As time flies, I bet you are thinking that it’s about time for another open make. And yes, the time has come for the latest installment of our time-honored tradition. If you have the time, we think it would be a great way to spend your time to come by the Exploratorium this Saturday, February 18th from 10:00 to 2:00 for a timeless program that will surely be one of the greatest of all time. Ok, my time is up, but take a time-out and read up on all the great activities, makers, artists and collaborators that will be here this time.
In case you didn’t get the hint, this month’s theme will be time. Five Featured Makers will be interviewed in the McBean Theater between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., talking about their work and process, and taking questions from the audience. The interview will also be webcast live!
* Five Ton Crane (represented by Alan Rorie, David Shulman, and Sean Orlando) will share their retro-futuristic large installation projects, such as their Raygun Gothic Rocket
* David Forbes will talk about his passion for making clocks and watches with nixie tubes and oscilloscopes.
* Julie Chen describes working with handmade books and printing techniques as a “time based medium.”
* Roger Wood, in addition to setting up a portable workshop in the Tinkering Studio, will talk about making clocks from recycled and found gadgets and mechanical wonders.
* Our very own Nicole Catrett built a homemade stroboscope, which has since become a permanent exhibit on the museum floor.
In the Tinkering Studio, we’ll explore time as a concept through stroboscope photography, an amazing panoramic timelapse by former Featured Maker Ken Murphy, as well as Roger Wood’s clock-making workshop. You’ll also be able to participate in a Sumi Ink Club collective drawing, and see a timelapse of it unfolding (you’ll be in it, and see yourself, if you participate!). In the skylight area, watch for some of our experiments with time: make a life-sized stop-motion animation, create your own metaphorical clock that expresses your own relationship with time, or dissect a real clock to literally find out what “makes it tick” and much more.
Roger has set up a workshop in the Tinkering Studio and is making a three-faced clock out of an old lamp.
Nicole mounted all of the innards of a dissected clock like a biological specimen for the cabinet of curiosities.
Ryoko drew out a ‘napkin’ sketch of a new activity where people will try to make objects fall as slow as possible.
I tried out the personal chain reactions in the tinkering studio today and have been thinking about what materials work best.
And in case you didn’t get enough of the “time sayings” we’ve collected as many as we could think of for the metaphorical clock activity. Hope all of you can make time for the event this weekend.
