September 9, 2009 - "The Art of Death in Ancient Egypt," an exciting exhibit of ancient Egyptian artifacts, will open at California State University,Bakersfield's Todd Madigan Gallery on Thursday, Oct. 1. The collection, on loan from the Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology, follows the fascinating evolution of funerary practices through Egyptian history by showcasing items specifically created for the afterlife.

The exhibit will run through Sunday, Nov. 8 and will be offered free to the public with $2 for parking. Gallery hours are noon - 7 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon - 8 p.m. on Fridays, with extended hours preceding play performances.

Art enthusiasts, ancient historians and budding archaeologists who visit will get a first-hand look at artifacts spanning the ages, beginning with Predynastic and Old Kingdom periods and progressing through the later Roman and Greek-influenced Coptic period. The collection's centerpiece features a stunning hand-painted sarcophagus dating back to the Third Intermediate Period, Dynasty 22, circa 945-712 B.C. Other unique items,such as an offering table, Coptic period children's tunic, and gold painted mummy mask, will make this exhibit a one-of-a-kind exhibit in Kern County.

"This exhibit is like nothing we have ever seen before here in Bakersfield," said Robert Yohe, a renowned archeologist and CSUB professor who conducts archeological research in Egypt. "The opportunity to view these items in an intimate setting like the Madigan Gallery is rare, and I encourage everyone - young and old - to come see these amazing pieces of Egyptian history. Come and be the first to see the afterlife."

Special events for the community are planned throughout the exhibit's run, including:

• Thursday, Oct. 1: Opening night reception in the Todd Madigan Gallery
  6:30 - 8 p.m.; free admission and parking; reservations are encouraged to rsvp@csub.edu or (661) 654-2136.
• Friday, Oct. 2: "Living Forever: Death in Ancient Egypt" with Carol Redmount
  Lecture begins at 3:30 p.m. in the Dorothy Donahoe Hall, room GJ102, followed by exhibit viewing in the gallery; Redmount is the Egyptian curator at the Hearst Museum; free admission
• Friday, Oct. 9: "Early Christianity and Treatment of the Dead in Late Roman Egypt" with Robert Yohe
  Lecture begins at 6 p.m. in the Doré Theatre followed by exhibit viewing in the gallery; Yohe is CSUB professor and director of CSUB's Laboratory of Archaeological Science; he is also associate director of the Tell El-Hibeh project in Egypt and recently returned from the excavation; free admission
• Friday, Oct. 23: "Beasts, Death and the Sun: a selective introduction to ancient Egyptian religion" with Shelley Stone
  Lecture begins at 6 p.m. in the Doré Theatre followed by exhibit viewing in the gallery; Stone is a CSUB professor who does archeological research at the Greco-Roman site of Morgantina on the island of Sicily, Italy; free admission
• Thursday - Sunday, Nov. 5-8: "The Scepter in the Sand" by Michael Mejia
  World premiere play by Michael Mejia; Doré Theatre; Join three archeology students as they stumble upon a cursed scepter and are drawn into the struggles of the ancient Egyptian gods; art exhibit will be open an hour prior to each performance; call (661) 654-3150 for show times and ticket information.