Music in the Garden

Wed., 1-3 p.m.

Enjoy the sounds of traditional Chinese music Wednesdays from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Chinese Garden. A different solo musician will perform each week, playing unamplified melodies on classical instruments including the dizi, sheng, pipa, erhu, and zheng. Let the music transport you to another time and place as you stroll through one of the most magical landscapes in Southern California.

Visions of Empire

Visions of Empire: The Quest for a Railroad Across America, 1840–1880

April 21–July 23, 2012

Drawing on The Huntington's unparalleled manuscripts collection on the topic, a major exhibition illuminates the remarkable changes wrought in the United States by the planning, construction, and completion of the transcontinental railroad.

French Travelers

French Travelers to the East: Jean de Thévenot and Cultural Exchange in the 16th and 17th Centuries

April 21–July 23, 2012

A 17th-century portrait of Jean de Thévenot by Philippe de Champaigne, one of France’s most important Baroque painters, is the centerpiece of this focused exhibition exploring themes of cultural exchange in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Lecture and Book Signing: Gerald Haslam, In Thought and Action

June 27 (Wednesday)

7:30 p.m.  Free

Award-winning author Gerald Haslam will discuss his new book In Thought and Action:  The Enigmatic Life of S. I. Hayakawa, a biography of the late California senator who also served as president of San Francisco State University during the volatile student protests of the 1960s. A book signing follows the program. In Thought and Action is available in the Bookstore & More. This event is co-sponsored by the South Pasadena Public Library, the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library, and the Helix Foundation. Admission to the program is free; no reservations required.  Friends’ Hall.

Book Club Series: American Regionalism

SERIES FILLED

May 23, June 27, July 25 & Aug. 29

(Wednesdays) 11 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Explore the uniquely American landscape portrayed in the writings of authors Willa Cather, William Faulkner, Sinclair Lewis, and John Steinbeck in a four-part book series led by facilitator Judith Palarz. This series will also include a curator tour of the exhibition “Roger Medearis: His Regionalism,” which opens June 16. Members: $85. Non Members: $95.  Registration: 626-405-2128.

Medearis

Roger Medearis: His Regionalism

June 16–Sept. 17, 2012
 

American painter Roger Medearis is the focus of this exhibition including more than 30 paintings, prints, drawings, letters and photographs, tracing the artist’s career from his beginnings as a student of Thomas Hart Benton through the development of his own distinctive style.

Summer Hours

From Memorial Day (May 28) to Labor Day (Sept. 3) The Huntington observes summer hours and is open from 10:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily (except Tuesdays).