TORONTO, April 11, 2016–This spring, the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is Toronto’s essential destination for fascinating exhibitions, programs, and events. Highlights include Tattoos: Ritual. Identity. Obsession. Art, and CHIHULY, opening on June 25, 2016. Featured events include the launch of the 9^th season of the ROM’s Friday Night Live (FNL) program presented by Ford of Canada, ROM Daytime events with lectures on Mexican culture, Judaism, and more. Visitors to the ROM will discover:

Exhibitions:

Tattoos explores the fascinating history and evolution of tattooing and offers insights into ancient practices, histories, meanings and the revival of the global phenomenon of body art. Tattoos is specially priced and on display until September 5, 2016. The exhibition is complemented by the Tattoos Signature Lecture Series, including:

May 10, 2016                 Tunniit: Retracing the Lines of Inuit Tattoos

7:00 pm, $18 ROM Members, $20 General Public

Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B

In this engaging and personal documentary, filmmaker Alethea Arnaquq-Baril examines the lost practice of tattooing amongst Inuit women in Northern Canada. Following the screening, Arnaquq-Baril discusses the challenges faced by these communities as they reconcile ancient and colonial traditions. Ticket includes a post-event reception with one host drink.

May 26, 2016                 Borneo:  Explorations of Nature and Culture

11:00 am, Free with RSVP

Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B

ROM Curator, Chris Darling discusses the exploration of the biological and cultural diversity of Borneo, the world’s third largest island, including reference to historical and modern tattooing traditions. RSVP here to attend.  

CHIHULY, opening on June 25, 2016, presents groundbreaking explorations in colour, light, and form by Dale Chihuly—a pioneer of the studio glass movement and considered to be one of the world’s foremost artists working in glass today.

A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Prints opens on May 7, 2016, and features woodblock prints, samurai armour, screen paintings, lacquerwork, and illustrated books, and explores issues of gender telling a pivotal story of sexuality in Japan’s Edo period (1603-1868). A Third Gender will be on display until November 27, 2016.

Also on display at the ROM are ¡Viva México! Clothing & Culture, closing May 23, 2016, and Point & Punch: Historical Editorial Cartoons of J.W. Bengough (1851-1923) and Sam Hunter (1858-1939), closing on September 18, 2016.

Events:

Friday Night Live (FNL), Presented by Ford of Canada:

Toronto’s favourite party, #FNLROM returns on Friday, April 29, 2016, for nine weeks of food, live music and gallery activations. A specially ticketed event for adults 19+, #FNLROM runs every Friday between April 29, 2016 and June 24, 2016, from 7:00 pm to 11:30 pm. Highlights include the season debut #ROMink event, shining a spotlight on Tattoos, along with Indigenous NOW (June 3, 2016), and the spectacular Colour ROMproud finale, celebrating CHIHULY (June 24, 2016).

Symposiums and Lectures:

April 14, 2016                ROM Daytime: Earth Day: Bird Research and Conservation

11:00 am, Free with RSVP

Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B

Mark Peck, ROM Ornithologist, gives a special talk on bird habitats and populations. Lecture is followed by a reception with coffee, tea and treats.

RSVP is available here.

April 16, 2016                Modern Mexico: Fusions, Fashion and Folk Art

9:30 am - 4:30 pm, $27 ROM Members, $30 General Public

Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B

A full-day dedicated to conversations about Mexico’s rich visual culture. Join speakers Humberto Spindola, James Oles, and Chloë Sayer among others, as they examine the extent of Mexico’s global influence.

April 19, 2016                Annual Allan Baker Memorial Lecture: From Dinos to DNA

7:00 - 9:00 pm, $18 ROM Members, $20 General Public

Signy and Cléophée Eaton Theatre, Level 1B

Birds are the living descendants of dinosaurs. Their DNA, comprised of over one billion DNA letters and thousands of genes, bears traces of their dinosaur ancestry. Join Harvard’s Scott V. Edwards as he explores modern genomics over tens of millions of years. Event includes a post-event reception with one host drink.

May 15, 2016                Judaism: From Ancient Mystery to Modern Monotheism

10:30 am - 3:30 pm, ROM Members, YPC and RPC Members, $72.00, Teachers and Students $72.00, General Public $80.00

ROM Education Classrooms, Level 1

Explore the origins of Monotheistic traditions in this day-long workshop. From Mesopotamia and Egypt to Pompeii, the ROM's galleries and collections will inspire you to delve deeper into the ancient origins of the Jewish tradition. Course includes mature content and is recommended for guests over the age of 18.

ROM Tours:

Daily tours of the ROM are offered to the public between 11:00 am to 3:00 pm (many are free with ROM General Admission). Visitors can join general tours, specific gallery tours or tours of special exhibitions, including Tattoos and CHIHULY. Details are available here.

Visit www.rom.on.ca for event information and to purchase tickets.

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Contact

Wendy Vincent, Bilingual Publicist

wendyv@rom.on.ca

416.586.5547

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Blog: ROMblog

About the ROM

Opened in 1914, the ROM is Canada’s largest museum of natural history and world cultures and has six million objects in its collections and galleries showcasing art, world cultures and natural history. The ROM is the largest field research institution in the country, and a world leader in research areas from biodiversity, palaeontology, and earth sciences to archaeology, ethnology and visual culture - originating new information towards a global understanding of historical and modern change in culture and environment. For tickets, memberships and 24-hour information in English and French, visit www.rom.on.ca or call 416.586.8000.