Museum of the Moon is a large-scale touring installation by British artist Luke Jerram. The luminescent sculpture of the moon features detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. Twenty-three feet in diameter and highly detailed, the Moon is built to an approximate ratio of 1:500,000. Accompanying the installation is a musical composition by award-winning composer Dan Jones. To date, the artwork has been presented in more than 30 countries and experienced by over 10 million viewers. People everywhere have their own distinct relationship to the moon, and yet it connects us all.
Friday, Oct 15th: Opening night features the “Environmental Corridor” including booths by Elizabeth River Project, ODU Institute for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience, Virginia Space Grant Consortium, and Wetlands Watch. At 6 pm Native American Dance Groupe, Red Crooked Sky presents an honoring dance performance under the moon.
Saturday, Oct 16th: Catch a live performance by the Core Theater Ensemble at 7 pm under the moon, a pop up by the Lil Truck of Tools, and keep the party rolling at 8 pm with Beach Floyd, a Pink Floyd cover band that transports you to the dark side of the moon.
Sunday, Oct 17th: Rounds out our stellar weekend with moments of introspection and reflection. At 10 am Sky’s the Limit Yoga hosts a class under the moon and the evening features music by the Virginia Opera and dance performances by the ODU Dance Program.
The Moon is illuminated from dusk to dawn each day.
All three nights of the public festival have performances, art demonstrations, food, and beverages from 5-8 pm. Inside the Barry Art Museum, check out Waxing and Waning, the companion moon exhibition, and explore NASA’s hands-on activities and a Virtual Reality tour of the moon’s surface. The Chrysler Museum Glass Studio Mobile Studio creates lunar-inspired demonstrations from 6-9 pm and we welcome you to stargaze with the Back Bay Astronomers! Up Monarch Way, the VMFA Art Mobile will be parked by the ODU Gordon Gallery and at the Brock Commons, there is the Monarch Market, a vendor fair with local crafts, food music, and activities.
Museum of the Moon Exhibition and Programs are made possible by our generous Sponsors:
Bleakhorn Foundation
Old Dominion University in honor of Dick and Carolyn Barry for their remarkable vision and stewardship of the Barry Art Museum
DAF Brock Foundation and Ms. Joan P. Brock
WHRO Public Media
Mr. James A. Hixon
ODU Alumni Association
Rutter Family Art Foundation
Exhibition Advisory Board:
Bert Schmidt, President, and CEO, WHRO Public Media
Dave Bowles, Executive Director for the Virginia Institute for Spaceflight and Autonomy
Giovanna Genard, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communication & Marketing, ODU
Hans-Peter Plag, Professor of Ocean and Earth Sciences, College of Sciences, ODU
Jessica U. Meir, NASA Astronaut
Jonathan Leib, Professor and Interim Dean of Political Science and Geography, College of Arts and Letters, ODU
Justin Mason, Director, Michael and Kimthanh Lê Planetarium, College of Sciences, ODU
Karen Meier, Assistant Vice President for Community Engagement, ODU
Keith F. Anderson, Assistant Chief and Environmental Program Director, Nansemond Indian Nation
Khan M. Iftekharuddin, Professor and Associate Dean For Research and Graduate Programs, Batten College of Engineering and Technology, ODU
Lindsay Thornton, Senior Education Programs Specialist at NASA Langley Research Center
Robert Wojtowicz, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, ODU
Skip Stiles, Executive Director, Wetlands Watch
Community Partners:
Backbay Astronomers
Catch the King Tide
Chrysler Museum of Art
Community Market on Monarch
Core Theater Ensemble
Downtown Norfolk Council
Elizabeth River Project
Elizabeth River Trail
Nansemond Indian Nation
NASA Langley
Red Crooked Sky
Sway Creative Labs
Virginia Dept of Agriculture
Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS)
Virginia Opera
Virginia Space Grant Consortium
Virginia Symphony Orchestra
Visit Norfolk
Wetlands Watch
WHRO Public Media
Old Dominion University Partners:
Free Monthly Lecture Series is a series of conversations inspired by Luke Jerram’s Museum of the Moon and its companion exhibition Waxing & Waning. All recordings of the past Fall 2021 Lectures are available to watch on the Barry Art Museum Youtube Page.