Can Seurat depicts 106,000 aluminum cans, the number used in the United States every thirty seconds. The piece is part of the "Running the Numbers" exhibit by Ballard artist Chris Jordan. It's on display through Jan. 3 at Pacific Science Center.
A Parent's Review: Two Eye-Popping New Exhibits at Pacific Science Center
by Julie Deutscher
An exhibit about cartoons may seem out of place in a museum devoted to science, but Yabba Dabba Doo! What an eye-popping way to introduce concepts in science, math and technology to kids.
“Discovering the Nuts and Bolts of Animation,” on display now through Jan. 3 at Pacific Science Center, was a blockbuster hit with my daughters, ages 7 and 10. The 6,000-square-foot traveling exhibit with more than 25 interactive stations was created by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in collaboration with the Cartoon Network. There are six thematic areas to explore: History, Animation Studio, Art in Motion, Science Laboratory, Sound and Stage, and Cartoon Museum.
One of our favorites was Art in Motion where we investigated stop motion (an animation technique using a series of still photographs to make an object appear to move) with a camera, monitor and box of simple shapes. My older daughter used the shapes to animate a happy face, while my younger daughter made her hand dance across the screen.
A computer junkie, my youngest thought she'd hit the “screen time” (what we call earned computer and TV time in my home) jackpot. And just like at home, I had a hard time pulling her away, but I didn't mind. There were no couch potatoes here. My daughters had no interest in the screening rooms or stations where all they could do was sit and simply watch cartoons. Their minds were fully engaged in learning what it takes to make cartoons.
One of their other favorite stations was the Foley room where they got to create sound effects for a cartoon using items such as an electric toothbrush, bells and throwing crumpled paper in a wastebasket. We all loved the station where we got to put our own voices over animated characters, and another where cameras helped create the illusion we were magically moving around a room without using our legs.
My children were so inspired by their visit that half of my husband's computer desk at home has turned into our own animation studio. My husband worked with the girls on programming their own stop-motion software and he now shares his desk with a “green screen” made of construction paper, a "spotlight" lamp, sets made of blocks and Legos, and the stars of their animated features, a hand-drawn turtle and small animal figurines.
The best museum exhibits inspire learning far beyond their walls and this one certainly did for my family.
Running the Numbers
Don't leave the Animation exhibit without venturing upstairs to view Ballard-based artist Chris Jordan's exhibit, “Running the Numbers.” If the Animation exhibit made your kids' eyes pop, this one will make yours do the same.
Jordan portrays the statistics of American mass consumption in art. In everyday life, what's out of sight is often out of mind, but Jordan puts you face to face with your discarded waste. That plastic cup you consumed your beverage from on your last airplane flight? Yours was just one of six million plastic cups used on airlines on that one day. Jordan shows you what six million stacked plastic cups look like and they're virtually unrecognizable on his large-scale canvass until you're right up next to it. He does the same for dozens of other products of mass consumption, including aluminum cans. There are 106,000 used in the U.S. every 30 seconds. Jordan shows us what that looks like in a not-to-be-missed replica of Seurat's famous painting, Sunday Afternoon.
Jordan's exhibit lives up to its promise to change the way you view the world.
Julie Deutscher is a Web editor and writer for Seattle's Child and a mother of two.
IF YOU GO
When: Both exhibits run now through Jan. 3.
Where: Pacific Science Center, located on the Seattle Center campus near the Space Needle.
Cost: Free with general museum admission. Adults $14, seniors (65 and older) $12, youth (6 to 15) $9, children (3 to 5) $7, 3 and under free.
Parent Tip: Allow plenty of time and go early in the day if you're visiting on a weekend. Many of the Animation stations take time to explore and lines can form during busy times.
