date published: June 30, 2008

by Josh B. Wardrop

School’s Out for Harvard Art Museums
Colleges tend to get quiet once the summer months settle in, and Harvard University is no exception. This summer, however, things will be quieter on campus than usual because of the temporary shutdown of Harvard’s three acclaimed art museums—the Busch-Reisinger Museum, the Fogg Art Museum and the Arthur M. Sackler Museum—effective June 30.

The Fogg and Busch-Reisinger museums—which boast impressive collections specializing in Central and Northern European artists and European and American art, respectively—are shutting down for an extensive renovation project that will last approximately five years. The end result of the project will be the creation of a single, state-of-the-art facility uniting all three museums under one roof. Acclaimed museum architect Renzo Piano is designing the new facility (a preliminary concept drawing of which is pictured above).

The Sackler, meanwhile, is closing for the month of July while select pieces from the Fogg and Busch-Reisinger museums are transferred there, and will re-open in August to offer art lovers a condensed perspective of Harvard’s voluminous art holdings.

Big Top Hip Hop
You don’t hear about too many new folks jumping into the circus game these days—generally, the business of clowning, acrobatics, animal training and all the other death-defying, senses-shattering excitement of the big top tends to be handed down over generations by veteran performers.

Over the last 15 years, however, the upstart Atlanta-based UniverSoul Circus (pictured below) has built a name for itself as one of the nation’s top family attractions. This one-of-a-kind “urban culture” one-ring circus offers a whole new twist on the standard circus, boasting multi-ethnic performers from Moscow, South Africa, Brazil, China and right here in the U.S.

This year, UniverSoul Circus brings its newest show, “Jabulani” (a Zulu word that means joy, laughter and happiness), to Boston for a week of family fun in the Columbus Parking Lot at Northeastern University from July 1–6. Join ringmaster Tony Tone, clowns Onionhead and Ronaldo Aguiar, and all the other performing humans and animals for a circus that’s funkier and more vibrant than any you’ve seen before. Visit www.universoulcircus.com for further show information or to purchase tickets.

Brimfield of Dreams
If your idea of heaven is acres upon acres of tents selling pieces of the past to discerning bargain shoppers, while rubbing shoulders with aficionados well-versed in everything from Victorian furniture to postage stamps, vintage glassware to vinyl records, and everything in between, then you’ll want to strike out westward to the tiny town of Brimfield July 8–13 for this summer’s Brimfield Antique Show.

One of the largest antique shows in the nation, this thrice-annual collection of collectors attracts thousands of dealers—and tens of thousands of shoppers—from all across the country looking for their “white whales,” be that a piece of antique jewelry, a mint-condition Superman comic book or even a pair of Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz (it’s true—one was once found at Brimfield).

There’s a lot of ground to cover along this mile-long stretch of highway (bring comfortable shoes), but if you have a good eye, a suitable wad of cash and, above all, patience, you might just find yourself walking away with a priceless treasure—or, at least, one that’s priceless to you. Refer to special events listing.

Free Wi-fi, Fair and Square
If you pay a visit to Cambridge’s popular Harvard Square neighborhood (pictured above) this summer, feel free to bring along your laptop, cell phone or PDA and work, play, research or blog to your heart’s content. Thanks to a partnership between the Harvard Square Business Association, Harvard University and the City of Cambridge, it was recently announced that Harvard Square would boast free public Wi-Fi access for all.

The wireless network—designed by Meraki, a company that evolved out of an MIT research project, and constructed and deployed by the Anaptyx corporation in just under a week—allows visitors to Harvard Square to access the Internet in Harvard Square’s many cafes, restaurants and public parks. All of which means you can look like a Harvard grad student hard at work on a thesis without paying any of the exorbitant tuition costs. 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS