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Too large to be passed, this Norwegian ale bowl (c. 1850) was used like a punchbowl. Its inscription reads, in part, “Like a flower I stand on the table. Happy will be the guests who take a drop from me." (Photo by Pamela Forsythe.)

American Swedish Historical Museum presents 'Skål! Scandinavian Spirits'

Here's to Scandinavia!

Cheers! The American Swedish Historical Museum's newest exhibition pays homage to sublime Scandinavian spirits. Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Jul 13, 2017 Articles 3 minute read

Soldiers brawl in a tableau at the Museum of the American Revolution. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of the American Revolution.)

Celebrating independence at the Museum of the American Revolution

Visiting 1776 in 2017

What better time to consider the Museum of the American Revolution than in the midst of Philadelphia's Independence Day celebrations? Richard Da Silva visits.

Richard da Silva

Jul 03, 2017 Articles 4 minute read

Etowah Mounds (circa 1250 CE), near Cartersville, Georgia. Thousands of mounds dotted eastern North America before Europeans arrived. (Photo by Tom Patton, courtesy of Penn Museum)

Penn Museum presents 'Moundbuilders: Ancient Architects of North America'

America's earthen pyramids

England has Stonehenge, Egypt has the Great Pyramid, and North America has... mounds. Learn all about them at the Penn Museum's new exhibition. Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Jul 02, 2017 Articles 4 minute read

'Still from Horse Day, 2015,' video diptych by Mohammed Bourouissa. (Photo courtesy of Mohammed Bourouissa and Kamel Mennour.)

Barnes Foundation presents 'Mohammed Bourouissa: Urban Riders'

Corralling the urban cowboy myth

North Philly's black cowboys have been a fixture on the streets and in Fairmount Park for over a century. A new Barnes Foundation show pays tribute to them. Stacia Friedman reviews.

Stacia Friedman

Jun 30, 2017 Articles 3 minute read

An example of porcelain from the museum's permanent collection. (Photo by Pamela J. Forsythe)

The Philadelphia Museum of Art's collections: Enlightenment minus deadlines

Hiding in plain sight

Even when there's no major exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, there are plenty of treasures waiting to be discovered. Pamela Forsythe investigates.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Jun 27, 2017 Articles 4 minute read

'Grapes and Vines,' by Mary Schafer, c. 1972. Cotton with Polyester Batting, 88 x 98. Mary Schafer’s 'Grapes and Vines' is patterned after a quilt pictured in Marie Webster’s classic 1915 book, Quilts. The intricate appliqué design was a trademark of Webster’s work. Schafer received the pattern from the estate of Betty Harriman in 1971. (Photo by KEVA, all rights reserved, Michigan State University Museum.)

Mercer Museum presents 'The Mary Schafer Collection: A Legacy of Quilt History'

The soft and the small

Doylestown's Mercer Museum offers two cozy exhibitions in one: a collection of quilts and another featuring dollhouses and miniatures. Courtenay Harris Bond reviews.

Courtenay Harris Bond

May 29, 2017 Articles 3 minute read

'Self Portrait with Mask' (1922). (Photo by Anne Brigman, courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

PMA's Another Way of Telling: Women Photographers from the Collection

Women's work

This exhibition of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's collection of work by women photographers shows over a century of seeing through their lenses. Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

May 08, 2017 Articles 4 minute read

At the exhibition's opening reception, a viewer watches one of Scribe's videos. (Photo by Meredith Edlow)

African American Museum presents 'Tone Poems & Light Stories'

Creating a new home

The African American Museum looks back at the Great Migration to Philadelphia and those who helped the city's new residents settle in. Jarreau Freeman reviews.

Jarreau Freeman

Apr 18, 2017 Articles 3 minute read

Palmyrene Funerary Portraits. (Photo courtesy of Penn Museum)

Penn Museum presents Cultures in the Crossfire: Stories from Syria and Iraq

All is not lost

A new exhibition at the Penn Museum displays and highlights efforts being made to preserve the Middle East's cultural heritage in the midst of war. Pamela Forsythe reviews.

Pamela J. Forsythe

Apr 15, 2017 Articles 4 minute read