ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS

Nevada History through the Eyes of Women

Two historical exhibits represent and celebrate the culmination of the Nevada Women’s Legacy— 150 Years of Excellence project, in celebration of the Sesquicentennial that included interviews of more than 200 Nevada women in every county of the state, video clips of the interviews on its website, and publishing the Nevada Women’s Legacy book to share the roles and contributions of Nevada Women in shaping the first 150 years of statehood.

These books will be given to libraries, school districts and museums throughout the state. Get involved and be part of the second exhibit by submitting your form for the Community Art Quilts display, details below.

Current Exhibit available through April 1 in the lobby of the Nevada State Library and Archives Building at 100 N. Stewart St., Carson City.

This exhibit consists of banners, images of the six living First Ladies of Nevada, 200 plus interviewed women depicted as bookcase visuals and one page histories of each county through the eyes of women.

Second Exhibit available March 16-April 2 in the Atrium second floor of the Legislative Building located at 401 S. Carson St.

Displays relative to women mayors of Nevada, the First Ladies, Women of Diversity Productions mission and the Nevada Women’s Legacy — 150 Years of Excellence project will be part of the exhibit. There will be a looping video with quotations of Nevada women and events of the sesquicentennial year regarding women of Nevada.

A soft sculpture by Denise R. Duarte, builds on Women of Diversity Productions’ mission. This artistic expression explores an alternative to objectification of women by focusing on valuing women’s intellectual capacity using material (pantyhose) that has historically been used to cosmetically enhance women’s appearance.

This exhibit will also include Community Art Quilts consisting of names of women who have been influential in the lives of Nevadans. Persons may participate in this community quilt process until Feb. 23 by visiting the website, and completing a nomination form: www.nevadawomensvirtualcenter.org

Wilbur D. Day Museum exhibit

The Wilbur D. May Museum is proud to present the upcoming exhibit — “Grossology: The (Impolite) Science of the Human Body” through April 26.

Kids of all ages will love discovering the answers to all the questions they have about the mushy, oozy, crusty, scaly, and smelly biology of the body.

This science-in-disguise exhibition features dozens of animatronics, imaginative games, and interactive elements to take visitors on an up close and personal tour of the body functions that most people don’t like to talk about!

Take aim and launch dirt balls into a larger-than-life nose to discover how boogers are formed.

Play the “Gas Attack” pinball game with bumpers dressed up as food items that cause gas.

Mimic the build-up of acid indigestion by causing the “Burp Machine” to release a giant belch.

Visit the “Vomit Center” to learn the many reasons humans vomit.

Take a ride on the GI slide to discover how food becomes waste.

Scale a skin climbing wall where the hand and foot holds are pimples, warts, and scabs.

Discover other mysterious ways the body’s biology does what it needs to do to keep us healthy!

Cost is $9 adults, $8 for children snd seniors. For information, call 775-785-5961.

NEVADA VISITORS GUIDE

The 2015 Nevada Visitors Guide, now available for free online and at area visitors’ centers, is designed with the road warrior in mind.

More than 29 million vehicles entered the state in fiscal year 2014, prompting the Nevada Division of Tourism to restructure the Visitors Guide to meet travelers’ needs.

“Personal auto is the top mode of transportation in Nevada, and this new guide is designed for those travelers,” Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs Director Claudia Vecchio said. “We designed this to be user-ready, complete with hotel contact information and distance guides so travelers can stash it in their glove box and use it throughout their trip.”

Road trip itineraries along the Loneliest Road in America, the Extraterrestrial Highway, and the Las Vegas Strip are just a few of the routes mapped out in the new guide.

The state’s Scenic Byways and popular motorcycle routes also are included.

New this year are note pages interspersed throughout the book, making it easy to jot notes while planning a trip or on the road, as well as a savings card for discounted admission to state museums.

The Visitors Guide also includes sections on ghost towns, railroads and cultural sites — all big draws to the state’s rural areas. The 120-page guide includes a suggested road trip play list, photo opportunity recommendations, event listings, and information on what’s new in Nevada.

The Nevada Visitors Guide is available free of charge at area visitors’ centers or by ordering through TravelNevada.com.

The Nevada Division of Tourism is part of the Nevada Department of Tourism and Cultural Affairs and is responsible for promoting and marketing Nevada as a travel destination to domestic and international travelers. For more, visit www.TravelNevada.biz.

NAT GEO MUSEUM EXHIBIT

A new National Geographic Museum exhibition, Monster Fish: In Search of the Last River Giants, features the work of the University of Nevada, Reno’s research professor and host of the television show Monster Fish, Zeb Hogan. It opens March 26 at National Geographic’s Washington D.C. headquarters and runs through Oct. 12.

For more information about Zeb visit www.unr.edu/science/zeb-hogan and for more information on the exhibition visit http://events.nationalgeographic.com/exhibits/2015/03/25/monster-fish-search-last-river-giants/.

“This fascinating exhibition is a trip around the world with one of Nat Geo’s favorite explorers in search of bizarre and extraordinary species of freshwater fish,” said National Geographic’s vice president of Exhibitions, Kathryn Keane. “Zeb Hogan shows us that despite their size, these fish are an increasingly fragile link in some of the most important freshwater ecosystems on Earth.”

Hogan is a National Geographic Fellow and faculty member of the University’s biology department in the College of Science. He travels the globe finding, studying and protecting the world’s largest freshwater fish - megafish like six-foot trout in Mongolia, rare spear-tooth freshwater sharks, huge wolf fish and electric eels or 14-foot-long stingrays in Thailand. He chronicles his travels on the Nat Geo WILD television show Monster Fish.

Nearly 20 of the fish he studies and profiles on the show will be featured in the 6,000-square-foot interactive exhibition.

“The University’s College of Science values scientific curiosity, discovery and ambition, and we encourage our students to see themselves as global citizens and our faculty to contribute solutions with global impact. Our educational partnership with the National Geographic Society for this exhibit is an ideal fit with these values,” said Jeff Thompson, dean of the College of Science.

“This endeavor will inspire young people to pursue interests, degrees and careers in the environmental sciences and contribute to a better understanding of the fragile health of fresh-water ecosystems around the world.”

The museum exhibition, which will travel over the next five years to other museums around the United States, aims to educate visitors through the use of photos, videos, animations, interactives, sculpture, and text.

“After spending the last 20 years studying these elusive fish, I’m gratified to see that they are now the subject of a large scale museum exhibition,” Hogan said. “It’s my hope that this exhibition will reach millions of people, and increase awareness and appreciation for these often misunderstood and, in many cases imperiled, giants of the deep.”

The Monster Fish exhibition takes visitors on a journey to river basins worldwide to learn about the awe-inspiring fish and the cultures and places that depend on them. The exhibition profiles the extraordinary biology and behaviors of these giant freshwater fish. It also offers the opportunity to investigate how scientists learn about these fish and develop solutions to save them.

With five impressive life-size sculptures, some as long as 20 feet, adrenaline-pumping video installations and hands-on interactives, Monster Fish is designed to appeal to a wide audience - from children and families to environmentalists and fishing enthusiasts. A gallery of aquariums with live fish, including juvenile alligator gar, will showcase healthy freshwater ecosystems from around the world.

“These are incredibly rare animals, which most people would never have a chance to see or appreciate - this exhibit is a window into an underwater world that few of us have ever experienced,” Hogan said. “These animals can grow to over 20 feet in length, some living more than 100 years, and many are on the edge of extinction. The exhibition is the culmination of years of work by many people to find, study, and protect the world’s largest freshwater fish.”

As part of the exhibition opening, Hogan will talk about his search for freshwater giants at a National Geographic Live event the evening of March 26 and in a special student matinee that morning. An aquatic ecologist, he will share behind-the-scenes adventures and real “fish stories” from scientists he works with and the locals who live along the banks who help him find the big fish.

“Science is not our only tool for protecting these fish,” he said. “Education and outreach are crucial too, because in many places I visit, endangered species conservation is a brand new concept that must be introduced and made relevant.”

Hogan, who has a doctorate in ecology, has worked with nearly 100 scientists on the Monster Fish project, which spans six continents (North America, South America, Africa, Europe, Asia, and Australia) and encompasses several of Earth’s most diverse freshwater ecosystems - ecological treasures - including World Heritage Sites, Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance and United Nations Environment Program Biodiversity Hotspots.