Tomorrow Night: Resurrection! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild the Morbid Anatomy Library! Silent Auction Items Now on View!

A final gentle reminder: tomorrow night at 8:00 at Observatory, we hope very much to see you at RESURRECTION! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild The Morbid Anatomy Library!

The full schedule of the evening's festivities follows, but here are a few highlights listed for your convenience:

• Mini lectures on Frederik Ruysch, "Beauchene" Skulls, a pocket anatomical figure, Santa Muerte, a Whale Bulla and more by personalities such as Evan Michelson and Ryan Mathews of TV's "Oddities" journalist Mark Jacobson, and  Melissa Milgrom author of Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy 
• Delicious complimentary (!!!) cocktails concocted by Ronni Thomas, director and creator of the critically acclaimed Web series The Midnight Archive
• World premiere episodes of The Midnight Archive, Morbid Anatomy and Evan Michelson episodes
• Charmingly delightful MCs Evan Michelson of The Science Channel's "Oddities" and cult writer and luminary Mark Dery 
• A mini-exhibiton of silent auction items which includes the amazing works seen above, by (From top to bottom, after the installation view) Rosamond Purcell; Erika Larsen; Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood; Andrea Meadows; Sue Jeiven; Justine Cooper; Jessica McCarrel; Eric Lindvelt; Ryan Mathews and many, many more; You can see a more complete collection by clicking here.

The party begins at 8, and the performance begins at 9; tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Full details for the event follow. Hope very much to see you there!

RESURRECTION! A Gala Benefit to Rebuild The Morbid Anatomy Library
Date: Saturday, June 30
Time: 8:00
Admission: $25
Location: Observatory (543 Union Street at Nevins, Brooklyn; Enter via Proteus Gowanus) (DIRECTIONS)

8:00: Doors, drinks, and music

9:00: Introductory remarks by our MCs Evan Michelson of The Science Channel's "Oddities" and cult writer and luminary Mark Dery

9:10: World Premiere of Morbid Anatomy and Evan Michelson episodes of The Midnight Archive, directed by Ronni Thomas

9:20: A Series of 5-minute "Odes to Material Culture:"

• Ryan Mathews of "Oddities" on exploded, or "Beauchene" Skulls
• Melissa Milgrom, author of Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy, on a Glass Udder
• Mark Jacobson of New York Magazine on a Human Skin Lampshade
• Lord Whimsy of The Affected Provincial's Almanac Volume 1, with "A Report from Carpet Island"
• Amy Herzog of Queens College, with "A Bunny Is Being Beaten: A Tale of Political Violence, Oedipal Angst, and a Lost Televisual Object (in which the author reveals far more about her psychosexual development than anyone ever wanted to know....)”
• Evan Michelson on a Whale Bulla, and How it is Possible to Love, Desire and Hate an Object at the Same Time
• Lisa O’Sullivan, director of the Center for the History of Medicine and Public Health at the New York Academy of Medicine on her Pocket Anatomy Figure
• Barbara Mathé of AMNH on an Archetypal Piece of Sliced Bread
• Daniel Margocsy of CUNY on A Tableau Made of Human Body Parts by Dutch Anatomist Frederik Ruysch
• Salvador Olguín of Borderline Projects on a Santa Muerta Figurine

Following will be complimentary cocktails, music by Friese Undine,  performances by Jonny Clockworks, and droll giveaways from the design firm Kikkerland. Attendees are encouraged to dress "Obscurely."

Throughout the night, you will also be invited to bid on objects in our silent auction which included works by such amazing artists and makers as:

• Mark Dion and Dana Sherwood 
• Rosamond Purcell
• Minnesota Rogue Taxidermist Robert Marbury
• MTA Artist-in-Residence Sophie Blackall
• Creative taxidermist Jessica Joslin
• Ryan Mathews of "Oddities"  
• Empire of Death author/photographer Paul Koudounaris
• Anthropomorphic taxidermist Sue Jeiven 
• Anthropomorphic insect shadowbox maker Daisy Tainton
• Waxworker Sigrid Sarda
• Museum-exhibit designer Christopher Muller
• Erika Larsen
• Shannon Taggart
• Julia Solis
• Justine Cooper
• Saul Chernick
• Nicholas Kahn
• Laura Splan
• Alex Kanevsky
• Suzanne Anker
• Friese Undine
• Demetrios Vital
• Cindy Stelmackowich
• GF Newland 
• Andrea Meadows
• Eric Lindvelt
• And, as they say, much, much more.

And, if you can not join us at the benefit and are interested in aiding in rebuilding efforts, here are a few things you can do:

• Make a monetary donation; to do so, simply click on the black "Donate Here" button on the top right hand side of this blog

• Sponsor a book; Click here to see a list of damaged books; books purchased here will automatically ship directly to The Library and populate our sadly empty shelves.

• Help spread the word!

• Donate new books or artifacts for the collection: Mailing Address: Joanna Ebenstein, c/o The Morbid Anatomy Library, 543 Union Street #1E, Brooklyn, NY 1121 To see more artworks available in the silent auction, click here.

You can find out more here. Hope very, very much to see you there!