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Writer's pictureLASM

LASM Incrementally Reopens to the Public, Continues to Present Virtual Art and Science Programming

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Frances Lee, Director of Communications, 225-344-5272 x 112, flee@lasm.org

Image: Visitors enjoy LASM’s Pilot Reopening Program in the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium on May 30.


“It is important to serve our community both in-person and digitally during this time,” states Serena Pandos, LASM President & Executive Director. “As Louisiana enters Phase 2 of COVID-19 reopening, and following our extremely successful, sold-out Pilot Reopening Program on May 30, we are excited to present more in-person programs as we are able. We are adhering to science-based safety protocols, including requiring visitors and staff to wear masks, seating groups six-feet apart in the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, and following Louisiana’s 50% capacity guidelines.”

In-person LASM programming now includes Friday evening “Music Festival” events from 6 PM to 8 PM and Saturday morning “Starry, Starry Saturday” events from 10 AM to noon, both in the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium. Shopping in the Museum Store is available before and after events. “Music Festival” evenings will feature a rotating line-up of music shows, including the brand-new Laser Queen and the popular Laser Beatles, The Pink Floyd eXperience, America’s Musical Journey, and other giant screen movies on the dome; tickets are $20 for non-members, $10 for members. “Starry, Starry Saturday” mornings will begin with an interactive, presenter-led Family Hour Stargazing, which includes an exploration of the local nighttime sky for that evening followed by two shows appropriate for all ages; tickets are $15 for non-members, free for members.


Event tickets, which directly support LASM’s operations, must be purchased ahead of time at lasm.org. Plans are also underway for in-person workshops, guided exhibition tours, new Irene W. Pennington Planetarium shows, and more; visit lasm.org and check LASM’s social media for further plans. Programming is subject to change. Though LASM is currently open in-person for these regularly-scheduled events only, the Museum is open online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at virtual-lasm.org.

“Though we are now able to incrementally reopen to the public, we have not slowed down our production of virtual content,” continued Ms. Pandos. “In fact, we are now presenting a Virtual STEAM Camp, which focuses on a different topic each session, including Egypt & Forensic Science, Astronomy, Art & Engineering, and Dinosaurs & Geology. These interactive camps are designed to inspire creativity, develop critical thinking skills, and foster meaningful social connections in young artists and scientists ages 6-12.”

Learn more about and buy tickets for LASM’s Virtual STEAM Camp at virtual-lasm.org/camp. The deadline to sign up for the first session (Egypt & Forensic Science) is June 9; tickets are still available for all other sessions. The cost of the camp includes a camp supply kit, which is available for curbside pick-up or delivery. Delivery, which requires an additional postage fee, is available when registration is completed one week in advance of the session.

Other at-home art and science virtual programming includes the return of We Need Our Space: LIVE, hosted by the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium by way of Facebook Live, YouTube Live, and Twitch, on Thursdays at noon and 7 PM; art and science videos uploaded weekly to virtual-lasm.org and social media; and hands-on activities. The Museum is also now presenting virtual birthday parties. Contact birthdays@lasm.org to customize a virtual celebration incorporating the fun themes Art Box Artist Studio, Dinosaurs! Dinosaurs!, Mad Scientist Lab, and Space Odyssey.

To learn more about in-person events, visit lasm.org; to learn more about virtual events, visit virtual-lasm.org. Donate online to LASM’s COVID-19 Relief Fund at lasm.org. Donations of $25 or more will receive a free LASM ampersand mask shipped for free to the address they provide. Since the LASM is a 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization, all gifts are tax-deductible.

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About the Louisiana Art & Science Museum

Housed on the banks of the Mississippi River in a historic railway station on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Baton Rouge at 100 South River Road, the Louisiana Art & Science Museum believes that art and science shape each other, our lives, and the world. The Museum is currently engaging in a phased reopening program; access to the Museum’s online portal for at home art and science experiences is available at virtual-lasm.org.


The Museum, founded in 1962 and accredited by the American of Museums since 1972, is home to the Irene W. Pennington Planetarium, the largest and most advanced planetarium in Louisiana and one of the largest in the southeastern United States; a permanent collection including over 4,000 objects; one of the only permanent ancient Egypt galleries in the southeastern United States; and displays changing art exhibitions of local and international acclaim.


A 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the Museum relies on the support of donations to operate; support the Museum at lasm.org. Stay in touch at lasm.org and on social media, where further reopening plans will be shared.

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