Night of Museums on May 17 in Jelgava

Night of Museums on May 17 in Jelgava

On May 17, Latvian museums will participate in the international European museum event “Night of Museums” for the 21st time. This year, the unifying theme is “Stories of Our Values,” and museums and cultural heritage sites in Jelgava are preparing to introduce visitors to the significant treasures in their collections. Entrance – free of charge.

Jelgava History and Art Museum of Ģederts Eliass (Akadēmijas Street 10 ) will welcome visitors from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. In honor of the 250th anniversary of “Academia Petrina,” the program will be dedicated to the history of education in Latvia. Visitors also will have the opportunity to view special museum exhibits that have not been previously accessible to the public, participate in an orientation game and a knowledge quiz. While exploring visual art, everyone will be able to learn about the works of the outstanding artist Ģederts Eliass, create their own artwork, and join a linocut workshop organized by the Jelgava Art School. The event will be enriched with musical and artistic performances.

Memorial Museum of Ādolfs Alunāns (Filozofu Street 3) will also be open to visitors from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. “Our stories of values are related to theater, so we will inspire both children and adults to explore what everyday life in theater looks like from both the audience’s and actors’ perspectives,” says museum director Elīna Skutele. There will be opportunities to solve theater-related riddles, test your speech skills, and take on the roles of a wardrobe attendant and makeup artist. At 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM, musical greetings – couplets honoring the “father of Latvian theater” – will be performed from the balcony of the Alunāns house. More information about the program is available at www.jvmm.lv.

On The Night of Museums, the Jelgava Holy Trinity Church tower (Akadēmijas Street 1) will offer visitors a chance to explore its exhibitions and experience history through different senses – to see the invisible, hear the unheard, and feel the lost Jelgava. The event is scheduled from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

For the first time, the Jelgava Old Town House (Vecpilsētas Street 14) will also take part in Museum night – welcoming visitors from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

In addition to learning facts about Jelgava’s wooden architecture, the Old Town House, its history, and restoration, visitors will have the chance to learn one of our ancestors’ crafts – the making of ķisti (traditional wooden containers).

With the program “Jelgava Palace – Our Value Through the Centuries,” Jelgava Palace (Lielā Street 2) will also be open from 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM. There will be musical concerts, and guests will have the opportunity to visit exhibitions in the Aula foyer, the Fundamental Library reading room, and the palace museum. Creative workshops and other activities about the architecture of the palace will be available for younger visitors. Please note that the Ducal Crypt will be closed during Museum night. More about the event program is available at www.lbtu.lv.

It is worth remembering that Museum night tradition began in France in 1999. Its goal is to introduce museums to those residents who do not usually visit them. On this day, events will take place throughout Latvia.