Tucson Weekly: Museums (February 1

MUSEUMS

ARIZONA HISTORICAL SOCIETY. 949 E. Second St. 628-5775. Charles Polzer discusses myths of Jesuit treasure and stories about the struggle between Jesuit missions and Spanish mines in Arizona and Sonora with Jesuit Missions vs. Mines February 7 at 7 and 9 p.m. Admission is free. Rediscover Arizona's past with a walk-in guided tour Mondays and Fridays at 2 p.m. Admission is free and no reservations are required. Continuing through February 12: Pieced Connections II is an exhibit of 12 historical quilts from 1840 to 1940 in a variety of patterns. Continuing through April: Crossroads: The Photographic Journey of Norman G. Wallace. Wallace's photos highlight railroad construction, rural life and historic sites during the Mexican Revolution. Ongoing: One Hundred Years of Fashion: Social History and Self-Image, a series of exhibits displaying accessories women tolerated for the sake of fashion. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.
ARIZONA-SONORA DESERT MUSEUM. 2021 N. Kinney Road. 883-2702. www.desertmuseum.org. Continuing through April 15: The Raptor Free Flight Program, featured daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., explores raptor habits and habitats and allows visitors to see these Sonoran Desert birds of prey engaged in unstructured activity. Barn owls, Harris hawks, American kestrels and peregrine falcons are among the birds on view. The museum ranks among the world's top 10 zoological sites, and features a large collection of native plants and wildlife. The museum also features a coati exhibit, pollinator gardens, a mountain lion exhibit and a hummingbird aviary among many other natural habitat displays. The Ancient Arizona interactive exhibit recreates fossils and gives museum visitors a chance to see what ancient Arizona was like 100 million years ago. Museum hours are 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Admission is $8.95, $1.75 for kids 6 to 12 and free for children 6 and under. Group discounts are available. Call 883-3022 for registration and information.
ARIZONA STATE MUSEUM. UA campus, University Boulevard east of Park Avenue. 621-6302. The oldest and largest anthropology museum in the region brings to life the culture and history of the greater Southwest from the time of mammoth-hunters to the present. The museum's rich and varied collections are among the most significant resources in the nation for the study of Southwest anthropology. Continuing through May 26: Portraits in Cloth: Tohono O'odham Quilts of Goldie Richmond features quilts that depict the lifestyles of the Tohono O'odham people. Continuing through June: The Pottery Project: 20,000 Pots, 2,000 Years features an extensive American Indian pottery collection recently named an official project of Save America's Treasures. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free.
CENTER FOR CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY. UA campus, south of the pedestrian underpass at Speedway Boulevard and Park Avenue. 621-7968. John Reuter, photographer and director of Polaroid's 20x24 studio, discusses 20 years of collaborating with artists such as William Wegman and David Levinthal on the legendary camera he is the master of, February 1 at 5:30 p.m. Continuing through February 11: Nagatani/Tracey Collaboration, 1983-1989 features the work of painter, photographer, installation artist and sculptor Patrick Nagatani and painter Andrée Tracey. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
FLANDRAU SCIENCE CENTER AND PLANETARIUM. UA campus, University Boulevard east of Cherry Avenue. 621-STAR. Flandrau Rocks features presentations on gem faceting, micromounts, TV rock, fluorescence and bead making by experts Mondays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Sundays from "1 to 5 p.m. through February. The planets Venus, Jupiter and Saturn are all visible in the evening sky one hour after sunset every night this winter; large telescopes and giant binoculars are set up in front of the Science Center to assist you in viewing these planets February 9 from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m., weather permitting. In addition, the center's Theatre of Stars shows Clouds of Fire: The Origin of Stars at 7:30 p.m. and More Than Meets The Eye: Under Arizona Skies at 8:30 p.m. The science center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, featuring a series of interactive exhibits and planetarium shows. Telescope viewing hours are from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for children under 13, and $4.50 for seniors.
FORT LOWELL MUSEUM. 2900 N. Craycroft Road. 885-3832. On permanent display: The View from the Barracks, a photographic exhibit allowing a look at the daily life of enlisted men in the garrisons of the Southwest; and We Served at Fort Lowell, an exhibit documenting army life at the fort.
PIMA AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM. 6000 E. Valencia Road. 574-9658. The museum regularly displays 250 military, commercial and civilian aircraft, including a full-scale mock-up of the Wright Flyer, presidents Kennedy and Johnson's Air Force One, the Super Guppy used by NASA, and more. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with last admittance at 4 p.m. Admission is $7.50 for adults, $6.50 for seniors and military, and $4 for children ages 10 to 17. Free for aviation buffs under age 10.
SOSA-CARRILLO-FRÉMONT HOUSE MUSEUM. 151 S. Granada Ave. Walk in the footsteps of the pioneers and experience Tucson's history as guides lead you to more than 20 historic homes and sites throughout historic downtown Tucson every Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon through March 31. Walking tour fee is $5 for adults. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays. Admission is free. Call 628-5774 for information.
TOWN HALL MUSEUM. Old Tucson Studios' Town Hall Museum features three exhibits celebrating the rich history of Arizona and the culture of the American West. In partnership with the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and the Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum, Old Tucson Studios presents Minerals of Bisbee. A History in the Movies exhibit tells the story of a deserted landscape becoming America's premiere Western film studio, and includes rare costumes, photos and movie posters. Shamanism, Magic and The Busy Spider tells the history of the Abenaki Indians through the artwork of their people. Call 883-0100 for information.
TUCSON CHILDREN'S MUSEUM. 200 S. Sixth Ave. 792-9985. Join performance artist Anton Smith for African and African American dancing, storytelling and singing February 3 and 4 at 1:30 and 3 p.m. Bring the kids for this fun tribute to Garrett Augustus Morgan Sr., inventor of the three-position traffic light. Kids will make their own versions of the light with M&Ms and other goodies February 3 from noon to 2 p.m. Dinosaur Canyon by Rob Meyer Productions features four life-size dinosaurs ranging from 8 to 30 feet in length. This New West Gallery exhibit runs until 2003. Museum hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Last admission is 30 minutes before closing. Admission is $3.50 for kids 2 to 16, $5.50 for adults and $4.50 for seniors. From 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, admission is only $2 per person. The third Sunday of every month is free for all.
TUCSON MUSEUM OF ART. 140 N. Main Ave. 624-2333. Continuing through April 18: Garner Tullis: The Art of Collaboration is a group exhibition of 105 works by 65 artists who have printed at the Garner Tullis Studio. Continuing through February 11: Pastel Portraits features the work of Harley Brown. Penny David presents Jacques-Louis David Paints French History February 1; Laurie Dryden discusses The Portrait Through Culture's Eye February 5; and June chase presents Behind the Mexican Mask February 8. All three lectures take place at 1:30 p.m. in the education building. Contemporary glass works from the TMA collection, plus several pieces on loan from local artists and galleries, are also on display. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $5, $4 for seniors, $3 for students 13 and up, and free for children 12 and under. Admission is free every Sunday.
TUCSON RODEO PARADE EQUIPMENT MUSEUM. Rodeo grounds at the corner of South Sixth Street and Irvington Road. 294-1280. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays through February 16. Admission is free, although donations are accepted.
UA MUSEUM OF ART. UA campus near Park Avenue and Speedway Boulevard. 621-7567. Continuing through February 25: Kenneth Noland: The Navajo Tapestries is a literal weaving of contemporary art aesthetics and traditional Navajo arts. Noland's minimalist drawings and paintings were the templates for three tapestries by Navajo weavers Sadie Curtis, Rose Owens and Mary Lee Begay. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 .m. Mondays through Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.
VETERANS MUSEUM. MarketPlace USA. 3750 E. Irvington Road. 740-9429. Displays depict contributions made by area veterans. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Admission is free. Volunteer docents are needed.