MUSEUM FUNDRAISER ON APRIL 5 TO FEATURE HARD-HAT TOUR

Visit the Muse-a-Palooza Web page

Guests at the museum's third annual fundraiser will need to leave their formal attire at home. Jeans and a hard-hat will be more appropriate for this one-of-a-kind event, which will feature exclusive tours of the museum’s newest permanent exhibit under construction. “Muse-A-Palooza,” set for 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, April 5, will allow guests to “Experience the Change” inside the caution tape while exhibit fabricators work on the new 4,600 square-foot permanent exhibit in the museum’s Hall of Ancient Life, set to open to the public on May 31.

The Hall of Ancient Life expansion will tell a sweeping tale spanning more than 4 billion years of Earth’s history. Beginning with the formation of the Earth and the movement of its plates, the new gallery will feature some 40 individual exhibits, including early life in the ancient oceans, the evolutionary history of trilobites and other marine animals that is recorded in the rocks of Oklahoma’s Arbuckle Mountains, the rise of fishes, and movement of life onto land about 400 million years ago.

Highlights will include some full-scale models of bizarre creatures from Oklahoma’s deep past, including giant dragonflies with wingspans of up to two-and-a-half feet, and the giant centipede-like creature Arthropleura, which grew up to 6 feet long. Also featured will be a 40+ foot long walk-through diorama of a 300-million-year-old Pennsylvanian coal swamp like those that once covered much of Oklahoma.

The exhibits will not be complete, of course, but part of the appeal of this year’s Muse-a-Palooza is the chance to see what goes into the fabrication of these large and detailed exhibits. Fabricators from Chase Studios, a professional exhibit design and construction firm, will be present and working throughout the evening, giving guests an opportunity to view the work in progress and talk with the artists and builders.

“We wanted to give our fundraiser guests something truly exclusive and special,” explained Ellen Censky, museum director. “The work that goes into fabrication of these type of exhibits is fascinating, and the professional team from Chase Studios is well-spoken and eager to share information about how it’s done. That, plus the opportunity to get a sneak peek at this beautiful new gallery, should provide our guests with an evening to remember.”

Hard-hat tours are not all that is being offered. The evening also will feature live music provided by the popular local band Horseshoe Road, plus delicious food and drink catered by Legends and a one-of-a-kind live auction.

Tickets are $75 per person. A limited number of corporate tables for eight are available for a $1000 event sponsorship, and $500 business sponsorships also are available, which include two tickets to the event. For information on tickets or sponsorship, call Alison Mainers, museum development officer, at (405) 325-5020. All proceeds from Muse-a-Palooza support the ongoing programs of the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History.

The SNOMNH is located on the University of Oklahoma Norman campus. Additional information about the museum is available on the Web at www.snomnh.ou.edu, or by calling (405) 325-4712.