Kids will enjoy digging in the dirt to select a sweet birch seedling to take home at Morris Arboretum’s Tu B’Shevat Family Day this weekend. (Photo by Arnold Winkler courtesy Morris Arboretum)

Morris Arboretum invites everyone to celebrate the Jewish New Year of Trees at Tu B’Shevat Family Day this Sunday February 12, from 1–3 p.m.

Families will have the chance to learn about important food crop trees of Israel, and why they can’t be grown in Pennsylvania. Children will engage in various activities and will even receive their own seedling to take home.

If attending, you can expect to hear a speaker describe what the growing conditions are like in Israel, and how the trees are actually grown. You can then see visual displays of how these trees are used to make various products. The delicious foods these trees provide will also be available to sample (yum).

The event is free with regular admission.

Morris Arboretum Tu B’Shevat Family Day
When: Sunday, February 12, 1-3 p.m.
Where: 100 Northwestern Avenue
Cost: Free with admission
More info: www.business-services.upenn.edu

Bruce Springsteen purchased this Corvette in 1975, after the success of Born to Run. Photos of the car have appeared on various album and single sleeves. It will be on display at the National Constitution Center, starting next Friday, February 17.
(Photo credit: Frank Stefanko courtesy Bruce Springsteen)

The sure-to-be epic Bruce Springsteen exhibition — From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen — opens next Friday at the National Constitution Center.

Yesterday, one of the signature pieces from the exhibition — Springsteen’s 1960 Chevrolet Corvette — arrived at the NCC.

Bruce Springsteen purchased this Corvette in 1975, after the success of Born to Run. Photos of the car have appeared on various album and single sleeves.

The classic Corvette is just one of more than 150 artifacts from the iconic musician’s career that will be featured in the 5,000-square-foot exhibition, including:

• Family photos of Springsteen’s childhood in Asbury Park, N.J.
• Scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings, photos and handbills from Springsteen’s early music endeavors
• Handwritten lyrics from all phases of Springsteen’s career
• Clarence Clemons’ microphone used for his saxophone
• Springsteen’s Fender Esquire from the cover of Born to Run
• The outfit Springsteen wore on the cover of Born in the U.S.A.
• Springsteen’s 1993 Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Streets of Philadelphia”

From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen is a must-see exhibition, featuring a collection never before seen outside of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum. It’s the first major exhibition about the American songwriter that takes a comprehensive look at Springsteen’s catalog, from such early bands such as Child, the Castiles and Steel Mill through his work with the E Street Band and as a solo artist.

Bruce fans, plan ahead and get your tickets now. You’re not going to want to miss this.

From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen
Where: National Constitution Center
When: February 17 to September 3, 2012
Cost: $24.50 for adults, $23 for seniors and students and $12 for children ages 4-12
More info: www.constitutioncenter.org

“American tattooing began with the sailor”, says John Brady, CEO of Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum.

And, while sparsely clad, voluptuous women or anchors a la Popeye may not be everyone’s first choice in ink these days, the act and idea of expressing oneself through the art of tattooing still remains a popular tradition that is ever-evolving in our time.

On Thursday, February 9, the Independence Seaport Museum debuts Past to Present: Tattoo Paintings, a three month exhibit dedicated to the contemporary tattoo art movement.

On display in the museum’s second floor community gallery, many of the tattoo paintings are for sale and can be purchased through the museum’s store.

In addition, guests can get “inked” by an electronic artist which was featured in the Museum’s 2009 exhibit Skin & Bones: Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor, and for the real deal visitors can wait to make an appearance at the museum’s three day tattoo festival in June.

Past to Present: Tattoo Paintings at the Independence Seaport Museum
Where: 211 S. Columbus Boulevard
When: February 9-May 20
Cost: Admission is $10-$12
More info: www.phillyseaport.org

Mega-Bad Movie Night returns to the Academy of Natural Sciences this Thursday, February 9 at 6:30 p.m.

A popular regularly-recurring program in which absurdly awful movies are presented party-style, Mega-Bad Movie Night is also a great time to check out the academy’s exhibits after-hours.

This week’s edition features a screening of The Lost World: Jurassic Park. As always, the academy’s experts will be onstage to comment on the many scientific absurdities of the film.

Grab some snacks and a beer, and check out the many cool things on display at the academy. They’ll unveil some amazing fossils from their Paleontology Collection in honor of the event.

In addition, The Berserker Residents, the “mighty warriors of comedy,” will perform “Jurassic Park the Experimental Movement Puppet Exploration” prior to the show.

Register online.

Then be sure to check out the nearby Franklin Institute’s Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs exhibition, curated by none other than the world’s leading dinosaur collector and popularizer, Philadelphia-bred Don Lessem, advisor to the movie Jurassic Park.

Mega-Bad Movie Night at the Academy of Natural Sciences
When: Thursday, February 9, 6:30 p.m.
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: $15
More info: www.ansp.org

Three storyboard designs for 'Outside Over There.' Pen and ink. © 1976 by Maurice Sendak.

On the heels of his epically hilarious two-part Colbert Report interview, celebrated children’s author and illustrator Maurice Sendak is ushering in 2012 with a new exhibit of his life’s work at Rittenhouse Square’s Rosenbach Museum & Library.

“Pen to Publisher” features two full galleries of Sendak’s creations, ranging from his early 1960 work The Sign on Rosie’s Door to 2003′s Brundibar, a story written by Tony Kushner based on a Czech opera performed for the children of a Nazi concentration camp.

The exhibit focuses on the process of publication and the relationships between Sendak and his collaborators. It will include illustration layouts, color separations, press proofs and publicity materials from Sendak’s published and unpublished work.

As a recipient of the Library of Congress’ “Living Legend” award and countless other accolades, Maurice Sendak truly is one of the greats. Check out this awesome new show running through mid-July.

“Pen to Publisher: The Life of Three Sendak Picture Books”
Where: The Rosenbach Museum & Library, 2008-10 Delancey Place
When: Now through July 15
Cost: $10, $8 for seniors, $5 for students, free for children under the age of 5
More Info: www.rosenbach.org

Celebrate Valentine's Day early with the Penn Museum's love-themed lecture and reception this Thursday, February 9. (Photo by L. Hansen-Flaschen courtesy Penn Museum)

The Young Friends of the Penn Museum are continuing their tradition of non-traditional Valentine’s Day events, this year bringing Philadelphians “Love Hurts,” an exploration of the harsher side of love in ancient times.

Previous year’s lectures, including “Ancient Girls Gone Wild” and “Cougars, Playas, and Baby Mama Drama” shed light on the love lives of the ancients. This year’s lecture given by museum scholars is sure to contain equally salacious tales.

Whether you are dateless and disgusted by pink heart candies and all things February 14th or just looking for interesting facts on relationships to share with (read: impress) your friends, even happily-in-love couples are welcome to attend this event.

Stick around after the program and join the Young Friends for a cocktail reception (cash bar).

Tickets are available online.

Love Hurts: Annual Penn Museum Young Friends Valentine’s Event
Where: 3260 South Street
When: Thursday, February 9, 6:15 p.m.
Cost: $10 ($5 for members and full-time students)
More info: www.penn.museum

The ICA is home to provocative contemporary art.
(Photo courtesy ICA)

The Institute of Contemporary Art at the University of Pennsylvania is offering free admission all month long.

Since the 1960s, the ICA has led the way in revealing the hottest trends in contemporary art with the first-ever museum shows of Andy Warhol, Laurie Anderson, Agnes Martin, Robert Indiana and other influential artists.

Take advantage of the month-long free admission by checking out the Charline von Heyl exhibition, featuring 18 paintings and collages; Jennifer Bolande Landmarks, a site-specific installation; and Living Document / Naked Reality: Towards an Archival Cinema, which explores cinema’s complex political, formal and ideological history from the 1910s-1960s by showcasing the work of six international artists.

Free admission to the ICA is sponsored by the Amanda (C95) and Glenn (W87/WG88) Fuhrman Fund.

Institute of Contemporary Art
118 S. 36th Street
www.icaphila.org

 
Few documents have inspired as much conversation, argument and adoration as the U.S. Constitution.

It’s surely open to interpretation, but one thing is clear: the Constitution deserves one heck of a celebration to honor its 225 anniversary, and its getting one from the place bested suited for the occasion, the National Constitution Center.

The center is marking the historic occasion with programs and events running throughout the year until September. Check out the center’s brand new commercial, above, for a stirring reminder of both the power of the document itself and the immersive experience that awaits you when you visit the NCC in person.

A sampling:

• Sign the Constitution: The center invites you to reaffirm your commitment to American freedom by signing the Constitution. Not the actual parchment, mind you, they’ve set up a web application online. If you visit the center in person you can also sign a special commemorative 225th anniversary Constitution on display in Signers’ Hall.

• Share Your Freedom Story: Come springtime the center invites you share your American pride by submitting a 90-second video about someone (or a group) who has answered the call of freedom, and thus contributed to the story of “We the People.” Submissions air on the Center’s website and viewers select their favorite entries via online voting. The top three will earn a starring role in the Constitution Day extravaganza in September.

• ElectNext in Voting Booths: In partnership with ElectNext, the Center revolutionizes how we vote. Like online dating for voters, the interactive technology inside these voting booths will feature issues-based questions to match visitors to the presidential candidate who best fits their political values. Screens outside the booths display live, on-site poll results, highlighting issues that are most important to visitors.

• Election Lounge: As the 2012 election heats up the NCC will present its own campaign headquarters on the Grand Hall Overlook. Here you can watch presidential campaign ads, cast a vote in a gumball poll, track primary results, create campaign buttons and more.

• Constitution Day and Liberty Medal 2012: The 225th anniversary closes out with a bang in September, when the center welcomes audiences nationwide to participate in programs and star-studded events during the weeklong Constitution Day celebration and the 2012 Liberty Medal ceremony. This special event always draws distinguished guests. Perhaps you’ll be one of them.

Drawn from the expansive comics collection of William F. Wu, Marvels & Monsters examines stereotypes of Asian identity formed over half a century ago that continue to shape the perceptions of Asian Americans today. (Images courtesy Asian Arts Initiative)

Drawing from the expansive collection of science fiction author and cultural studies scholar William F. Wu, the Asian Arts Initiative’s latest exhibition, Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1986, opens this Friday, February 3, with a free and open-to-the-public reception from 6-8 p.m.

Covering more than four decades of imagery, Marvels & Monsters offers a captivating look at America’s evolving racial and cultural sensibility as it is perceived in comic books, highlighting how images of Asian-Americans have influenced contemporary culture.

In addition to the images from Wu’s collection, the exhibit will also showcase a series of present-day graphic novels by Asian-Americans, including Ken Chen, Naomi Hirahara and Genny Lim.

And be sure to mark your calendars for Thursday, March 1 at 6 p.m. when AAI hosts an exhibition-related film screening and panel discussion. For more info about the exhibit and related programming, click here.

Marvels & Monsters: Unmasking Asian Images in U.S. Comics, 1942-1986
When: On view February 3-March 23; Opening Reception, Friday, February 3, 6-8 p.m.
Where: Asian Arts Initiative, 1219 Vine Street
Cost: Free
More info: www.asianartsinitiative.org

Paul Evans (1931-1987) , Sculpted Steel Wall Collage, 1970. (Image courtesy Michener Museum)

The creative energy, broad technical repertoire and innovative designs of studio craft artists of the Delaware Valley are subjects of the Michener Art Museum’s new installation entitled Intelligent Design, opening February 3.

Whether a mosaic tile, an abstract form in wood, a wall sculpture, or a ceramic vessel, as nonverbal forms of human expression these works not only reflect cultural values but can function to transform the particulars of our everyday lives.

Says Curator of Collections Constance Kimmerle, “The strong studio craft tradition of southeastern Pennsylvania represents a significant collecting opportunity for the Michener Art Museum, and it’s exciting to be doing this in the area in which the museum is actively building its permanent collection.” Cheers to that.

Intelligent Design at the Michener Art Museum
When: Permanent exhibition opening February 3
Where: 138 S. Pine Street, Doylestown
Cost: Children under 6 free, Adults $12.50, Seniors $11.50, College students $9.50, Ages 6-18 $6
More info: www.michenermuseum.org

Acclaimed photographer Tal Shochat's work will be on display courtesy of the Andrea Meislin Gallery in New York. (Photo courtesy Andrea Meislin Gallery)

The National Museum of American Jewish History invites you to help celebrate Tu B’Shevat, the Festival of the Trees, as it opens its new exhibit “In Praise of a Dream,” a special photo collection by acclaimed Israeli artist Tal Shochat.

Shochat’s work will keep with this theme as she highlights only the most beautiful fruit trees that she has found in her travels throughout Israel.

Shochat’s distinctive photographs produce an ethereal, dream-like feel, as each tree is impeccably pruned and photographed against a black background. The result is a symbol of strength in an otherwise unnatural environment, and a hand-picked reminder of the beauty in nature that surrounds us daily.

“In Praise of a Dream” will be the inaugural exhibit on the Museum’s concourse level, opening up an exciting new chapter for the Museum.

In case you haven’t had a chance to make it over to this phenomenally-designed building, “In Praise of a Dream” will be running, very appropriately, through Earth Day, April 22.

Advance ticket purchase is required for Saturday visits, and is available online.

“In Praise of a Dream”
When: Wednesday, February 1-April 22
Where: National Museum of American Jewish History, 101 S. Independence Mall East
Cost: $11-$12, Free for members, active military and children under the age of 12
More info: www.nmajh.org

It’s opening day for Van Gogh Up Close, the latest headlining exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The exhibit, featuring more than 40 of the close-up works the masterful artist crafted in his later years, has already received praise from The Wall Street Journal and is sure to garner more in the coming weeks.

Ppurchase your timed tickets in advance to guarantee your chance to see these works of art.

Van Gogh Up Close at The Philadelphia Museum Of Art
When: February 1-May 6
Where: 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Tickets are $25 for adults, $23 for seniors, ages 13-18 $20, 5-12 $12, kids under 4 Free
More info: www.philamuseum.org