Summer is in full force, as evidenced by the heat wave that's currently making it's way through New York's Capital Region. For those of you who are not in the area, the mercury has risen into the nineties with no end in sight (that would be beyond the five-day forecast). This seems to be the second heat wave this summer, the first being just a few weeks ago that ended just after the 4th of July. Though the holiday was warm, thousands of people were still able to enjoy live music and incredible fireworks display at the Empire State Plaza. If you haven't been, put it on your calendar for next year!
The heat doesn't stop for the actors and actresses involved in Park Playhouse, free summer theater in Albany's historic Washington Park. Each Tuesday through Sunday, these artists don costumes and a smile to perform Spamalot for an audience of up to 1,000. (Read the review on our blog. And look for our review of the August production of Shrek: The Musical soon!)
To keep cool, one can think about the fall and all that comes with Autumn in Albany, including an exhibit coming this September 21 until June 8, 2014 to the Albany Institute of History & Art entitled GE Presents: The Mystery of the Albany Mummies!
Two 21st Dynasty (1085-945 BCE) mummies and coffins have been on view at the Albany Institute since they were purchased in 1909 from the Cairo Museum. The elaborately decorated coffin was made for Ankhefenmut, a priest in the temple of Mut three thousand years ago. New research has revealed that his mummy cover and the coffin lid are in the collections of London's British Museum and Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum. This exhibition will reunite the coffin pieces and bring Ancient Egyptian objects to Albany from collections around the world. It will also highlight how Ancient Egyptian artwork and design inspired artists and architects in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries.
Even more incredible is the back story to this exhibit. Last spring, both mummies were carefully removed from their home in the Institute and transported to Albany Medical Center via ambulance for modern X-rays and CAT scans. The findings from these scans resulted in a re-sexing of one of the mummies, previously believed to have been female. They also found a prosthetic toe in the process. Made of wood, it is believed to have been added at the time of death given the fact that Egyptians believed one needed to be whole before proceeding into the afterlife. This mummy prosthetic toe is only one of three known in the world!
For more information on the exhibit, visit our website: www.albany.org/mummies.
# # #