The Near Eastern Section recently received a grant from the Museum Loan Network, the University of Pennsylvania Museum’s third MLN grant. The $18,000 grant will be applied toward researching, documenting, and photographing a portion of the collections from Mesopotamia. This project’s goal is to identify a corpus of material that represents a cross section of Mesopotamian history for future loans and inclusion in the MLN online directory.
The MLN supports the long-term loan of objects and artwork among institutions in the United States. Its goal is to strengthen museum exhibitions, enabling institutions to better represent and respond to the communities they serve.
Worlds Intertwined
In March 2003, with fanfare and celebration, the Museum will inaugurate the major reinstallation of its Roman and Etruscan galleries and herald the completion of its nearly 10 year program to present its unique classical collections in a modern, thematic context. The opening of “Worlds Intertwined: Etruscans, Greeks, and Romans” will be celebrated with a triumphant gala organized by the Museum’s Women’s Committee on Saturday, March 15. A joyous public opening for visitors of all ages will take place on Sunday, March 16, featuring an encampment of soldiers from the XX Legion of the Roman Imperial Army in North America, a fashion show of ancient costume, theatrical vignettes, a display of the actual costumes and props from the film Gladiator, and much more. Special events for Museum Members will be held on the opening days and throughout the “Classical Year.” Check the Museum’s Web site at www.penn.museum for a list of events, and please join us for the festivities. E-MUSINGS is the University of Pennsylvania Museum’s free e-newsletter, and it is growing quickly, bringing subscribers into the know about everything from groundbreaking research to specials in the shop to new releases from Museum Publications. Signing up is easy. All you have to do is visit the Museum’s homepage at www.penn.museum and you’ll be in the loop!