The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History, in cooperation with the National Endowment for the Humanities proudly premiers Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland, April 6-May 25. On Thursday, April 6, the Museum invites the public to its free grand opening event, beginning at 6pm with a presentation by Dr. John Lenihan. Dr. Lenihan, a professor in the History Department, Texas A&M University, will speak about the cultural significance and history of Coney Island. His entertaining talk will be followed by a reception and gallery viewing. Fascinating artifacts, photographs, ephemera, film clips, and hands-on interactives on display immerse visitors in the experience of Coney Island.
For more than 150 years, Coney Island, a strip of sand at the mouth of New York Harbor, has occupied a singular place in the American imagination. The exhibition brings to life the excitement of Coney Island, showing visitors how its magnetic world of attractions has become a touchstone for American mass culture and popular recreation.
This exhibit was made possible in part through Hotel Tax Revenue funded from the City of College Station & the City of Bryan through the Arts Council of Brazos Valley and by NEH on the Road, a special initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities. It is brought to you by Mid-America Arts Alliance. Coney Island: Visions of an American Dreamland was curated by Robin Jaffee Frank, Ph.D. Chief Curator and Krieble Curator of American Paintings and Sculpture, Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art, Hartford, CT., and organized by Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in partnership with Mid-American Arts Alliance, Kansas City, MO.
The Brazos Valley Museum of Natural History is open to visitors from Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-5pm. Admission fees are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors/students/children, and children 3 and under get in free. For more information about this exhibit and other displays, events, programs and activities, contact the Museum at (979) 776-2195 or visit www.brazosvalleymuseum.org.
