October 14, 2022


MoAW


presents


Pair of Foo Dogs

China, Ming Dynasty

(1368-1644)

Stone


A generous gift from Heather James Fine Art Gallery, Palm Desert


The concept, which originated and became popular in Chinese Buddhism and features a pair of highly stylized lions —often one male with a ball and one female with a cub —was thought to protect the building from harmful spiritual influences and harmful people that might be a threat. Used in imperial Chinese palaces and tombs, the lions subsequently spread to other parts of Asia including Japan, Korea, Philippines, Tibet, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Cambodia, Laos, and Malaysia. 

Though they are actually lions they are traditionally referred to as Foo Dogs or Fu Dogs. The lions are usually depicted in pairs. 

When used as statuary, the pair would consist of a male leaning his paw upon an embroidered ball (in imperial contexts, representing supremacy over the world) and a female embracing a playful cub (representing nurture).

CURRENT EXHIBTIONS ON DISPLAY

Photo: Dean Keefer

Demetre Chiparus (1886-1947)

Art Deco Era (1910 - mid-1930s)

Civa (Shiva)

Cold-painted, patinated,

enameled bronze and

chryselephantine

1925


ALL UNDER HEAVEN

Earth, Heaven,

and the Afterlife


A Very Special Gift From

Marlene and Bruce Kanter,

Heather James Fine Art

Tim Walsh

Michael H. Healy


Tianxia (天下) or, All Under Heaven, is the ideal of a perfect and harmonious empire in the eyes of the people.


50 original antiquities spanning millennia (3,600 B.C. to 1920s A.D.) of ancient Asian cultures, from mysterious funerary objects and life-size protective temple guardians, to delicate terracotta sculptures created for the tombs of the deceased. A tapestry of silk and gold thread, a rare lacquered cosmetic box, earthen vessels, and bronze statues, these ancient treasures from China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, celebrate everlasting happiness, remembrance, and eternal life.


This grand collection of 50 Asian antiquities is divided into three sections: Earthly possessions, objects used by the living, the temple icons of Buddha and Shiva (Heaven), and funerary goods, objects found in the tombs of the elite (the Afterlife). Representing China, Japan, and Southeast Asia, MoAW premieres these dazzling artifacts for the first time together in one exhibition All Under Heaven: Earth, Heaven, and the Afterlife.

PALEO: The Story of Life

4.6 billion years of fossil history 


Drawn from the world’s foremost fossil collections, the unprecedented treasury of fossil casts known as PALEO: The Story of Life brings together in one exhibition some of the most exciting finds in the history of paleontology from over a century of worldwide excavations, exhibited in geological, chronological order.


From 2.5 billion-year-old single cellular cyanobacteria responsible for the oxygenation of the atmosphere to the first multicellular life of 700 million years ago, PALEO: The Story of Life spans 4.6 billion years in scope. From the Precambrian to the Paleozoic Era, from the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous Periods of the Mesozoic Era to mammals and prehistoric humans of the Cenozoic Era (including the famous Lucy skeleton), this internationally acclaimed, comprehensive collection dramatically illustrates the awesome story of prehistoric life on Earth.


Displaying casts of rare fossils from the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia, this prestigious collection includes skeletons, skulls, claws, and eggs gathered from such revered museums as the Smithsonian Institution, the American Museum of Natural History, The Royal Ontario Museum, the Carnegie Museum, and the National Museums of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Tanzania, as well as many others.

Agnes Pelton - Artist of the Cove


Cathedral City

Historical Society

presents

Then and Now

A 40th-year anniversary exhibition of the history of Cathedral City


A comprehensive photographic and artifact-rich timeline of the history of Cathedral City greets you upon entering the lobby of the Museum of Ancient Wonders. This is an exhibition of recollections of the people and places that created Cathedral City's early history and to celebrate the 40th anniversary of its burgeoning progress, from the past to the present, THEN AND NOW is a loving tribute to the City of Cathedral City.

THE CRAB NEBULA (M1) IN TAURUS.

Photographed with the 26-inch Crossley Reflector at Lick Observatory. Copyright Regents, University of California. Lick Observatory photograph.


STARSCAPE:

A Journey To The

Beginning of Time


This spectacular collection of 33 space photographs combines breathtaking digitalized images from the historic Mariner, Viking, and Voyager probes with stunning photographs from the Apollo lunar missions, the Hubble Space Telescope, and ground-based observatories. Gathered from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh, and the Hansen Planetarium, this awesome display of cosmic spectacles is a journey to the early days of the cosmos. 

photo: Steve Salisbury


LUCY:

(Australopithecus afarensis)

The Story of Human Origins

(Courtesy of the Institute of Human Origins and

the National Museum of Ethiopia,

Addis Ababa)

On view exclusively at the

Museum of Ancient Wonders

JURASSIC WONDERS

11 Lifesize Metal Dinosaurs

Public Art Display

created by

Ricardo Breceda


MoAW presents JURASSIC WONDERS, a public art installation in collaboration with Cathedral City displaying 11 lifesize Dinosaurs created by renowned artist Ricardo Breceda. Divided into 4 stunning dioramas on the corner of Buddy Rogers Drive and East Palm Canyon Drive across the street from City Hall until December 31, 2022.

TUTANKHAMUN

"Wonderful Things"

Treasures From The Pharaoh's Tomb


2022 marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon. To share in the commemoration, MoAW's "Wonderful Things" exhibition is on a nationwide tour. Click on the link below to see the installation on the banks of the Sacramento River at Turtle Bay Exploration Park in Redding CA. 

MoAW's King Tut Exhibit on display in Redding, CA to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its discovery by Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon (Nov. 4, 1922)

FREE WEEKEND ADMISSION TO ALL 

COACHELLA VALLEY RESIDENTS


Museum of Ancient Wonders Offers Free Admission on Saturdays and Sundays

to All Residents in Association with Nine Coachella Valley Municipalities

 

Beginning September 3, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturdays and from 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sundays, local families are invited to visit MoAW at no charge. This generous offer will end on December 31, 2022.

 

Free admission will require all attending residents to produce identification that lists a local address, signing of the registry, and fill out a brief survey identifying at least one object in the museum’s collection that inspired them to want to learn more about the subject.


For further information visit: www.MoAW.org or call (442) 268-5004.

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NBC Palm Springs Jurassic Wonders Public Art Interview with Sandie Newton and MoAW's Executive Director and Chief Curator, Alberto Acosta

Become A Member of MoAW


The newest perk of membership: Free admission to more than 1,200 museums nationwide through the North American Reciprocal Museum Program (NARM) Plus, discounts at their museum shops and restaurants (if given to their members). Local museums include the Palm Springs Art Museum and Cabot's Pueblo Museum, several museums in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, throughout California, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia, including Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. This is available to all members at the Donor Level ($125.00) or higher. Members who qualify will be receiving new membership cards with the NARM logo to be used at participating museums.


Current members who would like to upgrade their membership to take advantage of this new benefit please give us a call, (442) 268-5004.


Click below for more information and to join.


THANK YOU

NARM Association Info


MoAW's mission is to educate a diverse audience about the history of ancient civilizations and prehistoric life using fossils and artifacts from a variety of cultures and time periods; to enhance universal curriculum development for local and surrounding school districts, colleges, and universities, establishing museum diversity for the Coachella Valley.


Hours of Operation:

Monday - Saturday

10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Sunday 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.



The last admission is taken one hour before closing.


Admission:

$15.00 Adults

$12.00 Students, Seniors, & Military

$ 3.00 Discount available for Coachella Valley Residents

$10.00 Group Rate for 10 or more individuals.


A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, MoAW is a member of the North American Reciprocal Museum (NARM) Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and the California Association of Museums. Contributions are tax-deductible and gratefully accepted.


MoAW IS SPONSORED WITH FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS

BY THE FOLLOWING:

Alberto Acosta, Executive Director & Chief Curator

Joseph McCabe, Director of Development


Art Laboe Foundation, Inc.

Harold & Arlene Schnitzer CARE Foundation

Cathedral City Historical Society

Council Member Raymond Gregory,

Cathedral City

City of Rancho Mirage

Members and Patrons


THANK YOU