February is celebrated as the month for love, but this season the East Coast Premiere of the new, full-length opera, Cyrano from February 8th through 17th promises a romantic experience which was called “…ardent, touching and gorgeous” by the Detroit News at its October 2007 World Premiere.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will present Gee’s Bend: The Architecture of the Quilt, an exhibition taking a fresh look at the quilting tradition in Gee’s Bend, Alabama, and introducing new artists and new motifs in works ranging from the early 20th century through 2005.

Lewis and Clark Revisited: A Trail in Modern Day, a traveling exhibition of 60 black and white photographs taken by professional photographer Greg Mac Gregor while he retraced Lewis and Clark's legendary journey, opens at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology through February 10, 2008.

The Franklin Institute, increasingly known for its dynamic traveling exhibits, will be launching its newest, Identity: An Exhibition of You, this week. The exhibit will be kicked off this evening with a keynote address from mayoral-elect Michael Nutter speaking on “The Identity of the New Philadelphia” in the museum’s historic Franklin Hall.

Effective now through January 6, 2008, more children will see the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s critically acclaimed Renoir Landscapes for free, thanks to a new special holiday discount, the Museum announced today. Families can receive free admission for a child (ages 5-12) with each adult ticket purchased. Renoir tickets for children are normally $12 Mon.-Thurs. and $14 Fri.-Sun. (Children under five are always admitted free.)

The Annual Young People’s Exhibition features work from more than 400 students enrolled in the Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial’s Saturday Young People’s Program. This exhibition includes drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture by young artists (ages five to eighteen), and paintings and drawings by parents enrolled in the Saturday painting classes.

The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial celebrates the yuletide season with an installation of a traditional Italian presepio in Fleisher’s Frank and Betty Louchheim Lobby, 719 Catharine Street in South Philadelphia.

The Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial presents the third exhibition in the 30th season of the four-part Wind Challenge Exhibitions at Fleisher—the Delaware Valley’s premier juried artist exhibition program. This season’s twelve Challenge artists were selected from a field of 273 applicants to exhibit in one of four three-person exhibitions.

Lee Miller (1907-1977) was one of the most original and ambitious photographers of the 20th century. She performed with unique success on both sides of the camera, starting her career as a fashion model in New York, working as a studio assistant to Man Ray in Paris, independently creating haunting, surrealist-inspired images as well as portraiture, and serving as a war correspondent during World War II.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art will present the first-ever exhibition devoted to Nepalese Art of the Malla period (1200-1769) — an artistic “Golden Age.” Marvels of the Malla Period: A Nepalese Renaissance 1200-1603 (December 22, 2007 – June 2, 2008), on view in Gallery 232, explores a time of remarkable creativity, when the fame of Nepal’s artists spread to Tibet, Bhutan, India, and even the Chinese court of Kublai Khan.

For Hindus in India and across the world, Krishna is understood to be both God and man. He is an incarnation of the god Vishnu and the supreme deity as well as a beloved baby, a flirtatious youth and a kingly counselor. For many centuries, Krishna’s divinity has been woven together with his human story in exquisite poems and images.

Generations of music lovers have made The Philadelphia Orchestra part of their holiday celebrations. This December, the Orchestra once again becomes a destination for listeners who want to experience the sublime sounds of the season. A Family Concert – Holiday Traditions Around the World – explores music from across the globe (December 8), and Handel’s Messiah, an audience favorite since the composer’s time, returns for its 47th annual outing by the Orchestra (December 16).