Newark Museum Association

THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART OPERATES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC AS A MUSEUM OF SERVICE.

EXHIBITIONS AND FACILITIES:2021 NEW JERSEY ARTS ANNUAL: REVISION AND RESPONDON VIEW FROM JUNE 17 TO AUGUST 22, NNMOA PRESENTED 2021 NEW JERSEY ARTS ANNUAL: REVISION AND RESPOND. THE ANNUAL JURIED EXHIBITION IS SPONSORED BY THE NEW JERSEY STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS, A PARTNER AGENCY OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT OF THE ARTS. NMOA HOSTED THE 2021 EDITION OF THE LONG-STANDING SERIES OF EXHIBITIONS THAT HIGHLIGHT THE STATE'S ARTISTS. THE EXHIBITION JURORS WERE KRISTEN J. OWENS, ASSOCIATE CURATOR (PROGRAMS) FOR RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEWARK'S PAUL ROBESON GALLERIES AT EXPRESS NEWARK, AND NMOA'S AMY SIMON HOPWOOD, ASSOCIATE CURATOR OF DECORATIVE ARTS. TOGETHER, THEY REVIEWED MORE THAN 1800 ENTRIES FROM 484 ARTISTS ACROSS NEW JERSEY. THE JURORS SELECTED 50 WORKS BY 45 ARTISTS THAT POWERFULLY INTERPRET THIS YEAR'S REVISION AND RESPOND THEME, INSPIRED BY ARTISTS' CRUCIAL ROLE IN OUR SOCIETY AS THEY OFFER NUANCED PERSPECTIVES ON OUR CURRENT AND FUTURE WORLDS.WOLFGANG GIL: SONIC GEOMETRIESTHIS EXHIBITION, ON VIEW JUNE 3 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 5, WAS THE SECOND ITERATION OF NMOA'S GLOBAL CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM, WHICH SHOWCASES NEW WORK BY LIVING ARTISTS IN DIALOGUE WITH THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS. TYPICALLY A YEAR-LONG ENGAGEMENT, THIS ITERATION WAS CUT SHORT DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.A MULTISENSORY EXPERIENCE OF SPACE, SHAPE, AND SOUND, THE EXHIBITION PRESENTED SOUND SCULPTURES BY WOLFGANG GIL INTHE CONTEXT OF THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTION.GIL'S INSTALLATIONS EXPLORED THE SCULPTURAL QUALITY OF SOUND AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCING EXTERNAL SPACE AND INTERNAL PERCEPTUAL PROCESSES. A VENEZUELAN-BORN AMERICAN ARTIST WHO LIVES AND WORKS IN NEWARK, GIL EMPLOYS SOUND AS A MALLEABLE MATERIAL WITH CURVES, EDGES, AND CHANGING GEOMETRIES. TO EXPLORE THE IDEA OF SOUND IN VISUAL TERMS, GIL PARTNERED WITH THE MUSEUM'S CURATORIAL TEAM TO SELECT WORKSFROM THE COLLECTION TO INSTALL WITH HIS SONIC SCULPTURES. ALONG WITH THREE OF GIL'S SOUND SCULPTURES,SONIC GEOMETRIESFEATURES WORKS BY SAM GILLIAM, VICTOR DAVSON, SOL LEWITT, AND RICHARD ANUSZCKIEWICZ.SAYA WOOLFALK: FIELD NOTES FROM THE EMPATHIC UNIVERSETHIS EXHIBITION, ON VIEW OCTOBER 21 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2022, IS THE THIRD ITERATION OF NMOA'S GLOBAL CONTEMPORARY PROGRAM, WHICH SHOWCASES NEW WORK BY LIVING ARTISTS IN DIALOGUE WITH THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS. THE EXHIBITION, WHICH WELCOMES VISITORS INTO WOOLFALK'S KALEIDOSCOPIC AND CULTURALLY HYBRID WORLDS, FEATURES AN IMMERSIVE VIDEO INSTALLATION EXPLORING PORTRAITURE AND A SERIES OF NEW MIXED MEDIA COLLAGES, ALL ACCESSED THROUGH THE NORTH WING ELEVATOR, TRANSFORMED BY WOOLFALK'S DIGITALLY COLLAGED MURALS. KNOWN FOR HER SITE-SPECIFIC MULTIMEDIA WORKS THAT INVESTIGATE GLOBAL TRADITIONS AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCE, WOOLFALK IS THE CREATOR OF THE EMPATHICS - FICTIONAL FUTURISTIC BEINGS WHO TIME-TRAVEL AND SHAPE-SHIFT ACROSS THE MULTIVERSE. FOR THIS EXHIBITION WOOLFALK STUDIED THE MUSEUM'S HERBARIA (PLANT SPECIMENS) AND LANDSCAPE PAINTING COLLECTIONS, REINTERPRETING THESE ARTIFACTS - AND THEIR RELATION TO AMERICAN IDENTITY - FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE EMPATHICS.SAYA WOOLFALK: TUMBLING INTO LANDSCAPEA COMPANION AND LONGER-TERM EXHIBITION TITLED SAYA WOOLFALK: TUMBLING INTO LANDSCAPE IN THE HISTORIC AMERICAN GALLERIES SEEING AMERICA: 18TH AND 19TH CENTURIES, OPENED ON OCTOBER 7 AND IS ON VIEW THROUGH SUMMER 2023. AS ARTIST IN RESIDENCE SINCE 2019, WOOLFALK IMMERSED HERSELF IN THE MUSEUM'S AMERICAN ART AND NATURAL SCIENCE COLLECTIONS. WITH SAYA WOOLFALK: TUMBLING INTO LANDSCAPE THE ARTIST HAS CREATED AN INTERVENTION EXPLORING QUESTIONS OF IDENTITY AND BELONGING IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAND AND MULTIPLE HISTORIES OF THE UNITED STATES. DRAWING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS REPRESENTED - AND MORE OFTEN NOT REPRESENTED - IN THESE LUMINOUS, EDEN-LIKE PAINTINGS, TUMBLING INTO LANDSCAPE FEATURES A NEW SELF-PORTRAIT BY WOOLFALK WITH A SELECTION OF THE MUSEUM'S HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL PAINTINGS, INCLUDING SIX RECENTLY CONSERVED WORKS ON VIEW FOR THE FIRST TIME IN DECADES.THREE HALF LOZENGES BY PHILLIP K. SMITH IIINMOA DEBUTED THE LATEST PERMANENT ART INSTALLATION BY RENOWNED LIGHT ARTIST PHILLIP K. SMITH III DURING THE EVENING OF SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2021, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE NEWARK ARTS FESTIVAL. THREE HALF LOZENGES ILLUMINATES THE MAIN FACADE OF THE MUSEUM, STANDING AS A BEACON FOR THE CITY OF NEWARK AND ACTIVATING THE DOWNTOWN ARTS DISTRICT. THE INSTALLATION IS SMITH'S FIRST MAJOR, SITE-SPECIFIC ARTWORK ON THE EAST COAST. LOCATED WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF DOWNTOWN NEWARK AND ITS DEVELOPING ARTS DISTRICT, THE INSTALLATION IS UNIQUELY COLOR CHOREOGRAPHED BY SMITH AS A PRECISELY PACED, FULL-SPECTRUM WORK EXPERIENCED FROM THE STREETS AND THE SURROUNDING WASHINGTON PARK. SHIFTING FROM FULL FIELDS OF COLOR TO GRADATING LINES AND CURVES, THE THREE HALF-LOZENGE SHAPED WINDOWS OPERATE AS A MONUMENTAL LIGHT-BASED TRIPTYCH AT THE SCALE OF ARCHITECTURE. DURING THE DAY, THE FACADE REMAINS ITS TRUE, HISTORICAL SELF. AT SUNSET, THE WINDOWS SLOWLY EMERGE AS FULL COLOR, RECONFIGURING ONE'S EXPERIENCE OF THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART, WASHINGTON PARK, AND THE CITY ITSELF.ENDANGERED! WHAT THREATS DO ANIMALS FACE IN AN EVER-CHANGING WORLD? THIS ONGOING EXHIBITION, WHICH OPENED ON NOVEMBER 12, EXPLORES THE STORIES BEHIND SOME EXTINCT, THREATENED AND LOWER RISK SPECIES, AS WELL AS HOW HUMAN BEHAVIOR AFFECTS ANIMALS.VISITORS ARE INVITED TO MAKE A PROMISE TO HELP SAVE VARIOUS ANIMALS WORLDWIDE.LOST WORLD: THE AUDUBON IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCEA COMPANION EXHIBITION LOST WORLD: THE AUDUBON IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE IS A DIGITAL RECREATION OF THREE AREAS AND THE CURRENTLY ENDANGERED AND EXTINCT SPECIES THAT ONCE CALLED THEM HOME. TAKEN FROM AUDUBON'S BIRDS OF AMERICA, ARTISTIC REPRESENTATIONS OF THESE ANIMALS COME TO LIFE.THIS PAIR OF EXHIBITIONS LAUNCHED THE FIRST PHASE OF A COMPREHENSIVE REIMAGINING OF THE ENTIRE THIRD FLOOR, WHERE DYNAMIC EARTH HAD BEEN ON VIEW FOR 20 YEARS.COMMUNITY 5D: ALL EYES ON NEWARKIN 2021, NMOA'S LEARNING & ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT CONVENED THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH PROMPTED THE INAUGURAL PRESENTATION OF DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS IN THE MUSEUM'S WELCOME CENTER. THIS INSTALLATION ON VIEW NOVEMBER 26 THROUGH MARCH 20, 2022, FEATURED A SERIES OF PORTRAITS BY NEWARK PHOTOGRAPHER ALESSANDRO "FRESCO" CERDAS. EACH PHOTOGRAPH CAPTURES THE SPECIAL, SOMETIMES UNSEEN, PEOPLE OF THIS CITY AND SERVE AS A BRIDGE FOR ALL TO CONNECT WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AROUND US. COLLECTIONS -NATIVE ARTIST OF NORTH AMERICATHE REGISTRAR AND CURATORIAL DEPARTMENTS COLLABORATED ON A MAJOR ROTATION OF 20 EXAMPLES OF REGALIA AND TEXTILES, PER THE COLLECTIONS CARE POLICY OF ROTATING LIGHT SENSITIVE TEXTILES OFF VIEW EVERY TWO YEARS.REFINEMENT -0 OBJECTS WERE ADDED TO THE MUSEUM'S ONLINE SEARCHABLE DATABASE. 28 PURCHASES, 14 GIFTS, AND 3 TRANSFERS WERE ACCESSIONED INTO THE PERMANENT COLLECTION. 209 OBJECTS WERE DEACCESSIONED FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION.

REGISTRAR & CURATORIAL:THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART'S VAST AND DIVERSE COLLECTIONS OF MORE THAN 300,000 OBJECTS, RANKS, IN TERMS OF ITS HOLDINGS, AMONG THE TOP 30 MUSEUMS NATIONALLY. THE MUSEUM IS NOW CUSTODIAN TO OVER 300,000 OBJECTS IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF AMERICAN ART, ARTS OF THE AMERICAS, ARTS OF THE ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN, ARTS OF GLOBAL AFRICA, ARTS OF GLOBAL ASIA, DECORATIVE ARTS, NUMISMATICS, AND A NATURAL SCIENCE COLLECTION. THE MUSEUM IS ALSO THE HOME OF THE HISTORIC BALLANTINE HOUSE. THE MUSEUM'S COLLECTIONS SUPPORT ITS COMMUNITY SERVICE MISSION BY PROVIDING THE INSPIRATION AND CONTENT FOR AN EXTENSIVE K-12 EDUCATION PROGRAM. BY PARTNERING WITH TEACHERS AND EDUCATION ADMINISTRATORS TO DELIVER CURRICULUM, FIELD TRIPS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS, THE MUSEUM SERVICES BETWEEN 25,000 TO 50,000 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS EACH YEAR. COMMUNITY EVENTS, INCLUDING THE LONGEST RUNNING BLACK FILM FESTIVAL IN THE COUNTRY, A FREE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. DAY CELEBRATION, AND FAMILY DROP-IN PROGRAMS ON SATURDAY MORNINGS, INCLUDE CONTENT INTEGRATED FROM THE COLLECTIONS.28 PURCHASES, 14 GIFTS, AND 3 TRANSFERS WERE ACCESSIONED INTO THE PERMANENT COLLECTION; 209 OBJECTS WERE DEACCESSIONED FROM THE PERMANENT COLLECTION.

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC PROGRAM:LIKE MANY ARTS AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART (NMOA) HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND FACED UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES OVER THE PAST YEAR. ALMOST IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE SHUTDOWN BEGAN IN MARCH 2020, THE MUSEUM BEGAN PRESENTING DIGITAL PUBLIC PROGRAMS, TO ENGAGE AUDIENCES FROM NEW JERSEY, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, AND AROUND THE WORLD. IN 2021, THE MUSEUM CONTINUED OFFERING VIRTUAL PROGRAMS, EVEN AFTER REOPENING TO THE PUBLIC IN JUNE 2021.THE NMOA'S EXTENSIVE MENU OF LIVE AND PRE-RECORDED DIGITAL PROGRAMS, KNOWN AS #NMOAATHOME, SUCCESSFULLY ENGAGED FAMILY, YOUTH, AND ADULT AUDIENCES ACROSS A VARIETY OF ONLINE PLATFORMS INCLUDING FACEBOOK LIVE, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, ZOOM AND YOUTUBE. FROM JANUARY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 2021 WE REACHED 6,803 PEOPLE THROUGH VIRTUAL PROGRAMS VIA ZOOM AND OVER 48,000 ON SOCIAL MEDIA.NEW VIRTUAL STEM+ARTS FIELD TRIPS RESPONDED TO THE NEEDS AND INTERESTS OF SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT NEWARK'S WARDS AND NEW JERSEY. A TOTAL OF 13,334 STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS WERE SERVED IN 2021. A SERIES OF 13 NEW NMOA VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS CONNECTED TO CLASSROOM CURRICULA AND SATISFIED STATE STANDARDS DURING THE EXTENDED CLOSURE OF NEW JERSEY SCHOOLS THROUGH THE END OF THE ACADEMIC YEAR. THE MUSEUM REACHED PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND CHARTER SCHOOLS THROUGH OUR MUSEUM FAMILY NETWORK TO SERVE STUDENTS IN NEWARK AND BEYOND. ALL NMOA VIRTUAL PROGRAMS HELPED STUDENTS UNDERSTAND CLASSROOM TOPICS, RETAIN CONTENT, BUILD VISUAL LITERACY, AND ENGAGE WITH NEW CONCEPTS IN SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING, IDENTITY AND EQUITY, AND THE PRACTICE OF EMPATHY. PROGRAMS INCLUDED EXPLORATION OF TOPICS SUCH AS DINOSAURS, EARTH AND THE MOON, FOSSILS, AND PLANETARIUM SHOWS AND UTILIZED RESOURCES FROM OUR AMERICAN, AFRICAN, AND ASIAN ART COLLECTIONS. NMOA ALSO PRESENTED VIRTUAL SCIENCE FAIRS, WHICH INCLUDED A HOST OF ACTIVITIES FEATURING THE PLANETARIUM, LIVE ANIMALS THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH TURTLE BACK ZOO, AND PHOTOGRAPHY, ALONG WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS FOR EDUCATORS. IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF THE YEAR, THE MUSEUM OFFERED AN ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE PROGRAM AT A SCHOOL IN PATTERSON, WHICH ENGAGED 176 KIDS. THE NEWARK MUSEUM OF ART CONTINUED TO OFFER EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND CAREGIVERS SUPPORTING STUDENTS AT HOME. IN 2021, 4 NEW VIRTUAL HOMESCHOOL PROGRAMS WERE DEVELOPED. THESE FUN, SOCIAL, AND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS FEATURED OBSERVATIONS, GAMES, WRITING, DRAWING AND MOVEMENT WITH LIVE MUSEUM EDUCATORS. LIVE AUDIO-VISUAL PRESENTATIONS WERE DESIGNED TO HEIGHTEN OBSERVATION AND CRITICAL-THINKING SKILLS BY FOCUSING ON AESTHETICS AND CRITIQUE. CROSS-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES COMBINED LANGUAGE ARTS LITERACY, SOCIAL STUDIES, AND VISUAL ARTS. VIRTUAL CREATIVE PLAY PROGRAMS FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD AUDIENCES AND THEIR FAMILIES CONTINUED TO SERVE THE YOUNGEST OF LEARNERS THROUGH A VIRTUAL FORMAT. 181 CHILDREN AGES 3-5 AND THEIR CAREGIVERS EXPLORED THE MUSEUM'S ART AND SCIENCE COLLECTIONS THROUGH STORYTELLING, SONG, PLAYFUL ACTIVITIES AND AN ART-MAKING PROJECT IN 2021. A SELECTION OF 2021 SESSIONS INCLUDED INTERACTIVE STORYTIME AND THE ART OF PUPPETRY; COMMUNITIES; PAINTING WITH MUSIC AND MAKE MUSIC AND A HARMONICA!; FLORAL LANDSCAPES; COLLAGE THE FOUR SEASONS; AND PAINT AN OSTRICH.VIRTUAL FAMILY DROP-INS FOR CHILDREN AND WERE OFFERED DURING THE YEAR SERVING OVER 542 PARTICIPANTS. PROJECTS MADE USE OF HOUSEHOLD MATERIALS TO DESIGN, BUILD AND TEST AS CHILDREN EXPLORED THEIR CREATIVITY AND LEARNED NEW TECHNIQUES AND CONCEPTS IN ART, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. PROGRAMS INCLUDED SESSIONS FOR YOUTH AGES 5-10+ EXPLORING MOVEMENT, ARTMAKING, SCIENCE EXPERIMENTS AND STORYTELLING SESSIONS; THE ART OF MAGIC AND POCKET SOLAR SYSTEMS; THE PRINCIPLES OF HIP HOP AND ANCIENT EGYPT; BURBLE, FIZZ, KABOOM!; MEET AND MAKE ART WITH ARTIST ADEBUNMI GBADEBO; CELEBRACIN DE FAMILIA WITH 123 ANDRES; AND STORY HOUR WITH HARMONICA SUNBEAM.OTHER VIRTUAL PROGRAMS INCLUDED ASK AN ASTRONOMER AND STARGAZING, FOCUSING ON ASTRONOMY; HAPPY HOUR AND ART BITES FOCUSING ON FOOD, POPULAR CULTURE AND ART; GAMES LIKE ESCAPE ROOM AND MURDER MYSTERY; AND PLAYFUL PROGRAMS SUCH AS ART ROAST AND ART TRIVIA. THE MUSEUM OFFERED MUSEUM CRAWLS AND ART OLYMPICS, WHICH EXPLORED OTHER MUSEUMS' COLLECTIONS, ARTIST TALKS AND STUDIO VISITS, AS WELL AS PANELS ON SOCIAL JUSTICE AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. TO FOLLOW COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH REQUIREMENTS FOR INDOOR GATHERINGS AND TO MEET THE NEEDS OF WORKING FAMILIES IN NEWARK, THE NMOA RECONFIGURED ITS POPULAR FULL-DAY CAMP NEWARK MUSEUM INTO SUMMER LEARNING PODS. IN SMALL PROJECT-BASED CLASSES OF NO MORE THAN 15 STUDENTS, CAMPERS DEVELOPED THEIR SKILLS OF OBSERVATION, COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATED IN STEM+ARTS CURRICULUM. CAMPERS PARTICIPATED IN SIX SESSIONS THAT RAN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, WITH MUSEUM-SUPPLIED MATERIALS. A TOTAL OF 66 YOUTH WERE SERVED. WEEKLY THEMES INCLUDED THE EARTH AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR PLANET; THE BUILDING OF BRIDGES TO MAKE CONNECTIONS FROM HOMES TO SKYSCRAPERS TO CAVES; THE ART OF THE SPOKEN WORD; EXPLORATION OF THE PAST AND HOW IT IMPACTS OUR DREAMS FOR THE FUTURE; EXPLORATION OF STRENGTH THROUGH THE LENSES OF SCIENCE, DANCE AND ART; AND HONORING THE DIFFERENCES THAT MAKE PEOPLE UNIQUE AND CONNECTS THEM. THE RESILIENCE OF THE TEENS PARTICIPATING IN THE EXPLORERS PROGRAM WAS THE MUSEUM'S INSPIRATION THIS YEAR, EVEN AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS KEPT NEWARK SCHOOLS CLOSED THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THE 31 EXPLORERS MET VIRTUALLY EITHER AS A GROUP OR INDIVIDUALLY WITH MUSEUM STAFF FOR PAID WORK STUDY AND INDEPENDENT RESEARCH (UP TO 15 HOURS A WEEK IN JULY AND AUGUST, AND 7-10 HOURS PER WEEK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR), UTILIZING MUSEUM-ISSUED LAPTOPS. MUSEUM STAFF ALSO PARTNERED WITH THE ALL-STARS PROJECT TO LEAD A SERIES OF TRAINING WORKSHOPS FOR EXPLORERS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR COMMUNICATION AND PRESENTATION SKILLS AND ENGAGED THE FINANCIAL BOSS TO DELIVER A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS ON FINANCIAL LITERACY. EXPLORERS ATTENDED PSAT AND SAT TRAINING FROM THE PRINCETON REVIEW, TOOK 12-15 HOURS OF PRACTICE TESTS, AND HAD UNLIMITED ACCESS TO ONLINE TOOLS AND MATERIALS. AS A RESULT, EXPLORERS REPORTED A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN SCORES OF 200-300 POINTS ON AVERAGE THIS YEAR. SINCE COVID HEALTH RESTRICTIONS AND SHUTDOWNS BARRED STUDENTS FROM VISITING OTHER CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS OR TOURING COLLEGES, MUSEUM STAFF PROVIDED PERSONALIZED COACHING ON RESEARCHING COLLEGES AND COMPLETING THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS. IN JUNE, ALL 14 SENIOR STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND FROM THE EXPLORERS PROGRAM. THIRTEEN GRADUATES WENT ON TO ATTEND COLLEGE IN THE FALL, AND ONE ENLISTED FOR MILITARY SERVICE. UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF DIRECTOR & CEO LINDA HARRISON, THE MUSEUM IS BECOMING MORE VISITOR- AND COMMUNITY-FOCUSED TO BETTER MEET THE SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND CULTURAL NEEDS OF ITS AUDIENCE. AS PART OF THIS SHIFT, THIS YEAR'S COMMUNITY DAYS EVENTS PUT MORE EMPHASIS ON IMPORTANT EVENTS FOR THE COMMUNITIES THAT RESIDE IN THE REGION (E.G., AFRICAN AMERICAN, LATINX, ETC.), AND IN ADDRESSING SOCIAL ISSUES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THESE COMMUNITIES (E.G., ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, INEQUALITY, AND RACISM, ETC.). THE PROGRAMMING REACHED A WIDE, MULTIGENERATIONAL, MULTI-ETHNIC AUDIENCE AND WAS MADE ACCESSIBLE BY BEING FREE OF CHARGE, WITH SEVERAL EVENTS FEATURING ACTIVITIES FOR NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS. EACH COMMUNITY DAYS EVENT INCLUDED DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, FROM PANEL DISCUSSIONS TO HANDS-ON ARTMAKING, MUSICAL AND DANCE PERFORMANCES, VIRTUAL TOURS OF NMOA'S COLLECTIONS, AND A VARIETY OF PARTNERSHIPS WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES. THE MUSEUM PRESENTED SIX VIRTUAL EVENTS THAT SERVED A TOTAL OF 1,540 ATTENDEES VIA ZOOM (AVERAGE OF 257 PARTICIPANTS PER EVENT) AND 20,471 ATTENDEES ON SOCIAL MEDIA (AN AVERAGE OF 3,312 PARTICIPANTS PER EVENT). SCIENCE-THEMED COMMUNITY DAYS INCLUDED ZOOPALOOZA, WHICH EXPLORED THE ANIMAL KINGDOM, AND CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL, WHICH INCLUDED INVESTIGATIONS ABOUT FLORA AND FAUNA.