University News

Travel back in time for a day and explore the wonders of ancient Egypt. Write your name in hieroglyphs; learn to “draw like an Egyptian;” color a mask while learning about ancient Egyptian gods. These are just a few of the many activities visitors can experience during Family Day on Saturday, March 19, at the Institute of Egyptian Art and Architecture at the University of Memphis Art Museum.

The event will run from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Visitors may come at any time during the day. Admission is free, but reservations are recommended for groups. (Call 678-2649 for reservations.)

The event will also include special tours of the Egyptian Exhibition at the museum, storytelling, designing jewelry and amulets, making a crown and scepters, and learning how to measure the ancient Egyptian way.

The popular “School for Scribes” will be available again this year. In an intensive session, older children (age 10 and up) will learn about the ancient Egyptian language. Enrollment for this part of IEAA Family Day is limited, and reservations are required.

Family Day also marks a farewell to two statues of the ancient Egyptian goddess Sekhmet. Carved from black granite in the form of a young woman with the head of a lioness, these statues have graced the entrance of the Egyptian Gallery for 15 years, but they will soon be returned to the British Museum in London.

Free parking is available in the Central Avenue lot. Parking also is available for $1 an hour in the Fogelman Executive Center garage on Innovation Drive, just south of Central Ave. The Art Museum is located on the first floor of the Communication and Fine Arts Building, Room 142.

Designed to introduce children to the art and culture of ancient Egypt, the event is sponsored by the University's Institute of Egyptian Art and Archaeology, a Tennessee Center of Excellence. The IEAA and the Art Museum maintain the largest public collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts in the Mid-South. More than 150 objects are on display representing 4,000 years of Egyptian history. Exhibits include mummies, royal statuary, amulets, jewelry, tomb furnishings, and items from everyday life.

For information, contact Dr. Patricia Podzorski, curator of Egyptian art, at 678-2649.

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