Exhibition Dates
November 20, 1999 - May 29, 2000

Museum Hours

The Museum is open daily, 10:00 a.m.—5:45 p.m.
The Rose Center remains remains open until 8:45 p.m. on the first Friday of every month.
The Museum is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Objects
Illuminating both cultural invention and individual artistry, Body Art: Marks of Identity presents over 600 objects and many images from around the world dating from c. 3000 B.C. to the present, including superb sculptures, paintings, contemporary and historical photographs, rare books, engravings, and films. More than half of the objects and images presented are from the Museum's collection; the remainder is from public and private collections in the U.S. and abroad.

Exhibition Space
Body Art: Marks of Identity inaugurates a new 6500-square-foot gallery on the fourth floor of the recently constructed C.V. Starr Natural Science Building in the American Museum of Natural History, located at 79th Street and Central Park West in in New York City.

Exhibition Layout
Body Art: Marks of Identity examines a wide range of practices in the following sections of the exhibition: Introduction, Origins, Representations, Transformations, Identities, Distinctions, and Reinvention.

Education and Special Programming
In conjunction with the exhibition, the American Museum of Natural History has developed a full complement of programs for adults, children, students, and teachers, including lectures, panel discussions, family programs, multicultural programs and educators' workshops. Click here for more details.

The Museum has also prepared an informative and engaging guide for visitors, as well as a guide specifically designed for teachers, including background information, activities for the classroom, and a poster. The guide emphasizes how to use the exhibition to meet State curriculum standards across many subject areas. A special preview and workshop for teachers is planned for early December.

Curatorial Organization
Body Art: Marks of Identity was curated by Dr. Enid Schildkrout, Chair and Curator, Division of Anthropology. Additional support was provided by Division of Anthropology Curators Craig Morris, Laurel Kendall, Charles Spencer, David Hurst Thomas, Robert Carneiro, Stanley Freed, and Ian Tattersall, as well as Judith Levinson, Ann Fitzgerald, Pravina Shukla, and the staff of the Anthropology Division and Office of the Registrar.

Exhibition Design and Installation
The exhibition was designed and executed by the American Museum of Natural History's Department of Exhibition, under the direction of David Harvey, vice president for Exhibition; key exhibition and design services provided by Paul dePass, Jayne Hertko, Lauri Halderman, David Clinard, Robert Vinci, Frank Rasor, Geralyn Abinader, Melissa Posen, Stephen Quinn, and Steven Warsavage.