PASADENA, CA – The Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) is proud to announce Beneath the Surface, an interactive art installation created by Jet Propulsion Laboratories (JPL) and its Visual Strategist, Dan Goods, which brings the Juno spacecraft and its mission to life. Inspired by the technology used in the mission, the PMCA’s Project Room will be covered in a vast layer of fog, beneath which infrared light that is invisible to the naked eye, will create forms that can only be seen through the assistance of a screen, such as on a cell phone camera. Just as the Juno mission is peering beneath the top clouds of Jupiter to understand its internal structure, museum visitors will be able to “see” another world of light beneath the surface.

PASADENA MUSEUM OF CALIFORNIA ART (PMCA)

The Juno spacecraft is scheduled to launch in August of 2011 and arrive at Jupiter four years later. The spacecraft will then spend more than one year orbiting the planet to investigate the existence of an ice-rock core. Jupiter is a gas giant, comprised of thick clouds all the way to its core with no surface on which to land. When Juno arrives, its instruments will allow, for the first time, humanity to see through the top layer of clouds and into its internal structure, which, among other things, causes the unusual storms that are visible on the surface. This will help us understand how giant planets like Jupiter are formed, which in turn help us understand how solar systems are formed. One of its main tasks is to figure out how much water the planet has. If the amount of water in Jupiter is determined, it will unlock our understanding of the history of water in the solar system. Beneath the 

Surface will help the public understand the processes of the spacecraft.

This project is a featured component of the FIRE & WATER/AxS Festival, which takes place in Pasadena from October 1-16, 2011. Produced by the Pasadena Arts Council, the AxS Festival will bring together some of the area’s most engaging and influential arts, cultural, and research institutions to offer performances, exhibitions, presentations, public conversations, and more to the city of Pasadena for a 16-day celebration of arts and sciences in October 2011, under the unified theme “Fire and Water.”

PUBLIC PROGRAMS

OPENING RECEPTION

Saturday, September 17, 2011

7:00 – 9:00 pm

$5 admission

Free for PMCA Members and individuals holding current PCC staff or student ID cards

About the PMCA:

The Pasadena Museum of California Art (PMCA) is dedicated to the exhibition of California art, architecture,and design from 1850 to the present. Informed by the state’s rich mixture of cultures and inspired by its impressive geography, California art has long been defined by a spirit of freedom and experimentation. PMCA exhibitions and educational programs explore the cultural dynamics and influences unique to California that have shaped and defined art in all media.

Hours:

• Wednesday – Sunday, 12:00 – 5:00 pm.
• The Museum is closed July 4th, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Admission:

$7 for Adults, $5 for Seniors (65+) and Students with valid ID; free to PMCA Members and children under 12.

Access for people with disabilities is provided.

Location/Parking:

The Museum is located at 490 East Union Street. From the 210 Freeway, take the Lake Avenue exit. Go south and take a right on Union Street. From the 110 Freeway/Downtown Los Angeles, follow the freeway until its end, then take Arroyo Parkway and turn right at Colorado, then left at Oakland to get to Union Street. Parking is available at the Museum.

PMCA Tours:

At this time, the museum does not offer regularly scheduled docent tours of our special exhibitions. However, docent tours are available to private groups for a fee of $75. A non-refundable deposit of $40 is due two weeks prior to the scheduled date in order to guarantee a tour. We regret that we are unable to accommodate tours for groups smaller than 10 or larger than 50 people. Before requesting a tour, please check the exhibition calendar to see which exhibitions will be available during your visit.

A discounted group rate of $4 per person is available for groups of 20 or more, and free admission is offered to school groups of K-12 public school students. Please call to notify us at least one week in advance for these special admission rates.

For any questions or to make reservations for a tour or group rate, please call Shirlae Cheng at 626-568-3665 x17.

PMCA Information:

For information, the please call 626-568-3665 or visit the website: www.pmcaonline.org