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Bio Buzz Episode 01- You can’t judge a bird by it’s cover

by Elaisha Stokes, Schad Gallery of Biodiversity on September 1, 2010

Bio Buzz is a weekly podcast on biodiversity news, brought to you by the Royal Ontario Museum. This week’s addition looks at why a Cardinal’s feathers can be deceiving.

Listen to Bio Buzz Episode 01 – You can’t judge a bird by it’s cover

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Notes from Camp: Showing off at Summer Club!

by Royal Ontario Museum on August 27, 2010

Submitted by guest writer Erin Hauser, Studio Program Coordinator for Summer Club.

Summer Club kids practice their battle lines at this sessions Ancient Armies camp.

Summer Club kids practice their battle lines at this session's Ancient Armies camp.

This session, Summer Club campers got to show off their most creative talents. Museum Makers designed their very own ROM inspired exhibition; All the ROM’s a Stage wrote and performed a play; Dino Detailers showcased model dinosaurs; and Lights, Camera, Action produced award-worthy short films and music videos.

Gareth, a Lights, Camera, Action camper, loved learning about “film production, commercials, short films, animation and sound effects.” His group created a commercial for a very interesting service…for only $20 a minute, you could hire Gareth to annoy your sibling! Very seriously, Gareth adds, “Have no fear, Gareth is here!” Saskia, another camper, created a music video with her team. A parody of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the video features the ROMbies (similar to zombies) who infect people with love for Summer Club. All the films were a huge success.

The battle cry of an Ancient Armies camper.

The battle cry of an Ancient Armies camper.

Battle cries were also heard this week! Ancient Armies campers learned about battle strategies from the past and created magnificent decorated shields. The group was quite intimidating with their “armour” and strategic battle lines. William enjoyed learning about battles such as the Battle of Hastings and the Battle of Marathon. Lauren liked “designing and painting the shields, then learning the routines.” Her design was inspired by the shield of Shaka Zulu, an African leader of the Zulu Kingdom in the early 19th century. Ancient Armies is also offered this fall during Saturday Morning Club. We’re looking forward to the fun continuing!

Next week is the final session of Summer Club 2010. We’re all very sad to see the summer come to an end. Nonetheless, we’re already gearing up and excited for new ROMkids programs this fall!

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On the Mend: Tear Repairs

August 25, 2010

The major part of the treatment was no doubt, about to begin. Even though the painting was clouded with dirt and a discoloured surface coating, the presence of the tears was structurally and aesthetically our top priority.
With the back of the painting now exposed, we were able to assess the “health” of the tears. While [...]

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Discovering Suriname’s Bat Diversity

August 19, 2010

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Burton Lim, Assistant Curator of Mammalogy and Dr. Mark Engstrom, Deputy Director of Collections and Research, are continuing their study in Suriname to survey bat diversity and compare the species composition between habitats. Located on the northern coast of South America, Suriname consists of three main geographical regions: lowland rainforest along the northern coast, [...]

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On the Mend: Conservation of “Portrait of a Chinese Official” Begins

August 16, 2010

Over the past several months, the Paintings lab has been examining the painting in anticipation of the major conservation project “Portrait of a Chinese Official”.  In addition to visual examination with different illumination sources (such as natural, transmitted and ultraviolet), paint samples were analyzed to identify binding media and paint strata.  While the painting looks [...]

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Notes from Camp: The Fun Continues

August 13, 2010

 It’s crazy that six weeks of Summer Club have already passed – with all the fun and excitement, time is definitely flying by! Session 3 included a number of fabulous courses offered for the first time this summer, which kept campers and staff as busy as ever.
Complementing the Warrior Emperor exhibition, Terracotta Time was extremely [...]

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Walls and Barriers

August 12, 2010

 
This fall, the Institute for Contemporary Culture presents Walls and Barriers, a collaborative installation created by more than 500 young artists in response to the work of African artist, El Anatsui.
Conceived, developed and implemented by Elena Soní (a member of the ICC’s Board of Directors), and Vanessa Barnett (a Phd Candidate at York University), the [...]

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Dan Perjovschi: Late News closes August 15

August 11, 2010

If you haven’t had a chance to see this witty and entertaining exhibition, don’t wait any longer. Dan Perjovschi: Late News will be on view until Sunday, August 15 only.
One of the many things that make this exhibition unique is that visitors are invited to take photos of the art work! Bring your cameras to [...]

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On the Mend: Condition of “Portrait of a Chinese Official”

August 3, 2010

This summer, the Paintings Conservation Lab at the ROM is hosting two distinguished guests. Joining us for a 12-week internship is Nicoletta Tomassi, a paintings conservator from Rome, Italy. Our second visitor from abroad is a very mysterious one: an unknown Chinese official, immortalized by the artist Anton Legasov in 1839. His three-quarter image, executed [...]

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Notes from Camp: A Perfect Mix of Culture and Science

July 30, 2010

Submitted by guest writer Erin Kearn, Studio Program Coordinator for Summer Club.
Unlike most staff at Summer Club 2010, this is my first experience working at the Royal Ontario Museum. Many of this summer’s staff have been involved with the ROM for several years – some even started as campers themselves! As a newcomer, I am [...]

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