the Everhart Museum. This permanent collection began in 1931 when pieces by Raught were donated to the Museum in his memory. Today the Everhart Museum houses the largest public collection his work. Recognition and appreciation of Raught’s style extends far beyond the geographic confines of Northeast Pennsylvania for one of the Museum’s pieces, “A View of Harrison Avenue Bridge,” was selected by the Clintons to hang in the White House and later was on display at the Clinton Presidential Library. In order to show the lasting influence of Raught on the region’s artistic community, the Museum invited more than 20 contemporary regional artists to participate in this project with work ranging from painting to sculpture to other forms of creative expression. Financial assistance for this exhibit was provided by Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Inc. and the Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority.

Tools in Motion: Work from the Hechinger Collection

September 26 through December 22, 2008

Featuring 65 highlights from the collection of Washington, DC hardware-industry pioneer John Hechinger, this popular, family-friendly exhibition displayed the amazing variety of 20th-century art that represents or incorporates tools and hardware. Tools in Motion included sculptures, photographs, and paintings by such artists as Berenice Abbott, Arman, Jim Dine, Richard Estes, Walker Evans, Claes Oldenburg, and Wayne Thiebaud and celebrates the ubiquity of tools in our lives with art that transforms utilitarian objects into fanciful works of beauty, surprise and wit. This exhibit is touring throughout the country courtesy of International Arts & Artists. Financial assistance for this exhibit was provided by Gertrude Hawk Chocolates, Inc.

The Beatles: Photographs by Harry Benson

November 9 through December 29, 2008

The Beatles: Photographs by Harry Benson took us back to a time when four cheeky lads from Liverpool forever changed popular music. Nearly 45 years after the Beatles began the British invasion with their historic Feb. 9, 1964 appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” the music world still stands in awe of their impact, and more importantly, their sound. This special exhibition celebrated what many consider to be the most influential event not only in rock ‘n’ roll history, but for American society as well. Financial assistance for this exhibit was provided by Penn Security Bank & Trust Co.