STATEN ISLAND N.Y. -- This Friday, the Staten Island Museum is celebrating its 140th anniversary of its founding on November 12, 1881 by a group of young naturalists who came together with the idea to preserve the natural history of Staten Island.

To celebrate this day, the Museum has multiple initiatives, including a 140 Object virtual exhibition. The exhibition includes historical maps, periodical cicada specimen, sculptures, modern art, and historical artifacts chosen by the Staten Island Museums collections staff. It is also the first installment of the museums new online collections database.

Hylan Plaza, Peter Van Dyck (American, 1978) (Courtesy/ Staten Island Museum)Staten Island Museum

We are grateful to the founders for acting on their love for Staten Island and their instincts to preserve specimens. Now, 140 years later, the current museum staff and Board of Trustees are building upon that legacy and pursuing what it means to be a 21st century museum and New York Citys only remaining cultural institution with collections that span natural science, history, and art, said Janice Monger, Staten Island Museum President and CEO. We welcome the public to visit us in person for a stunning site-specific artist installation Jennifer Angus: Magicicada or peruse a new online exhibition 140 Objects to experience the collections from home.

Jennifer Angus, Magicicada at the Staten Island museum (Courtesy/ Staten Island Museum)

Staten Island Museum is home to one of the worlds largest collection of cicadas, the Magicicada exhibit. Magicicada refers to a genus of cicada that was designated in 1925 by Staten Island Museum co-founder and cicada expert William T. Davis. The exhibit is now featuring an installation from artist, Jennifer Angus. The installation is filled with patterns created with preserved insects. Angus installation is currently on view until May 2022.

Arch-Hommage VII, Helen Levin (Courtesy/ Staten Island Museum)Staten Island Museum

Another anniversary initiative the museum is holding is part of its longstanding art show tradition of the past 70 years. The open call is for an exhibition called Yes, And which is aimed to open in June of 2022. The theme suggests the abundance of experience on and perception of Staten Islands art and artists. Applications are being accepted through December 31, 2021.

-Morris Moving Company, Gift of the Morris Family, Collection (Courtesy/ Staten Island Museum)Staten Island Museum

Staten Island Museum is also partnering with the Richard B. Dickenson Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (SIAAHGS) and Frederick Douglass Memorial Park, for over the next two years they will be working on the Access, Collaboration, and Equity in Genealogy (ACEGen) initiative to digitize burial records dating back to the cemeterys founding in the 1930s. ACEGen will begin with a special focus on African American records, and the museums collection will be accessible to the public online with historical documents that are under-represented in the public record.

Staten Island Museum timeline from 1881-2007 (Courtesy/ Staten Island Museum)

Staten Island Museum timeline from 1881-2007 (Courtesy/ Staten Island Museum)

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Staten Island Museum celebrates its 140th Anniversary with 140 Objects online exhibition - SILive.com