First Fridays series coming to Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum at 900 Exposition Blvd. in Los Angeles will stay open late for its First Fridays series on "The Diversity of Life," featuring public forums, film and live performances inspired by biodiversities in the natural and cultural worlds.

Each themed evening will feature a curator-guided tour through one of the museum's galleries, a moderatorled forum with thinkers, scientists, environmentalists and authors, followed by live performances by musicians and DJs.

Events are scheduled for Jan. 5, Feb. 2, March 2, April 6, May 4 and June 1.

"First Fridays at the Natural History Museum is really environmental culture in the making," said Vanda Vitali, the museum's vice president of public programs.

"Our upcoming First Fridays events directly engage the community, featuring live, audienceled debates that encourage visitors to contribute questions and concerns to the discussion. Guests can continue the debate afterwards in our In/ter/act space or experience performances by provocative artists from a variety of musical disciplines," said Vitali.

"Your Place or Mine?" will be on Friday, Jan. 5, with extended

museum hours to 10 p.m. Dr. John Harris, chief curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits, will lead a guided tour and presentation in the African Mammal Hall at 5:30 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m., moderator Hope Tschopik Schneider, host and science writer Margaret Wertheim and ocean activist Wallace J. Nichols, director of the Pacific Ocean Region at the Blue Ocean Institute, will discuss how shifting boundaries may stress or destroy places and species or change the things humans produce.

This dialogue precedes performances by experimental soul group the Life Force Trio and the cosmic-percussion ensemble Hu Vibrational in their west coast debut at 8 p.m.

Standard museum admission fees apply to First Friday programs. Tickets will be available at the door on the day of the event on a first come, first served basis.

Fees range from $2 for children to $9 for adults. No fees are charged for children under 5, museum members and USC students with ID.

For updated program information, visit www.nhm.org/ firstfridays.