Shorts

“Women of Flowers: Victorian Women Botanical Illustrators” will be on exhibit, at Longwood Gardens from Saturday, Janu­ary 23 [1999], to Tuesday, February 23 [1999]. This spe­cial exhibit showcases works by artists fea­tured in garden writer Jack Kramer’s book of the same title. For more information, write: Longwood Gardens, P.O. Box 501, Kennett Square, PA 19348-0501; telephone (610) 338-1000; or visit the Longwood Gardens website. Admission.

Artist Fred Bees has created many paintings of well known historic buildings and structures throughout the Lehigh Val­ley, and the Moravian Historical Society will present a selection of his works at its Whitefield House Museum from Sunday, January 31 [1999], through Sunday, April 4 [1999]. To obtain additional details, write: Moravian Historical Society, 214 East Center St., Nazareth, PA 18064; or telephone (610) 759-5070. Admission.

A retrospective of the work of Chester County artist Barclay Rubincam (1920- 1975), currently on view at the Chester County Historical Society, features more than sixty paintings by the artist, including still lifes, history paintings, and portraits. Rubincam combines his sensitive observa­tions of nature with a deep respect for the country’s history. His work captures the light and season as he painted views and landmarks of the region. Many of his pieces re-create scenes from the past, drawing on research and imagination to portray Revolutionary War soldiers who left their imprint on the county’s history. The exhibit continues through Sunday, April 4 [1999]. Additional information is avail­able by writing: Chester County Historical Society, 225 North High St., West Chester, PA 19380-2691; or telephone (610) 692-4800. Admission.

The eighteenth annual Canal History and Technology Symposium will be hosted by the National Canal Museum at Lafayette College, Easton, on Saturday, March 20 [1999]. Topics include a look at the life and work of early canal engineer Isaac Roberdeau, the contributions of Frederick W. Taylor while at the Bethlehem Steel Company, and the history of the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company’s Switch­back Railroad. For registration informa­tion, write: National Canal Museum, Hugh Moore Historical Park and Museums, 30 Centre Sq., Easton, PA 18042-7743; or tele­phone (610) 559-6613. Registration.

Through Wednesday, June 30 [1999], the Valley Forge Historical Society is showing “The American War for Independence: A Global Conflict,” featuring more than one hundred and thirty original objects, artifacts, documents, and letters. Drawn from the Benninghoff Collection of the Ameri­can Revolution, a private collection of more than six thousand period pieces which has been recently given to the his­torical society, the exhibit sheds new light on the global aspects of the Revolutionary War, as well as the role of the Continental Army’s encampment at Valley Forge dur­ing Winter 1777-1778. For more informa­tion, write: Valley Forge Historical Society, P.O. Box 122, Valley Forge, PA 19481; or telephone (610) 917-3651. Admission.

For more than a century, Pitts­burgh’s Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has delighted plant and flower enthusiasts from throughout the world. The thirteen­-room “crystal palace” is one of the largest and finest Victorian era glasshouses in the United States. The botanical gardens feature lush tropical plants, palms, orchids, ferns, bonsai, and desert plants. From Saturday, March 13 [1999], through Sunday, April 11 [1999], the historic conservatory will host its annual Spring Flower Show. For more details, write: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, One Schenley Park, Pittsburgh, PA 15213; or telephone (412) 622-6914. Admission.

To mark the two hundred and fourteenth birthday of naturalist John James Audubon (1785-1851), Mill Grove will sponsor a variety of family events, activities, and exhibits on Saturday, April 24 [1999]. Mill Grove was Audubon’s first home in America (see “John James Audubon, Squire of Mill Grove and Genius of Art and Science” by Stephen May, Sum­mer 1996). For more information, write: Mill Grove, Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary, P.O. Box 7125, Audubon, PA 19407-7125; or telephone (610) 666-5593. Free.

The Carnegie Museum of Art’s Heinz Architectural Center is showing, through Sunday, March 28 [1999], an exhibition devoted to the exuberant, colorful, eclectic style of the 1920s and 1930s that was applied to everything from tea services to skyscrap­ers, from gowns to movie sets, known as Art Deco. “Zigzags and Speed Stripes: The Art Deco Style” examines the move­ment brought widespread recognition at the 1925 International Exposition of Dec­orative Arts and Modern Industries in Paris. Art Deco became enormously pop­ular in the United States, where it was most effectively (and graphically) used in architecture and architectural ornament. “Zigzags and Speed Stripes” showcases newly commissioned photographs of Art Deco buildings in Pittsburgh. More infor­mation may be obtained by writing: Heinz Architectural Center, Carnegie Museum of Art, 4400 Forbes Ave., Pitts­burgh, PA 15213-4080; or by telephoning (412) 622-3316; or by visiting the Carnegie Museum of Art website. Admission.

On Wednesday, April 28 [1999], Gettysburg College and the Pennsylvania Humani­ties Council will sponsor a symposium at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg to explore the work of Samuel Simon Schmucker. Founder of both the college and the seminary, Schmucker is known for his impact on education, religion, and society in Penn­sylvania and beyond. The symposium is part of the Samuel Simon Schmucker Bicentennial Celebration, a series of lec­tures, workshops, and exhibits examining his life and work. For more details, write: Pennsylvania Humanities Council, Con­stitution Place, 325 Chestnut St.-Suite 715, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2607; or tele­phone (215) 925-1005 or toll-free 1-800-462-0442. Registration.

Large-scale paintings by Robert Bis­sell will remain on view at the Erie Art Museum through Saturday, April 17 [1999]. Bis­sell’s monumental paintings feature ani­mals and fqntastical settings, and his work has illustrated a number of chil­dren’s books. To obtain more informa­tion, write: Erie Art Museum, 411 State St., Erie, PA; or telephone (814) 459-5477. Admission.

Dedicated to the advancement of crafts as a major art form, The Society for Contemporary Crafts has opened its winter season with “Stop Asking/We Exist: 25 Contemporary African Ameri­can Crafts Artists.” The exhibit, continu­ing through Saturday, February 13 [1999], show­cases outstanding contemporary art in craft media being produced in the United States by African American artists and surveys the innovative trends and intel­lectual themes being explored today. Sev­enty works are featured in “Stop Asking/We Exist.” For more details, write: The Society for Contemporary Crafts, 2100 Smallman St., Pittsburgh, PA 15222; or telephone (412) 261-7003. Free.

In observance of Women’s History Month, the Museum of Indian Culture will present a multi-media program on Saturdays in March [1999] to explore the world of Native American women. For addi­tional information, write: Museum of Indian Culture, Lenni Lenape Historical Society, 2825 Fish Hatchery Rd., Allen­town, PA 18103; or telephone (610) 797-2121. Admission.

Near1y two hundred artists will exhibit their work during the annual – and immensely popular – Yellow Springs Art Show at Chester County’s Historic Yellow Springs from Saturday, April 24 [1999], through Sunday, May 9 [1999]. The village served as the summer country school for the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from 1916 to 1952. For more information, write: Historic Yellow Springs, 1685 Art School Rd., Chester Springs, PA 19425; or telephone (610) 827-7414. Free.

Continuing at the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation in Pittsburgh through Friday, February 26 [1999], is the ninth annual International Exhibition of Botani­cal Art and Illustration. The prestigious exhibit includes more than one hundred original works of art by seventy-six artists from throughout the world. To obtain more information, write: Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation, Carnegie Mel­lon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890; or telephone (412) 268-2440. Free.