In November 2022, a series of events celebrated the unveiling of our reimagined Eastern Mediterranean Gallery—a wonderful opportunity to invite old friends and new visitors to experience the full range of activities that the Museum has to offer.
At the Opening Celebration Weekend on November 19 and 20, visitors enjoyed opportunities to hear from the gallery curators and were invited into the Museum Archives to see up-close documentation of historic excavations throughout the world, to enjoy demonstrations of cutting-edge archaeological techniques in the Center for the Analysis of Archaeological Materials, and to learn about cylinder seals and try their hand at making their own (cork versions). Our galleries were full of rhythm and laughter, as families also enjoyed performances and workshops by Middle Eastern dancers and musical ensembles.
A week of previews began with a Golden Gala, held Friday, November 11, and continued with preview events for Penn students, Museum members, and the press.
Golden Gala
Our Golden Gala on November 11, co-chaired by Cason Crane and Fran McGill, and Alice and Herb Sachs, felt particularly festive this year because it was our first in-person gala celebration since 2019. After exploring the gallery’s rich displays and interactives and enjoying Eastern Mediterranean wines and a buffet of grilled meats and vegetables, guests followed a band of musicians and dancers to the Sphinx Gallery, where Williams Director Chris Woods spoke about the curators’ vision and the gallery’s main themes, connections between this ancient region and our own, and where the Eastern Mediterranean fits in the Museum’s ongoing transformation. We were particularly honored that Penn President Liz Magill joined us for the celebration, adding some thoughts of her own about the importance of the region to world history, and about the Museum’s important position within Penn as a whole. After this introduction, guests reconvened in the Museum’s Rotunda for a Mediterranean feast, followed by drinks and dancing in the upper-level Egypt Gallery.
Visionaries and Supporting Circle Preview & Members’ Preview
On November 15, Visionaries and Supporting Circle Members were invited for an exclusive first look at the newly reimagined gallery. The event included an introduction from Lead Curator Dr. Lauren Ristvet, giving greater scholarly context about the gallery. This was followed by a tour of the gallery itself, including helpful guidance from graduate students, who were on hand to offer expertise in their fields of interest; the information they provided sparked many conversations about the objects on display. Attendees also enjoyed Mediterranean food and drink, including desserts featuring special flavors from the region, like quince and pistachio. There was also a preview for all Members on November 18; the Museum was open late, to give members an opportunity to take a leisurely look at their own pace, immersing themselves in features like the precise replica of a merchant ship’s cargo hold, modeled after an ancient Phoenician shipwreck.
Opening Weekend
November 19 and 20 marked the gallery’s Opening Weekend, where the public had their first chance to see the new gallery, to hear more background on the exhibit from scholars and archivists, and to enjoy music and dance performances and workshops. Curators provided talks on some of the gallery’s main themes and important objects, giving more context to this fascinating region, which served as an ancient hub for cross-cultural exchange. Children in attendance had the chance to make crafts based on artifacts in the gallery, like cylinder seals, while the drumming and dance workshops brought families together with movement and music. The two-day event was an enormous success, bringing visitors from across the region and beyond to draw, dance, and explore in our galleries.
Student Gala
On November 16, Penn graduate and undergraduate students were invited to their own gala as part of the Museum’s Academic Engagement program, which seeks to make the Museum a hub for Penn’s larger academic community. After tours by Penn Museum Graduate Guides, they heard brief remarks from Williams Director Chris Woods and Lead Curator Lauren Ristvet about the unique role of the region in the story of human development. Students had a chance to sample spices that were traded throughout the ancient Eastern Mediterranean, to take candid shots in a portable photobooth, and to enjoy drinks and dancing in the Egypt Galleries.
