In Brief:
Title: New KEVA Planks Experience at Rochester Museum & Science Center Challenges Minds with Science and
Art of Building
Location: 657 East Avenue,
Rochester, NY 14607
Dates: June 2 through September 3, 2012
Admission: Free with regular Museum admission: $12 adults, $11
seniors and college students with ID, $10 ages 3 to 18, free for
RMSC members and children under 3
Detailed Information: www.rmsc.org; Facebook;
Twitter (@rocRMSC)
Media Contact: Debra Jacobson, Director of Marketing and Community Affairs
(585)
697-1944 • debra_jacobson@rmsc.org
New KEVA Planks
Experience at Rochester Museum & Science Center Challenges Minds with
Science and Art of Building
ROCHESTER,
NY—Visitors to the Rochester Museum & Science Center (RMSC) this summer
will construct wooden masterpieces of all shapes and sizes with KEVA Planks, a building exhibit
experience featured at the Museum from June 2 through September 3. KEVA Planks is part of the RMSC
centennial celebration, and will reside in the Patricia F. Hale Hands-on
Gallery.
Precision
cut, identical construction blocks, KEVA
Planks are hard
maple, about ¼-inch thick,
¾-inch wide, 4 ½-inches long and stack with surprising
stability. No glue or connectors are involved. Using only gravity, visitors dabble with physics in order to achieve balance,
optimum proportion and strength, and work with geometric shapes and cantilevers.
Visitors create anything from simple stacks, to castles, bridges and trains, to
full scenes such as landscapes, farms or arenas.
"With KEVA Planks, we
encourage visitors to use their imagination and challenge their building and
creative skills," said Kate Bennett, president, RMSC. "The beauty of KEVA is that it's an engaging experience
that's great for families and for all ages and ability levels."
With
a history of equal appeal to both children and adults, KEVA Planks require very little
instruction and allow visitors to unleash their inner experimenter. Visitors
will explore together, and problem-solve while thinking in three dimensions. Builders
will find stations with KEVA Planks
throughout the exhibit area and activity cards to spark imagination. KEVA projects are temporary. Visitors enjoy in their
own personal KEVA destruction, and
start another project.
"It's a new experience each visit to KEVA Planks so we anticipate visitors coming back multiple times
throughout the summer, and the hands-on engagement with KEVA promotes individual as well as shared learning," said Bennett.
"This building exhibit reflects our mission to foster experimentation,
community interaction, inspire interest in science and technology, and possibly
lay the groundwork toward careers in engineering, physics or construction. Best
of all, it's fun!"
Weekly community build challenges will take
place throughout July and August. Visitors can
participate in challenges like building the sturdiest
platform, the safest bridge span or the best furniture set. New challenges take
place each week, and community members discover the topic by checking the RMSC Facebook page for updates on these build challenges for the whole family.
The KEVA
Planks experience is also part of the RMSC's "3-D Technology Expo" event taking
place at the Museum from 12-4pm on August 18 through 26. At the event, visitors
can use KEVA activity cards as
inspiration for their creation, study one of the display pieces by structure artists, or just let
their creative juices flow. Professional architects and builders from around
Rochester will showcase their KEVA Planks
creations. Visitors have the opportunity to explore the science that goes
into art.
KEVA
Planks, made in the United
States, is a small family owned business in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Their mission is to bring families closer together and inspire the creative
spirit in people of all ages.
Admission to KEVA Planks is free with regular Museum admission: $12 adults, $11 seniors and
college students with ID, $10 children (3-18), free for
RMSC members and children under 3.
The RMSC is open seven days a week. Regular hours are Sunday,
11am–5pm and Monday–Saturday, 9am–5pm. Visit www.rmsc.org
for the holiday hours schedule.
For high-resolution
images and additional information, contact Debra Jacobson, Director of
Marketing and Community Affairs, RMSC at (585)697-1944 or debra_jacobson@rmsc.org.
Rochester
Museum & Science Center (RMSC) receives major funding from Monroe County.
RMSC includes a planetarium, nature center and science/regional history museum.
The mission of the RMSC is to stimulate broad community interest and
understanding of science and technology, and their impact—past, present,
future—on our lives. For more information about RMSC, visit www.rmsc.org. Find us on Facebook
and follow us on Twitter (@rocRMSC).
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