History Made: NMSEF Students Earn International Honors
Lancaster Students Make History at World’s Largest Science Competition
(LANCASTER)—For the first time in North Museum Science and Engineering Fair’s 73-year history, a trifecta: three finalists in the local competition traveled to Phoenix, Arizona last week to participate in the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), and each returned home with awards, honors and accolades.
Lancaster Country Day School senior Benedikt Kienle earned 1st in the ISEF’s Chemistry category, as well as receiving a full tuition scholarship to Westlake University, an all-expense paid trip to Sweden during Nobel week, and auxiliary awards Dudley R. Herschbach SIYSS and 2nd award by the American Chemical Society. Kienle’s winning project, “New Green Chemistry Iridium Catalysts,” had won Senior Champion at the North Museum Science & Engineering Fair (NMSEF) in March 2026. Kienle is a German exchange student.
NMSEF Grand Champion Ethan Albright, a Hempfield High School senior, was awarded 4th place in the ISEF’s Materials Science category for his “Bugged Out: A Novel Approach to Reforestation” project. Warwick High School senior Emily Stauffer competed in the ISEF as the NMSEF’s Senior Division Reserve Champion and captured ISEF’s 4th place in the Animal Sciences category with her project “Rats on Roughage: The Effects of Dietary Fiber on Rattus norvegicus.”
ISEF is the world’s largest international science competition for pre-college students. The three Lancaster County students traveled to Phoenix to compete among 1,725 other students from 65 countries from May 9 to May 15. “Accompanying our NMSEF winners to ISEF was an unforgettable experience,” said Todd Trout, Kienle’s science teacher at Lancaster Country Day School. “Seeing all three receive awards for their outstanding work made me very proud of them. I am appreciative of all who support the NMSEF.”
More than $7 million in awards and prizes were distributed at the 75-year-old event, which is the world’s largest global science competition for high school students. “Participating in ISEF allowed me to expand my professional network and gain inspiration from industry leaders like Dr. George Yancopoulos,” said Emily Stauffer. “More importantly, it provided a platform to channel my own health struggles into meaningful research, transforming a personal challenge into a drive for scientific discovery.” Stauffer plans to attend McDaniel College to major in Biochemistry as the first step toward medical school and a career as a gastroenterologist.
Warwick High School Chemistry teacher Doug Balmer, who also accompanied the three students to ISEF, noted the support of local educational resources in the students’ preparations: “Over 30 local businesses and individuals donated close to $11,000 to make this life-changing trip possible for the students.”
The 2027 North Museum Science & Engineering Fair will be held at Millersville University on Thursday, March 11, and is one of just six fairs in Pennsylvania associated with ISEF. Students from every public school district in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, as well as all private, charter, online and home schools are invited to enter the competition. Next year’s competition will begin with registration in early Fall 2026 and is free of charge to all participating students. For additional information, please email sciencefair@northmuseum.org. “ISEF offers a unique opportunity for our students to connect with other young scientists, engineers, inventors and global STEM leaders,” said Dan Daneker, NMSEF Coordinator. “These impressive results are inspiring to our local sponsors, volunteers, judges and leadership.”
Support the Future of Student Science
The North Museum Science & Engineering Fair has inspired young researchers for more than 73 years and remains completely free for participating students. Community support helps make opportunities like ISEF possible—opening doors for local students to explore, discover, and compete on a global stage. Learn more about supporting NMSEF and helping keep the program accessible for all at North Museum Science & Engineering Fair.
Hempfield High School Senior named Grand Champion
Hempfield High School Senior named Grand Champion at 73rd North Museum Science & Engineering Fair
From among STEM-focused students in grades 6 through 12 from 23 Lancaster and Lebanon County schools, Hempfield senior Ethan Albright was named 2026 Grand Champion at the North Museum Science and Engineering Fair (NMSEF) on Thursday, March 12 at Millersville University. At the 2025 NMSEF, Albright distinguished himself as Senior Division Champion.
Read More on our Science Fair Winners Page.
Albright and his winning 2026 project, “Bugged Out: A Novel Approach to Reforestation” competed among more than 250 student finalists, an increase of 39% over 2025 participation levels, and the largest level of participation since prior to the Pandemic.
Senior Division Champion 2026 is Lancaster Country Day School senior Benedikt Kienle, for his project, “New Green Chemistry Iridium Catalysts.”
Both students are eligible to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) at Phoenix, Arizona, May 9 through 15, among 1700 students from throughout the world in the largest international science competition for pre-college students. Should a student choose to attend, the North Museum underwrites the ISEF registration fee. Should the Grand Champion or Senior Champion choose not to attend, the Senior Reserve Champion will be eligible to attend ISEF.
Finalists also include Senior Division Reserve Champion, Emily Stauffer, Warwick High School, senior for “Rats on Roughage: The Effects of Dietary Fiber on Rattus norvegicus”; Junior Division Champion 8th grade student Alex Anspach, St. Leo the Great for “A Natural Solution: Using Polysaccharide Based Polymers in Fenugreek to Remove Microplastics from Water”; and Junior Division Reserve Champion 7th grade student Charlie Teachworth, Lancaster Country Day School, for “How Staging Affects the Power of a Gauss Accelerator.”
More than 70 expert judges from a wide cross section of local educational institutions and STEM-focused businesses reviewed the students’ projects. The NMSEF is one of just six fairs in Pennsylvania associated with ISEF.
“The North Museum is grateful for the generosity of our many sponsors, and their commitment to supporting access to STEM education opportunities for students in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties,” says Scott Downs, Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships. “Additionally, we are thankful for the outstanding contributions from our judges, volunteers and participating teachers and students.”
The 2026 North Museum Science & Engineering Fair is sponsored by Electron Energy Company, Kenvue, Eurofins, the Lancaster County STEM Alliance, Matt Glick, Lancaster Area Sewer Authority, The Stangl Foundation and Millersville University. Those interested in sponsoring future science fairs to keep them free to all students should contact Scott Downs, Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships at sdowns@northmuseum.org.
The North Museum has managed the Science & Engineering Fair in Lancaster County since 2009. The NMSEF has been a staple of science education in Lancaster County for more than 70 years, inspiring thousands of young researchers to create, design and discover the joys of science and engineering through their projects. The mission of North Museum of Nature & Science is to enable knowledge of nature and science by inspiring individuals, engaging communities, and connecting organizations.
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Read More on our Science Fair Winners Page.
NMSEF 2026 Category Winners and Auxiliary Awards
Senior Division Category Winners
Animal & Behavioral Science
1st Place: Geno Falduts, Conestoga Valley High School, 11th Grade
2nd Place: Madison Gonzalez, Conestoga Valley High School, 11th Grade
3rd Place: Rosemary Jacobs, The Stone Independent School, 10th Grade
Biochemistry & Biomedical Science
1st Place: Claire Duan, Linden Hall School for Girls, 11th Grade
2nd Place: Shamil Issayev, Conestoga Valley High School, 10th Grade
3rd Place: Olivia Hagy, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
Honorable Mention: Kylee Wood, Elizabethtown Area High School, 11th Grade
Honorable Mention: Nyana Perera, Veritas Academy, 11th Grade
Chemistry, Energy, & Materials Science
1st Place: Anya Dwivedi, Warwick High School, 10th Grade
2nd Place: Samantha Ilustre Do, The Stone Independent School, 10th Grade
3rd Place: Sona Rezhalova, J.P. McCaskey High School, 12th Grade
Honorable Mention: Kyle Reidenbaugh, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
Honorable Mention: Timothy Breckbill, Ephrata High School, 12th Grade
Earth & Environmental Sciences
1st Place: Ruby Garner-Valle, J.P. McCaskey High School, 11th Grade
2nd Place: Benjamin Koser, The Stone Independent School, 10th Grade
3rd Place: Zoe Keller, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
Honorable Mention: Owen Koser, The Stone Independent School, 9th Grade
Environmental, Engineering Technology & Robotics
1st Place: Kai Unwin-Wisnosky, JP McCaskey High School, 12th Grade
2nd Place: Bruce Burkholder, Ephrata High School, 12th Grade
3rd Place: Brady Shoff, Columbia High School, 11th Grade
Honorable Mention: Rojus Pauza, Lancaster Country Day School, 11th Grade
Honorable Mention: Pearly Mikhil, Ephrata High School, 10th Grade
Honorable Mention: Nicholas Reigner, Elizabethtown Area High School, 10th Grade
Microbiology
1st Place: Tirth Parikh, Manheim Township High School, 11th Grade
2nd Place: Anna Weidman, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
3rd Place: Yi-Wen Liu, Dayspring Christian Academy, 12th Grade
Honorable Mention: Audrianna Resetar, Elizabethtown Area High School, 12th Grade
Honorable Mention: Kiera Navarich, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
Physics & Mathematics
1st Place: Dev Marwaha, Conestoga Valley High School, 12th Grade
2nd Place: Hannah Szobocsan, Elizabethtown Area High School, 10th Grade
3rd Place: Connor Saxon, Elizabethtown Area High School, 10th Grade
Honorable Mention: Ethan Zhou, Lancaster Country Day School, 10th Grade
Honorable Mention: Landon Becker, The Stone Independent School, 9th Grade
Honorable Mention: Matt Savage, Ephrata High School, 10th Grade
Honorable Mention: Nehemiah Jackson, The Stone Independent School, 11th Grade
Plant Sciences
1st Place: Mariel Pasternak-Post, Lancaster Country Day School, 9th Grade
2nd Place: Emily Comerford, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
3rd Place: Lily Wolfe, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
Honorable Mention: Shepherd Todd, Warwick High School, 11th Grade
Junior Division Category Winners
Botany
1st Place: Lena Skiadas, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
2nd Place: Presley Clicqennoi, Ephrata Middle School, 8th Grade
3rd Place: Ira Chanko, Sacred Heart School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Benson Shank, Landisville Middle School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Finley Schulze, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 7th Grade
Consumer Science
1st Place: Arvind Jhaveri, Lancaster Country Day School, 8th Grade
2nd Place: Nolan Fidler, Lancaster County Christian School, 8th Grade
3rd Place: Eleanor Cavanaugh, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Rima Pasupuleti, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Corey Jones, Lancaster Friends School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Luke Stoltzfoos, Lancaster County Christian School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Kay Kraus, Lancaster Country Day School, 8th Grade
Earth Science
1st Place: Holt Carlson, Lancaster County Christian School, 8th Grade
2nd Place: Eily Schulz, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
3rd Place: Nayeli Santos, Landisville Middle School, 7th Grade
Engineering
1st Place: Madelyn Sheller, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 6th Grade
2nd Place: Noelle Wolgemuth, Lancaster Mennonite, 7th Grade
3rd Place: Ashley Thomas, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 6th Grade
Honorable Mention: Andrew Holton, Landisville Middle School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Delaney Smith, St. Leo the Great, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Evan Ciampanelli, Lancaster County Christian School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Gavin Schock, Lancaster County Christian School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Katherine Vaughn, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 6th Grade
Honorable Mention: Joel Tambo, Lancaster Mennonite, 7th Grade
Life Science
1st Place: Everett Cristaldi, Ephrata Middle School, 7th Grade
2nd Place: Olivia Kelsey, Lancaster Country Day School, 8th Grade
3rd Place: Grace Phan, St. Leo the Great, 6th Grade
Honorable Mention: Cameron Lefever, Sacred Heart School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Olivia Rodrigues, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Physical Science
1st Place: Alaina Atkinson, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 7th Grade
2nd Place: Arianna Allen, Lancaster Country Day School, 8th Grade
3rd Place: Jai Kataria, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Martin Kowitz, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Noah Costello, St. Leo the Great, 6th Grade
Honorable Mention: Akash Praveen, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Anushka Kurian, Lancaster Country Day School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: William Ryan, Marticville Middle School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Owen Cellucci, St. John Neumann Catholic School, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Mariah DanPullo, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Honorable Mention: Teddy Stairs, St. Leo the Great, 8th Grade
Honorable Mention: Aubrey Alexander, Ephrata Middle School, 8th Grade
Champions & Grand Champion
Junior Division Reserve Champion
Charlie Teachworth, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Project Title: How Staging Affects the Power of a Gauss Accelerator
Junior Division Champion
Alex Anspach, St. Leo the Great, 8th Grade
Project Title: A Natural Solution: Using Polysaccharide Based Polymers in Fenugreek to Remove Microplastics from Water
Senior Division Reserve Champion
Emily Stauffer, Warwick High School, 12th Grade
Project Title: Rats on Roughage: The Effects of Dietary Fiber on Rattus norvegicus
Senior Division Champion
Benedikt Kienle, Lancaster Country Day School, 12th Grade
Project Title: New Green Chemistry Iridium Catalysts
NMSEF 2026 Grand Champion
Ethan Albright, Hempfield High School, 12th Grade
Project Title: Bugged Out: A Novel Approach to Reforestation
Auxiliary Awards
Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories: Achievement in Analytical Chemistry
Senior Division: Ruby Garner-Valle, J.P. McCaskey High School, 11th Grade
Junior Division: William Ryan, Marticville Middle School, 8th Grade
Pennsylvania Society of Professional Engineers – Lincoln Chapter Engineering Excellence Award
1st Place: Kai Unwin-Wisnosky, JP McCaskey High School, 12th Grade
2nd Place: Nicholas Reigner, Elizabethtown Area High School, 10th Grade
3rd Place: Malachi Ream, Veritas Academy, 11th Grade
Society of American Military Engineers (SAME)
Senior Division: Pearly Mikhil, Ephrata High School, 10th Grade
Junior Division: Evan Ciampanelli, Lancaster County Christian School, 8th Grade
Southeastern Pennsylvania Section of the American Chemical Society
Senior Division 1st: Benedikt Kienle, Lancaster Country Day School, 12th Grade
Senior Division 2nd: Ethan Albright, Hempfield High School, 12th Grade
Senior Division 3rd: Anya Dwivedi, Warwick High School, 10th Grade
Senior Division Honorable Mention: Shamil Issayev, Conestoga Valley High School, 10th Grade
Senior Division Honorable Mention: Samantha Ilustre Do, The Stone Independent School, 10th Grade
Association of Women Geoscientists Foundation: Outstanding Woman in Geosciences Award
Senior Division: Zoe Keller, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
Junior Division: Brianna Ufret, Sacred Heart School, 8th Grade
Creative Solutions to Lancaster County Problems
Junior Division 1st: Tyler Cumberbatch, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 7th Grade
Junior Division 2nd: Jovan Aldae, Lancaster Country Day School, 8th Grade
Junior Division 3rd: Everett Cristaldi, Ephrata Middle School, 7th Grade
North Museum of Nature and Science Earth & Environmental Science Award
Senior Division: Andrew Otto, The Stone Independent School, 9th Grade
Junior Division: William Ryan, Marticville Middle School, 8th Grade
North Museum of Nature and Science Physical Science Award
Senior Division: Benedikt Kienle, Lancaster Country Day School, 12th Grade
Junior Division: Daivyam Trivedi, Landisville Middle School, 7th Grade
Longwood Gardens Award for Excellence in Horticulture & Plant Science
Junior Division: Catherine Graver, Sacred Heart School, 7th Grade
Jack O. Daneker Memorial Prize
Award: Qicheng (Claire) Duan, Linden Hall School for Girls, 11th Grade
Award: Rima Pasupuleti, Lancaster Country Day School, 7th Grade
Einstein’s Grandmother Award for Excellence in Science Communication
Award: William Ryan, Marticville Middle School, 8th Grade
North Museum Science and Engineering Fair Student Choice Award
Senior Division: Anthony Froggatt, Ephrata High School, 11th Grade
Junior Division: Dorian Flower, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 6th Grade
2026 Naval Science Award
Senior Division: Timothy Breckbill, Ephrata High School, 12th Grade
Senior Division: Anya Dwivedi, Warwick High School, 10th Grade
Senior Division: Carter Matthews, Ephrata High School, 12th Grade
Junior Division: Maddox Smith, Lancaster County Christian School, 7th Grade
Junior Division: Nayeli Santos, Landisville Middle School, 7th Grade
Junior Division: Katherine Vaughn, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 6th Grade
Junior Division: Madelyn Sheller, Our Mother of Perpetual Help School, 6th Grade
John S. Downs Memorial Award
Award: Abriella Rodriquez, Ephrata Middle School, 7th Grade
Regeneron Biomedical Science Award
Senior Division: Emily Stauffer, Warwick High School, 12th Grade
Fall Fest—Supporting STEM Education and Wildlife Restoration
North Museum’s Fall Fest at Millport Conservancy
benefits STEM Ed and Lititz Run Restoration
Family event Saturday, November 8, 10am–4pm
Families are invited to explore Millport Conservancy’s natural wonders on Saturday, November 8, from 10am to 3pm, as North Museum of Nature and Science and Millport Conservancy present Fall Fest. This 6th annual collaboration between two local non-profits is a fundraising event to support Millport Conservancy’s efforts to restore the Lititz Run stream through soil erosion control, wetlands restoration, and stream management and North Museum’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education programming. The Conservancy’s 75-acre refuge for native wildlife and plant species includes Lititz Run, where preservation efforts have resulted in healthy, wild reproduction of both rainbow and brown trout, which can be found year-round in its waters.
NEW THIS YEAR—LIVE RAFFLE!
Grab a chance to win one of these spectacular experiences.
- Morning Fly Fishing lesson with Tom Herr, valued at $350
- North Museum Birthday Party Rental, valued at $275
- North Museum Family Membership w/gift basket, valued at $200
- Lancaster Bounce House Birthday Rental, valued at $250
- YMCA 3-month Family Membership, including join fee, valued at $279
- Universal Athletic Club 3-month Family Membership, valued at $950
Located at 737 E. Millport Road, the family-friendly event is filled with activities for children of all ages:
- Astronomy Experiments
- Archeological Treasure Dig Pit
- Atomic Selfie Station
- Environmental Science and Sustainability Activities
- Face and Pumpkin Painting
- Lancaster Bird Club Activities
- Live Reptile Petting Zoo
- Bird watching and forest foraging
- Solar Observing
- Veterans’ Recognition
- Food Truck by Gourmet Julie's Way
- Beer & Wine Tasting Room for 21+ with Bierhall Brewing Co. and Fetish Brewing Co.
“Millport Conservancy relies on the generosity of donors to help us protect and preserve the land, the water resources and our heritage.” said Lynn Wohlsen Myers, Executive Director of Millport Conservancy and the daughter of the Conservancy’s founding couple. “Through the success of fundraising efforts like Fall Fest, the Conservancy will continue to be a treasured resource of educational and recreational experiences for students and the public.”
“We're thrilled to hold Fall Fest at Millport again and to continue this successful partnership for a sixth year in our joint effort to raise funds for the restoration of Lititz Run." said Andrea Rush, North Museum CEO. "Our enduring alliance fortifies the missions of both organizations and accelerates our collective impact on the community."
In honor of Veteran’s Day, all Veterans, Active Service Members and First Responders will be admitted free of charge.
BUY TICKETS
Tickets may be purchased in advance or onsite, $20 for adults; $15 for children ages 4–17, free for children under 4.
Fall Fest 2025 sponsors include: Flyway Excavating, Inc., The Sheaffer Family, Marysia & Salvatore Dina, National Novelty Brush Co., Univest Financial, American Crane & Equipment Corp., Cargas, Richard Clark, Ph.D. & Sepi Yalda, Ph.D., First National Bank, Gibbel Kraybill & Hess, LLP, Land Studies, Landis Homes, Sauder’s Eggs, Dr. & Mrs. Charles J. DiComo, and Walters Services
Nov 5, Lititz Record
World Premiere Exhibition: Imagining Insects Opens September, 2025
IMAGINING INSECTS
BUY TICKETS HERE
Sept 2025–Summer 2026
Interactive exhibition includes live enclosures, rare pinned specimens, and 13-foot mantis
(LANCASTER)—From the North Museum of Nature and Science’s 360,000+ objects in its collections, a new exhibition brings forward its cache of Entomology treasures for Imagining Insects, opening on Saturday, September 27. Highlighting Apterygota (wingless insects) and Pterygota (winged insects) species, this show, presented in both English and Spanish languages, includes multiple live insect enclosures and rare and unique pinned specimens from the museum’s Entomology collections.
North Museum’s one-of-a-kind exhibition enables visitors to look closer at insects and marvel at the feats they can achieve and the wondrous ways they have evolved. Imagining Insects, fully curated and designed by North Museum, will explore what it means to be an insect and how we can take inspiration from their lives, bodies, and roles in the environment.
Imagining Insects examines animals from a global level, then scales down to the anatomical structures that make them insects. Visitors will start by learning how and why scientists study insects before viewing insects in a broader human cultural context, then look at insects’ roles in the environment, from what they eat to how they reshape their landscape, to how some have evolved with complex social structures. A wall-mounted 24' long mantis replica reveals even more about insect anatomy and how their bodies are built.
North Museum’s Exhibits and Collections Manager Molly Wolanski explains,
“Visitors to the exhibition will learn answers to curious questions, like why do bumblebees buzz? Why are some bugs shiny? How do beetles climb walls and stick to surfaces? How can insects inspire you to create a better future? This is an opportunity to see unique specimens from the depths of the museum’s collections.”
The show will fascinate both adults and children of all ages, with interactive bug goggles, microscope, and art activities. Imagining Insects continues through Summer 2026.
Exhibition sponsors are Dr. Richard M. Fantazier, in memory of Robert J. Fantazier, and Oaktree Development Group.
Content Contributors: Jonathan Fantazier; Josh Kulak; Peter Licona
Welcome our new Live Animal Room Resident...
Welcome Hisstopher, the Plains hognose snake!
Our heartfelt thanks to Jason at @hog_alchemy for generously donating our new hognose snake—the newest Live Animal Room resident! This baby western hognose snake made his public debut on August 4 after we asked you, our visitors, to vote for his new name.
Species info:
Plains hognose snakes (Heterodon nasicus) are native to North America, especially around the Great Plains region, in areas with loose, sandy soil. Toads are their preferred prey, but they have also been documented eating other things such as amphibians, small rodents, and eggs. When hognose snakes feel threatened, they flatten their head and neck, hiss, and bluff strike. If that doesn’t give a predator pause, they may play dead! This performance includes writhing around, musking, and finally freezing belly-up until the threat passes.
What makes Hissstopher special:
Hissstopher was donated to the North Museum by Jason at Hog Alchemy in July 2025. He hatched on May 29th, 2025, so he’s just a baby! He is a little nervous around people still, but is quickly adjusting to museum life.
LEARN MORE about Hisstopher and all of the 20+ Live Animal Room residents!
The Art Gallery is Open Through May 2025
“Further and Again: Sustainability in Visual Culture” and “The Millport Artists Project”
Millport Conservancy and North Museum ask, how do sustainability practices shape visual communications?
The Art Gallery on the third floor is open! Works of art from 11 Lancaster county and regional artists will be on display and available for purchase through the end of May.
Art and science come together in simultaneous exhibits “Further and Again: Sustainability in Visual Culture” and “The Millport Artists Project,” both on display in The Art Gallery at North Museum from March 13—May, 2025. All members of the public are invited to the exhibit opening March 13 at 6:30pm, followed by a conversation with the artists at 7pm. Enjoy fellowship and light fare as we discuss how sustainability practices shape visual communications.
- Take the steps or elevator to the third floor
- Sign the guest book
- Reach out to our Art Gallery and Visual Arts Program Coordinator, Sheri Hansen, to purchase
“Further and Again” asks artists, when we create with repurposed materials or ideas, how do those materials or ideas carry forward their prior purpose into these new works? Does literal and figurative reuse have the potential to reveal a rich depth of meaning and connection that would otherwise remain undiscovered? Seven artists explore their relationship to the lifecycle of materials, process, and meaning in their works. Participating artists include: Bonnie Mae Carrow, Paula Cahill, Kirstin Fisher, Sheri Hansen, Katherine Hess, Mimi Shapiro, and Dganit Zauberman.
“The Millport Artists Project” began with a visit by participating artists to the Millport Conservancy in Lititz, PA, in Autumn, 2024. They were asked to make artwork about what they discovered there. This experience produced a combination of works made in response to their time spent at Millport working indirectly through sketches, or en plein air. Shown alongside each artist’s existing studio works to provide context, some pieces are still in production. Come back often to uncover what the Conservancy has unleashed in these artists’ everyday practice—from the studio to the open air! Participating artists include: Doug Anderson, Stacy Caldwell, Sheri Hansen, Marisa Smith Alberts, and Jason Ward.
The Art Gallery is always open to the public when the museum is operating, Wednesday-Sunday at 400 College Ave. Part of North Museum’s A.L.E. (Adult Learning and Engagement) program, works of art from 11 Lancaster county and regional artists will be on display and available for purchase through the end of May.
Interested in participating in our gallery events, or purchasing art? Contact Sheri Hansen, Art Gallery and Visual Arts Program Coordinator at SHansen@NorthMuseum.org.
Two Exhibits Open in The Art Gallery
The Art Gallery Hosts Two Simultaneous Exhibitions in March
Millport Conservancy and North Museum ask how sustainability practices shape visual communications.
(LANCASTER)—March 13, 2025
Art and science come together in simultaneous exhibits “Further and Again: Sustainability in Visual Culture” and “The Millport Artists Project,” both on display in The Art Gallery at North Museum from March 13—May, 2025. All members of the public are invited to the exhibit opening March 13 at 6:30pm, followed by a conversation with the artists at 7pm. Enjoy fellowship and light fare as we discuss how sustainability practices shape visual communications.
“Further and Again” asks artists, when we create with repurposed materials or ideas, how do those materials or ideas carry forward their prior purpose into these new works? Does literal and figurative reuse have the potential to reveal a rich depth of meaning and connection that would otherwise remain undiscovered? Seven artists explore their relationship to the lifecycle of materials, process, and meaning in their works.
Participating artists include: Bonnie Mae Carrow, Paula Cahill, Kirstin Fisher, Sheri Hansen, Katherine Hess, Mimi Shapiro, and Dganit Zauberman.
Art Gallery and Visual Arts Program Coordinator Sheri Hansen says,
“Artists are resourceful thinkers, constantly recontextualizing what they know with something new to evolve their ideas forward. Reuse and sustainability have been present in conversation in the arts for decades now, making artists natural leaders on experimenting around this topic. Imagining something discarded with fresh eyes is an endlessly fun and hopeful lens through which to view our everyday world. To transform something with only your action and intention is a very primal way to express oneself to others.”
“The Millport Artists Project” began with a visit by participating artists to the Millport Conservancy in Lititz, PA, in Autumn, 2024. They were asked to make artwork about what they discovered there. This experience produced a combination of works made in response to their time spent at Millport working indirectly through sketches, or en plein air. Shown alongside each artist’s existing studio works to provide context, some pieces are still in production. Come back often to uncover what the Conservancy has unleashed in these artists’ everyday practice—from the studio to the open air!
Participating artists include: Doug Anderson, Stacy Caldwell, Sheri Hansen, Marisa Smith Alberts, and Jason Ward.
Hansen continues,
“This [Millport] show allows the viewer to discover the differences in ways of thinking from one artist to the next. All started with the same intention to make work inspired by this beautiful and wild place, but the variety of the works collected here foreground the creativity and individuality of each maker’s studio conversation.”
The Art Gallery is always open to the public when the museum is operating, Wednesday-Sunday at 400 College Ave. Part of North Museum’s A.L.E. (Adult Learning and Engagement) program, works of art from 11 Lancaster county and regional artists will be on display and available for purchase through the end of May, 2025.
North Museum’s Shallow Seas Available for Traveling Exhibit
North Museum’s Shallow Seas Available for Traveling Exhibit
First exhibit fully curated from North Museum’s collections
(LANCASTER) SEPT 29, 2024—From the North Museum’s 250,000+ objects in its collections, a new main exhibit brings forward its cache of marine-based treasures as Shallow Seas, now through May 31, 2025. Highlighting animal and plant life found in the sunlit waters around the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, the 1,500 square-foot exhibit includes informational panels, collections’ objects, and opportunities to repurpose existing exhibit fixtures that combine to be an exhibit that the North Museum is offering as a traveling exhibition.
Through the exploration of three marine habitats—the Caribbean Sea, Coastal Atlantic, and Arctic Ocean—specimens of sea life, shells, and plants depict life that is present in each ecosystem, and how each has evolved traits to survive and sometimes thrive in their environments.
“There are over 100 different marine species represented in this exhibit across a wide span of the animal kingdom, making Shallow Seas a great entry point to the interconnected nature of our marine habitats, appealing to all students who have an interest in our oceans,” said Molly Wolanski, North Museum’s exhibits and collections manager. “While visitors will be more familiar with species like hermit crabs, sharks, and corals, they will also encounter lesser-known species like the arrow crab or blood olive (related to a cowrie).”
The self-directed exhibit features signage and bold graphics presented in both English and Spanish. Dozens of items such as the jaws of a Great White Shark, a Narwhal tusk and walrus skull add the three-dimensional experience to the dynamic panels.
"Designing these panels has allowed us to share North Museum’s treasured collection in a fun, engaging way,” said creative director Jon Derk. “By embracing bilingual storytelling, we’re excited to connect with every visitor and invite them to experience the rich stories of our oceans and how we are connected to them. The way this exhibit is designed to travel will allow other museums the ability to customize the panels to fit their own unique collections and floor space.”
Inquiries regarding the traveling exhibition should be directed to Jon Derk at jderk@northmuseum.org or 717.358.4149.
“Shallow Seas marks a new milestone in exhibition development as North Museum’s first exhibit that is curated entirely from its collections,” said CEO Andrea Rush. “We are excited to share this experience with other museums’ visitors, as they will be immersed in the fascinating ecosystems of sunlit waters from the Caribbean to the Arctic and learn how we can work together to limit further damage to these resources.”
Visitors explore how these ocean habitats are connected through ocean currents and migratory species, as Shallow Seas explores the fragility of these systems and the threats they face in a changing world and warming ocean. An optional collaborative artwork project allows visitors to lend their creative touch to the exhibit by enhancing an ever-evolving coral reef with underwater life that can be colored and added, making the experience informative and appealing to all ages.
Now in its 72nd year, the North Museum of Nature and Science impacts thousands of central Pennsylvania students and their families annually through its education initiatives in the Museum, in the community, and at home. Programs include field trips, early childhood education programs, summer camps, STEM Sisters, the Science and Engineering Fair for middle and high school students, and many other educational programs designed to create access to free and reduced-cost STEM learning opportunities and strengthen the foundation of youth in the Lancaster community and beyond. For more information on Sponsorships and Giving, please contact Scott Downs, Director of Development & Strategic Partnerships at sdowns@northmuseum.org or 717-358-7188.
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