Boston Flora

Tag: PEM

  • Friday, February 6, 7:45 pm – 9:00 pm – How Birds Created the World

    Bestselling author Randi Minetor presents a lively virtual program based on her recent book The Complete Language of Birds. Discover some of the myriad ways that birds have influenced the culture and stories of people around the world, ranging from the Ancient Egyptians who believed that the Earth began as an egg laid by a giant goose, to the Ojibwa people, who mark a time when a bird braved the deep waters of a Great Flood to bring a bit of soil up from the bottom to restart the continent. Minetor will also share instances in which birds have served as enduring symbols, as well as agents of various superstitions over the ages.

    Randi Minetor writes books for the Birdfinding and Best Easy Bird Guides series for Falcon Guides/Globe Pequot Press, and is the author of Backyard Birding and Butterfly Gardening. Her most recent book, The Complete Language of Birds: A Definitive and Illustrated History (2024), is an encyclopedia that unites classic illustrations, science, folklore and legends about more than 400 bird species around the world. She writes for Birding Magazine, is a regional report editor for North American Birds and served for three years as president of the Rochester Birding Association in New York State. She and her photographer husband Nic have visited 364 (out of 429) National Parks, to date, which has served as inspiration for many of her books.

    This free event is co-hosted by the Peabody Essex Museum and 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! To register, visit www.pem.org

  • 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.

  • Thursday, September 19, 10:00 am – 11:00 am – Trails and Sails: PEM Gardens Tour (Rain Date September 20)

    Did you know that the Peabody Essex Museum was recently certified as an arboretum? The museum campus stretches across downtown Salem, with rare 100-year-old plantings tucked away behind its historic houses. This tour offers a rare opportunity to explore three of the museum’s urban gardens with Peabody Essex Museum Head Gardener Robin Pydynkowski and Horticulturist Katelyn Sponholtz.

    On this walking tour, participants will start by exploring a contemporary garden of perennials and annuals behind the Cotting–Smith Assembly House. Then, visit an 18th-century captain’s garden behind the Pierce–Nichols House, and end at the Colonial Revival garden at Ropes Mansion on Essex Street. This tour is outdoors and includes roughly 0.5 miles of walking. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress for the weather. Public parking is not available near the Cotting–Smith Assembly House. Please plan accordingly.

    In the event of inclement weather, this event will take place on Friday, September 20, 2024 from 10–11 am. Registrants will receive an email if the event needs to be rescheduled.

    The program is part of the Trails and Sails event series hosted across the Essex National Heritage Area. Meet at the Cotting–Smith Assembly House, 138 Federal Street, Salem Reserve tickets at https://www.pem.org/events/trails-and-sails-pem-garden-landscapes-tour?date=09-19-2024

  • 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

  • Saturday & Sunday, November 19 & 20, 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Recycled Container Herb Terrariums

    For this Peabody Essex Museum project we will create our own five layer terrarium using recycled clear containers, fresh mint and more. When a terrarium is closed, it creates a greenhouse effect, keeping plants warm and hydrated. Create your own self-replenishing herb garden and save yourself a trip to the grocery store! Free with admission.

    Drop-in Art Making is held in-person every weekend in our Create Space studios. All activities are created and led by PEM’s education team and are suitable for all ages. For more information visit https://www.pem.org/whats-on/events/2022-11-16/7

  • Friday, January 27, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Japanese New Year at PEM

    This is The Japan Year for The Garden Club of the Back Bay.  The Peabody Essex Museum will host a Japanese New Year event on Friday, January 27 from 6 – 9, including hands-on art activities for kids of all ages.  Supper by the bite.  Special performances and interactive storytelling will be part of the celebration.  To learn more, call 978-542-1539, or email elisabeth_buell@pem.org.