Boston Flora

Tag: Peabody Essex Museum

  • Saturday, November 8, 6:00 pm – 12:00 midnight – PEM Gala 2025

    The gala dinner and after-party play a vital role in sustaining PEM’s vision: to serve as an engaging and welcoming gathering place where individuals feel inspired to learn and connect through experiences of wonder, joy and contemplation.

    This year’s gala on November 8 is themed around our upcoming exhibition Andrew Gn: Fashioning the World— a dazzling retrospective of fashion, art and design. Experience the museum after dark as we dine, dance and explore the threads that connect us across cultures and the globe. The evening will feature fashion-forward immersive entertainment, a specially designed menu by chef Lydia Shire, a spirited paddle raise and auction and a glittering after-party.

    We are delighted to announce Susan and Appy Chandler as our 2025 PEM Gala honorees. Individually and together, Susan and Appy have made invaluable contributions to PEM over many years. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to them and invite you to join us in celebrating them on November 8. For more information please email lauren_fairweather@pem.org

    Buy tickets at https://www.pem.org/events/pem-gala-2025?date=2025-11-08&time=09:00. Unable to attend? You can still make a contribution and be listed as a supporter of the PEM Gala.

  • Saturday, July 5, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Lichen Moss-Scapes

    Lichens and mosses are an important part of forest ecosystems and create beautiful patterns that have inspired artists. They also play a key role in soil formation, paving the way for new plant growth. Delve into forest habitats as you create lichen and moss paintings on canvas. This Drop-In Art Activity will take place at the Peabody Essex Museum in Create Space 2 on Saturday, July 5 from 1 – 3 and is free with admission. For more information visit www.pem.org

  • Saturday, February 15, 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Lunar New Year Festival: Year of the Snake

    Come welcome the Year of the Snake at the Peabody Essex Museum on February 15 with a vibrant festival heralding new beginnings and the coming of spring! Enjoy a scavenger hunt, art making and guided tours of Yin Yu Tang.

    Lunar New Year is celebrated in many Asian countries, including China, Vietnam, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia. While some traditions are shared across countries, others are unique to one region, community or national cultural identity. Our programming this year focuses on Chinese cultural traditions.

    Drop-In Art Making: Decorating Red Envelopes
    1–4 pm
    East India Marine Hall
    Decorate your own red envelope, a symbol of luck and prosperity in Chinese culture. Suitable for all ages.


    Dragon Quest
    1–5 pm | Ground Level, Level 2 and Level 3
    Explore all three levels of the museum on the hunt for dragons and snakes! Claim your prize in the Garden Atrium. Suitable for all ages.


    Outdoor Dance Performance | Gund Kwok: Asian Women’s Lion and Dragon Dance Troupe
    1:15–1:45 pm
    Essex Street in front of the museum’s Main Entrance

    Experience the energy and grace of Gund Kwok, the first all-Asian women’s Lion and Dragon Dance troupe in the U.S. Stick around after the performance for a chance to interact with the performers and meet their dragons up close!

    In the event of rain or inclement weather, the dragons will greet visitors inside the Main Atrium and roam throughout the museum instead.


    Self-Guided Tours | Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese Home
    1:15–4:15 pm; Every 30 minutes
    Reservations required. Limited same-day tickets available at the Information desk beginning at 1 pm.
    Yin Yu Tang — translated as “Hall of Plentiful Shelter” — was home to the Huang family for nearly two hundred years. For over 20 years, Yin Yu Tang has been a gateway into understanding the art and culture of generations of families living and working in rural Southeastern China.

    Yin Yu Tang is currently undergoing work to preserve its roof tiles and masonry walls. During your visit, scaffolding may be present and work may be actively underway. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

    For complete information visit https://www.pem.org/events/lunar-new-year-festival-year-of-the-snake

  • Now through June 15, 2025 – Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend

    Often called the unicorns of the sea, narwhals have fascinated people across cultures for centuries. These highly recognizable creatures spend their lives in the Arctic waters of Canada, Greenland, Norway and Russia. Dive deeper into the world of these unique ocean dwellers and learn about their changing arctic ecosystem through firsthand accounts of scientists and Inuit community members. Hear soundscapes of the Arctic and narwhal vocalizations and touch an 8-foot-long cast of a real narwhal tusk. This family-friendly exhibition in The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center is part of Peabody Essex Museum’s Climate + Environment Initiative.

    Narwhal: Revealing an Arctic Legend is organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service in collaboration with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. This exhibition at PEM is made possible by Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation. We thank Jennifer and Andrew Borggaard, James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Chip and Susan Robie, and Timothy T. Hilton as supporters of the Exhibition Innovation Fund. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum and the support and guidance of the Art & Nature Center Visiting Committee.

    For more information visit https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/narwhal-revealing-an-arctic-legend

  • Friday, September 6, 7:45 pm – 9:00 pm – Ornitherapy and the Power of Birdwatching for Wellness

    On September 6 at 7:45 pm in the Morse Auditorium of the Peabody Essex Museum, join Holly Merker, professional birding guide, mindful nature teacher, author and cancer survivor, to delve into the realm of birding as self care. Research shows that connecting with birds and nature has the potential to reduce stress, depression and anxiety, and can even strengthen cardiovascular health and the immune system. Observing wild birds offers the perfect gateway into deeper experiences with nature. Through observation, we can not only learn about birds, but also gain insight into our own lives while exploring our connection to the world around us. This fosters environmental stewardship and bolsters conservation.

    Within the program, we’ll delve into our connections to wild birds, learn how to maximize the wellness benefits of birding and uncover the latest research surrounding the impact of birds on human health and why we need birds for overall well-being. This event is co-hosted by the Essex County Ornithological Club. A brief meeting of the club will be held from 7:30–7:45 pm. All are welcome to attend!

    A book signing for Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul will follow the program. Holly Merker is a nature-based wellness specialist, professional birding guide, author and lecturer for people of all ages. Combining backgrounds in art therapy, nature and forest therapy, wellness counseling and bird identification, she is a global advocate for the practice of mindful birding. She has co-authored two books that guide readers through optimizing the wellness benefits birds provide us, including the award-winning Ornitherapy: For Your Mind, Body, and Soul (Crossley Books, 2021), and The Power of Birdwatching (Die Kraft Der Vogel Beobachtung, Freya verlag, 2023, available in Europe). Merker is also co-host and co-producer of the Mindful Birding podcast and is the founder of the Mindful Birding Network. In 2022, Merker received the American Birding Association’s Conservation and Education Award. In her free time, she spends every possible moment practicing “ornitherapy” herself.

    The event is free. Register in advance at https://www.pem.org/events/ornitherapy-and-the-power-of-birdwatching-for-wellness?date=09-06-2024

  • Wednesday, September 18, 8:15 am – 5:00 pm – Preservation in a Changing Climate Conference

    Join The Peabody Essex Museum for the fourth annual Preservation in a Changing Climate conference, hosted by Salem Preservation Partners. This day of thought-provoking talks aims to advance mitigation and adaptation strategies that address impacts of climate change on historic buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods.

    Join us for case studies, conversations and panel presentations, beginning with a keynote from Massachusetts State Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer and closing with remarks by National Park Service Superintendent Jennifer Hardin at the National Park Service Armory Visitor Center. Conference sessions will take place at PEM. Closing reception and remarks will take place at the National Park Service Armory Visitor Center across the street from PEM.

    Registration is $50 per person. Registration includes all conference events, optional historic house tours on September 17, light refreshments and a boxed lunch. All lunches include water, chips and a choice of Spinach Cranberry Salad (vegan, with cheese on the side), Falafel Wrap (vegan) or Harvest Chicken Salad Wrap.

    All museum galleries will be closed for the duration of the conference. Registration includes all conference events, optional historic house tours on September 17, light refreshments and a boxed lunch. All lunches include water, chips and a choice of Spinach Cranberry Salad (vegan, with cheese on the side), Falafel Wrap (vegan) or Harvest Chicken Salad Wrap.

    All museum galleries will be closed for the duration of the conference. Specific details and ticket purchasing may be found at www.pem.org. Questions? Contact lela_clawson-miller@pem.org

  • Saturday, February 17 – Sunday, June 9 – Our Time on Earth

    We belong to a magnificent planet, Earth. Humans are just one species among millions, coexisting in an expansive living network. Immerse yourself in installations envisioned by artists, designers, scientists, technologists and changemakers from across 12 countries. Their cross-cultural and interdisciplinary collaborations open portals to a shared future, in which planet and people flourish together.

    Part of Peabody Essex Museum’s Climate + Environment Initiative, this traveling exhibition from the Barbican Centre in London celebrates the power of global creativity to transform the conversation around the climate emergency. The structures and design featured in the exhibition are sourced from biodegradable, sustainable materials to minimize carbon footprint. We invite you to imagine our ideal future world. What will it look like? How will we use the precious time we have here? Technology has brought us closer to nature than we have ever been before, and Indigenous insight continues to reconnect us to our roots. What will it take to live together in harmony?

    Walk up to a table set for dinner, but imagine the guests include a fox and a wasp. Plunge into a virtual ocean with magnified plankton, and peer through the layers of a tree to experience the microscopic foundations of life. The exhibit will be on view from February 17 – June 9.

    Our Time on Earth is produced and curated by the Barbican with guest curators Franklin Till and co-produced by Musée de la civilisation, Québec City, Canada. This exhibition is made possible by Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation. We thank James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Chip and Susan Robie, and Timothy T. Hilton as supporters of the Exhibition Innovation Fund. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum.

    Share your impressions, snapshots and tales with us on social media using #OurTimeOnEarth For more information visit https://www.pem.org/exhibitions/our-time-on-earth

  • Friday, February 9, 7:45 pm Eastern – Watching a Penguin Revolution, Online

    As climate change has taken effect in Antarctica, scientists have been able to watch two species of penguins — Gentoos and Adelies — respond in real time. Senior Science Editor at The Cornell Lab of Ornithology Hugh Powell has traveled to Antarctica on three expeditions and followed scientists as they observed the changes to some of the largest and smallest Adelie Penguin colonies in the world. In this virtual lecture, Powell will explore what Antarctic penguins can tell us about human response to climate change and share the splendor of Antarctica and its birds through stunning images by nature photographer Chris Linder.

    This event is co-hosted by the Essex County Ornithological Club and the Peabody Essex Museum. A brief meeting of the club will be held from 7:30-7:45 pm. All are welcome to attend!

    This program is supported by the Lowell Institute. Hugh Powell is the editor of Cornell Lab’s “All About Birds” website and species guide, and writes and edits for the member magazine Living Bird. He holds an M.S. from the University of Montana and a Graduate Certificate in Science Writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. As a grad student, Powell spent three summers in the Idaho wilderness climbing dead trees to understand what black-backed woodpeckers eat. He studied ornithology in college and graduate school, where he became fascinated by the value of telling stories about science to people who weren’t academics. After a stint as an editor at an ornithological journal, he enrolled in a science writing program that specializes in teaching journalism to scientists. Since then, science writing has taken Powell to Antarctica, South America, Africa, Iceland and elsewhere. He still finds satisfaction in providing someone with information that sparks their own curiosity and sense of adventure.

    The Lowell Institute

  • Now through July 28 – Bats! at the Peabody Essex Museum

    Meet bats — live and up close — in this multisensory Peabody Essex Museum exhibition exploring the wondrous world of bats and our connections with them. The only mammals that can truly fly, these animals have developed a host of superpowers that have benefited both humans and habitats around the world. Yet bats remain shrouded in mystery.

    Often misunderstood creatures, bats have long been associated with the underworld, magic and superstition. They have also come to symbolize good and evil. Highly beneficial to their ecosystems, bats are often regarded as indicator species that help gauge the health of the environment and reveal the effects of climate change and other human-caused threats.

    Meet a small colony of live Egyptian fruit bats on view in The Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center through the run of the exhibition. Accompanied by PEM collection objects, contemporary artworks, pop culture items and interactive zones, visitors will learn about the unique biology of bats and more deeply understand the vital role they play in our lives, ecologically, culturally and as inspiration for technological advances.

    Bats! features works by the following living artists. Resa Blatman, Michael Brolly, Nick Demakes, Juan Nicolás Elizalde, Steve Hollinger, Michael LaFosse and Richard L. Alexander, Tony Rubino, David Yann Robert, Rebecca Saylor Sack, Lino Tagliapietra and Jeffrey Veregge.

    This exhibition, on view through July 28, is organized by and produced by ExplorationWorks! and Build 4 Impact Inc. All rights reserved. The installation at PEM includes additional artworks, objects, interactives, and text developed by the museum and is made possible by the Dorothy Brown Bequest for Art and Nature and the Albert M. Creighton Jr. Fund for Art and Nature. Additional support was provided by Susan and Appy Chandler and the Creighton Narada Foundation. We thank the generosity of Carolyn and Peter S. Lynch and The Lynch Foundation, and James B. and Mary Lou Hawkes, Chip and Susan Robie and Timothy T. Hilton as supporters of the Exhibition Innovation Fund. We also recognize the generosity of the East India Marine Associates of the Peabody Essex Museum and the support and guidance of the Art & Nature Center Visiting Committee.

    Follow along on social media using #BatsatPEM

  • Tuesday, September 12, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm – Preservation in a Changing Climate: Salem

    Mark your calendar for the third annual Preservation in a Changing Climate Conference, hosted by Salem Preservation Partners. This day of thought-provoking talks aims to raise awareness of mitigation and adaptation strategies to address the impacts of climate change on historic buildings, landscapes and neighborhoods. Presenters include Barbara Warren of Salem Sound Coastwatch, Joann Vieira of the Trustees of Reservations, Michael Blier of Landworks Studio, Thomas Starr of Northeastern University, Neal Duffy, Director of the Sustainability and Resilience Department for the City of Salem, Frank Lowenstein, Senior Director of Climate Culture Boston for Rare, Kate Loosian, Senior Director of Planning and Design at Harvard Business School, Kara Babcock of Union Studio Architecture and Community Design, Susan Baker, Collections Manager for House of the Seven Gables, Sarah Korjeff of the Cape Cod Commission in Barnstable County, Mary Bergman, Executive Director of the Nantucket Preservation Trust, and Melissa Hoffer, Massachusetts’ first-ever climate chief.

    Join us for panel presentations and informational sessions at PEM and a closing reception with National Park Superintendent Jennifer Hardin and Massachusetts State Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer at the National Park Service Salem Armory Visitor Center. A box lunch is included with your ticket. For complete lineup of presenters, and to register, visit https://www.pem.org/events/preservation-in-a-changing-climate-salem-2023