Joel Bartsch: Stars of the Pharaoh - Planetarium Shows at HMNS

Monday, March 6, 2023

Stars of the Pharaoh - Planetarium Shows at HMNS

An accomplished museum executive in Houston, Texas, Joel Bartsch has spent more than three decades at the Houston Museum of Natural Science, where he served in various capacities. In 2004, Joel A. Bartsch accepted the role of president and CEO of the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS).

One of the planetaria shows at HMNS' Burke Baker Planetarium is Stars Of The Pharaohs. The show reveals how the early astronomers on Earth documented the stars, made the first solar calendar, and aligned Egyptian temples and pyramids with celestial geometry. The show also explores some of an ancient civilization's momentous temples and tombs. Actor John Rhys-Davies narrates Stars Of The Pharaoh.

Burke Baker Planetarium at HMNS has been presenting astronomical programs since its opening in 1964. The well-appointed exhibition hall features all the earmarks of an advanced planetarium. It has been retrofitted with the Digistar 6 Sych, a leading digital planetarium system worldwide. The Digistar system also has a cloud library, which helps incorporate the latest discoveries into the planetarium's shows.

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About Joel Bartsch

Since 2004, Joel A. Bartsch has led the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS) as president and CEO. In this capacity, he coordinates and leads museum staff and curators in the creation and maintenance of immersive exhibits, implements renovation strategies, and promoting museum-wide leadership. Through these efforts and many others, Joel A. Bartsch has nearly doubled both the institution’s annual attendance and membership base. He also oversaw two major expansions at the museum that added more than 250,000 square feet of space.

Mr. Bartsch began gaining experience in museum leadership more than three decades ago, when he joined the Colorado School of Mines Geology Museum as a curatorial assistant and assistant to the director. He held this role during his last years as a mining engineering student at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. From there, Mr. Bartsch took on staff roles at the Texas Memorial Museum and HMNS, curator of earth sciences at Lyman House Memorial Museum in Hawaii, and director and curator of the California State Mining & Mineral Museum.

Through these positions, Joel Bartsch gained extensive experience in everything from managing daily operations and directing fundraising efforts to writing corporate grant requests. He drew on this experience when he returned to HMNS as a curator, project manager, and director of earth sciences, the positions he held immediately prior to his current role as the president and CEO.