CSUSB art museum to host ‘time tour’ of Syrian oasis

The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art (RAFFMA) at Cal State San Bernardino invites the community to travel back in time to an ancient oasis when it hosts “Time Tour: Explore a Mysterious Oasis in Syria” on Saturday, July 27, from 2-4 p.m. 

Attendees will explore a vibrant city in the Syrian desert known as Palmyra, where they can partake in a stylish ancient banquet, learn to write in ancient languages, and look at ancient theaters, temples and gods. 

The event is for adults and kids ages 9 to 12. The children will explore what life was like in Palmyra in ancient times, while parents and guardians will engage in a fascinating history of the city, its rulers and inhabitants. This immersive event will end with a banquet that parents/guardians and kids can enjoy together, similar to the banquets celebrating community in ancient Palmyra.

“Time Tour: Explore a Mysterious Oasis in Syria” is free and open to the public. Parking at CSUSB is $3 on weekends. Contact Diego Irigoyen, RAFFMA education and collection coordinator, by July 25 at (909) 537-7783 or irigoyed@csusb.edu to register for the event.

The event accompanies the exhibition “Voices of Ancient Palmyra Resounded,” currently on display at RAFFMA. The exhibit features stories from ancient Palmyra – a caravan city located in a desert oasis at the crossroads between two powerful empires, Roman and Parthian, in the heart of today’s Syria. In addition to the stories from the ancient city, the exhibition also includes contemporary art inspired by Palmyra, submitted by artists in response to the “Voices of Ancient Palmyra” project developed by the exhibition co-curator, Carly Maris. The artists in the exhibition represent San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange counties.

Artists in the exhibition:

Fred Brashear Jr.

Aracely Gonzalez

Snežana Saraswati Petrović

Lydia Ringwald

Cindy Rinne

Julie Ann Silverman

Andrew K. Thompson

Joe Harry Troncoso

Exhibition curators:

Eva Kirsch, director of RAFFMA, and Carly Maris