Foundation For The Reading Public Museum

TO EDUCATE THROUGH COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF OBJECTS OF ART, SCIENCE AND CIVILIZATION.

PROGRAMMING BEGAN TO RETURN ONCE RESTRICTIONS ON CAPACITY WERE ELIMINATED AND PATRONS FELT MORE COMFORTABLE BEING INDOORS. MASKING MANDATE CONTINUED THROUGH 2021.TEMPORARY OR SPECIAL EXHIBITS AND PERMANENT COLLECTION - THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THE MUSEUM PROVIDES PATRONS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE EXHIBITS CREATED BY OTHER MUSEUMS OR COLLECTIONS FROM PRIVATE COLLECTORS AND UNIQUE ITEMS FROM THE MUSEUM'S OWN COLLECTION. WE HOSTED 10 UNIQUE EXHIBITIONS IN 2021, INCLUDING 7 FROM EXTERNAL SOURCES. IN 2021 WE WELCOMED 34,238 GENERAL VISITOR ADULTS AND CHILDREN TO THE MUSEUM AND 8,884 VISITED THE NEAG PLANETARIUM AT THE READING PUBLIC MUSEUM.TOURING EXHIBITION - THE MUSEUM MAKES AVAILABLE MUSEUM OWNED EXHIBITIONS TO OTHER MUSEUMS AROUND THE WORLD. ALLOWING EXHIBITIONS TO TOUR PROVIDES THE MUSEUM THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND OUR MISSION BEYOND THE IMMEDIATE GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION. IN 2021 SIX EXHIBITS WERE ON DISPLAY IN MUSEUMS LOCATED IN TEXAS, FLORIDA, VIRGINIA, NORTH AND SOUTH CAROLINA AND PENNSYLVANIA. SEVEN MUSEUMS HOSTED THE EXHIBITS. IN ADDITION TO ENTIRE EXHIBITS THE MUSEUM LOANS INDIVIDUAL PAINTINGS.TOURS - TOURS ARE AVAILABLE TO PRE-K TO SENIOR GROUPS AND ARE TAILORED TO MEET THE EDUCATIONAL NEEDS OF THE SPECIFIC GROUP VISITING THE MUSEUM. TOURS CAN INCLUDE BOTH MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM VISITS. DURING 2021 MANY SCHOOLS DID NOT ALLOW FIELD TRIPS DUE TO CONTINUING COVID RESTRICTIONS. EIGHTY-TWO GROUP TOURS VISITED THE MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM AND INCLUDED 2,408 STUDENTS AND ADULTS. TO ASSIST SCHOOLS IN COVERING THE COSTS OF TOURS THE MUSEUM OFFERS A FUNDING PROGRAM "FEED THEIR IMAGINATION". THROUGH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF DONORS THE MUSEUM WILL COVER ADMISSION AND BUSING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH SCHOOL GROUPS THAT MAY OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO COME TO THE MUSEUM. TO HELP CONTINUE TO ENGAGE STUDENTS THE MUSEUM EDUCATION DEPARTMENT DEVELOPED VIRTUAL TOURS, RECORDING THE EDUCATOR TAKING STUDENTS ON A TOUR OF THE GALLERY VIA A VIDEO AND THEN OFFERING VIRTUAL LIVE INTERACTION FOR QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.

CHILDREN'S PROGRAMSSUMMER CAMP - SUMMER CAMP OFFERED ELEVEN ONE WEEK CAMP EXPERIENCES FOCUSING ON A DIFFERENT EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT EACH WEEK. THE CAMPS KEEP CHILDREN ENGAGED IN LEARNING OVER THE SUMMER BY EXPLORING EACH WEEK'S FOCUS USING THE EXHIBITS AND COLLECTIONS OWNED BY THE MUSEUM AS WELL AS HANDS ON EXPERIMENTS AND CRAFTS. IN 2021 THERE WERE APPROXIMATELY 268 CAMP ATTENDEES OVER THE ELEVEN WEEKS.HOME SCHOOL DAYS - HOME SCHOOL DAYS, OFFERED TWICE A MONTH DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR ARE DESIGNED TO SUPPLEMENT HOME SCHOOLED CHILDREN'S LEARNING BY PROVIDING THEM WITH ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES IN VARIOUS SUBJECTS INCLUDED ARE SPECIAL MUSEUM TOURS AND HANDS-ON PROJECTS. APPROXIMATELY 132 CHILDREN AND ADULT LEARNING PROVIDERS ATTENDED IN 2021.FULL STEAM AHEAD - STARTED IN THE FALL 2017 STEAM IS A TODDLER SCIENCE PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND CHILDREN PROVIDING HANDS-ON EXPLORATION OF SCIENCE AND ART RELATED TOPICS. THE PROGRAM IS OFFERED TWICE A MONTH DURING MOST MONTHS OF THE YEAR. 128 TODDLERS AND PARENTS PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM IN 2021.SCOUT WORKSHOPS AND OVERNIGHT STAYS - WORKSHOPS AND OVERNIGHTS OFFER A WIDE VARIETY OF LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES SET IN A FUN ENVIRONMENT. SOME TOPICS INCLUDED SCIENCE, ARBORETUM EXPLORATION, SKY AND SPACE EXPLORATION THROUGH THE PLANETARIUM, AND EVEN CREATING THEIR OWN BOOKS AFTER VISITING THE MUSEUM LIBRARY. THE MUSEUM EVEN OFFERS ITS OWN GIRL SCOUT BADGE. WITH COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS IN PLACE PROGRAM OFFERINGS WERE STILL SOMEWHAT LIMITED IN 2021 WITH 476 PARTICIPANTS MADE UP OF SCOUTS AND ADULTS OR LEADERS. SENSORY MORNINGS - A SPECIAL PROGRAM DESIGNED FOR SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN WHO OTHERWISE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE MUSEUM. THESE CHILDREN, FAMILY AND CAREGIVERS CAN COME TO THE MUSEUM BEFORE IT OPENS AND ALLOW THE CHILDREN TO EXPLORE IN A QUIET UNCROWDED ENVIRONMENT. REGULAR ADMISSION APPLIES. KIDS NIGHT OUT - HELD MONTHLY CHILDREN WILL FOCUS ON DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. HELD AT NIGHT IT ALLOWS THE CHILDREN THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE THE MUSEUM AFTER HOURS WITH EDUCATORS AND DO HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES ONLY 5 WERE HELD WITH 20 CHILDREN ATTENDING.FAMILY DAY/NIGHT EVENTS - DESIGNED FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY, THE EVENTS FEATURE BEFORE OR AFTER HOURS ACCESS TO EXHIBITS AND STRUCTURED ACTIVITIES AND CRAFTS. WE WELCOMED 946 ADULTS AND CHILDREN TO THESE EVENTS IN 2021ADULT PROGRAMSSENIOR SERIES - A MONTHLY EVENT, NOT JUST FOR SENIORS THAT RANGES FROM TOURS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON CURRENT EXHIBITS TO SCREENINGS OF FILMS RELATED TO ART TO BEHIND THE SCENES GLIMPSE OF ITEMS NOT CURRENTLY ON DISPLAY TO THE PUBLIC. THE EVENT IS FREE WITH PAID ADMISSION OR MEMBERSHIP WITH APPROXIMATELY 351 ATTENDING IN 2021.ARBORETUM EDUCATION - PROGRAMS ARE PRESENTED BY MASTER GARDENERS AND OTHER INDUSTRY SPECIALISTS AND UTILIZES THE ARBORETUM AND GREENHOUSE RESOURCES. APPROXIMATELY 209 PEOPLE ATTENDED THIS SERIES.BUS TRIPS TRIPS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ALLOW MUSEUM PATRONS TO VISIT OTHER MUSEUMS IN THE AREA TO EXPERIENCE A SPECIAL EXHIBIT OR JUST A GENERAL VISIT TO EXPERIENCE THAT MUSEUM. ONE TRIP WAS OFFERED IN FALL 2021.ART HISTORY SHORT COURSE - STARTED IN FALL 2019, THE MUSEUM CURATOR LEADS THIS 4 SESSION COURSE, EXPLORING MAJOR STYLISTIC TRENDS, KEY ARTISTS, MONUMENTS, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CONTEXTS, TECHNIQUES AND PATRONAGE. EACH SESSION TOUCHES ON A DIFFERENT TOPIC. A TOTAL OF 80 ADULTS PARTICIPATED IN OVER THE 4 WEEKS.YOGA UNDER THE STARS - HELD IN THE NEAG PLANETARIUM DOME AND LED BY A CERTIFIED YOGA INSTRUCTOR, PARTICIPANTS CAN COME AND RELAX UNDER THE STARS. EACH SERIES CONSISTS OF 5-6 WEEKLY SESSIONS. TOTAL ATTENDANCE IN 2021 WAS 342.