San Bernardino, CA – 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

About RAFFMA:

The Robert and Frances Fullerton Museum of Art, nationally accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, houses a collection that includes Egyptian antiquities, ceramics and contemporary art, and hosts around 10-12 temporary exhibitions a year. Located at Cal State San Bernardino, RAFFMA presents the largest public display of ancient Egyptian art in Southern California. The current exhibition, “Journey to the Beyond: Ancient Egyptian in the Pursuit of Eternity,” will be on display through June 2020.

General admission to the museum is free. Suggested donation is $3. Parking at Cal State San Bernardino is $6 per vehicle ($3 on weekends).

RAFFMA Summer Hours (through July 31)

Monday – Thursday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Friday – Sunday
The museum will be closed in August and September.

About Cal State San Bernardino

California State University, San Bernardino is a preeminent center of intellectual and cultural activity in Inland Southern California. Opened in 1965 and set at the foothills of the beautiful San Bernardino Mountains, the university serves more than 20,000 students each year and graduates about 4,000 students annually. The university offers more than 70 traditional baccalaureate and master’s degree programs, education credential and certificate programs, and a doctorate program in educational leadership.