Vol. 19, No. 3	Sept. 16, 1999

Alan Bean, 'Apollo 12' astronaut, to speak Sept. 30

Apollo 12 astronaut and artist Alan Bean, the fourth man to walk on the moon and the first painter to step foot on lunar soil, will give a lecture at 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 30, in Mitchell Hall.

His talk, which is free and open to the public, will be followed by a signing of his book, Apollo: An Eyewitness Account. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended by calling 831-8242.

As commander of Skylab Mission II, Bean and his crew lived 59 days in space and 270 miles above the Earth. During his career as an astronaut, he helped establish 11 world records in aeronautics and space. He also was awarded two NASA Distinguished Service Medals, two Navy Distinguished Service Medals, the Robert J. Collier Trophy, the Yuri Gagarin Gold Medal and numerous other national and international honors.

When Bean left the space program in 1981, he devoted himself to a new career as an artist, documenting the exploration of the moon with the authority of an eyewitness and the passion of a true believer. According to author Andrew Chaikin, "Alan Bean is painting Apollo's human adventure. His art is both visionary and historic."

Five of Bean's paintings are included in the University Gallery/ Mineralogical Museum exhibition "One Small Step: Exploring America's Adventures in Space, 1959-1999," which continues at UD through Nov. 1. The exhibition and its related activities are designed to capture the imagination of gallery visitors and to increase understanding of the significance of space exploration, both in terms of its scientific and technological contexts, as well as its historical and cultural implications. (Please see story on page 7 about the current space exhibition.)

The University Gallery is located on the second floor of Old College. Hours are 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 1-5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. The University Gallery is closed on Mondays and on all University holidays.

The University of Delaware Mineralogical Museum is located on the first floor of Penny Hall and is open from noon-4 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; and from 1-4 p.m., weekends.

For more information, call 831-8242, fax 831-8251 or TDD 831-4563 or visit the University Gallery on-line at <http://seurat.art.udel.edu>. The University Mineralogical Museum web site may be found at <http://www.udel.edu/ geology/min/index.html>.