Welcome to the Penn Museum blog. First launched in January 2009, the Museum blog now has over 800 posts covering a range of topics in the categories of Museum, Collection, Exhibitions, Research, and By Location. Here you’ll hear directly from our staff and Penn students about their work, research, experiences, and discoveries. To explore the Museum's other digital content, visit The Digital Penn Museum.
Let’s Go Fly a Kite!
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
The Family Second Sunday series is one of the programs that I manage here at the Penn Museum, and it’s easily my favorite. Each month from September through May, I get to create a craft inspired by an artifact or area of the world represented by the Museum. Then I get to teach it to […]
What Would You Create If You Could Install an Exhibition at the Penn Museum?
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
This quiet, reflective space became a buzz of activity for AIM Academy and Abington School District students. When AIM Academy 6th graders and Abington School District 2nd graders visited recently, they were asked to create a museum exhibition within the Kintner and Dietrich galleries. The only parameter: the exhibition had to be relevant to archaeology […]
How Many Toilet Paper Tubes Will It Take to Operate Penn Museum Summer Camp 2013?
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
I’m not into social media that much (for starters, I don’t do Facebook–gasp!), but if my fellow colleagues at the Penn Museum would happen to pick an avatar, a visual representation for myself, it would probably be this: This is not because I visit the bathroom more frequently than the average person. This is because […]
National Poetry Month, Week 4
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
This week, Thomas and Max give us new ways to look at Harpoon-shaped Head: Pointy Sharp, Shiny Stabbing, Throwing, Battling What is it made of? Wood by Thomas Sharp Brown, Amazed Amazing, Interesting, Attracting How was it made? Awesome by Max
National Poetry Month, Week 3
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
This week highlights two iconic objects from the Iraq’s Ancient Past exhibition: Ram in the Thicket and Puabi’s Diadem and Headdress. Here is what the guest interpreters had to say: Ram Caught in a Thicket Shiny A ram, Curious Kicking, Standing, Eating Why did they create this? Stuck by Marley Puabi’s Golden Headdress Pretty Big, […]
National Poetry Month, Week 2
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
This week, Abington School District guest interpreters Jacob and Kaileb give us two new ways to look at Penn Museum’s iconic Lyre with Bearded Bull’s Head and Inlaid Panel. Horns Cool, Creepy Living, Snorting, Kicking Where did it come from? Brown by Jacob Bull-like Amazing, Surprised Attracting, Interesting, Amusing How did they make it? Beard […]
National Poetry Month, Week 1
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
The month of April is a month full of dedications – everything from Fools (April 1) to Administrative Professionals (April 24) and even the whole Earth itself (April 22) receive a special day. My personal favorite celebration for April is National Poetry Month. Back in February, second graders from Abington School District visited the Penn […]
Extraordinary Happenings: Summer Camp 2010
By: Jennifer Reifsteck
As most of us who work in the museum field, and for non-profits in general, I wear many hats. This summer, I was one part Educator, two parts Juggler, and three parts Child Herder. It’s all in a day’s work as Assistant Summer Camp Director. And I love every minute of it. This summer marked […]