da Vinci: The Genius- Vite Aerea

Want a first look at da Vinci: The Genius? You got it! I previewed the exhibit with the press and took photos of a few favorite pieces in the exhibit. Here is the first of my favorites: The Vite Aerea!

Vite Aerea: The Helical Air Screw

"If this instrument made with a screw be well made – that is to say, made of linen of which the pores are stopped up with starch and be turned swiftly, the said screw will make its spiral in the air and it will rise high." -Leonardo da Vinci Manuscript B. folio 83 verso.

Designed to be made of reed, linen fabric and wire, this screw-like device could be operated by four men turning cranks on the shaft of the screw. This design is meant to compress air and thus obtain flight. Described now as the ancestor of the modern helicopter, this design was sketched by da Vinci but never constructed.

In da Vinci: The Genius you can see the Helical Air Screw realized as a beautiful and towering machine. With no ropes around this machine

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you can step under the broad canopy of linen and look closely at the workings of this creation.

Although many believe that weight constraints would keep this Aerial Screw from taking off into flight, it seems no less amazing to see. What a delightful mind Leonardo da Vinci had to conceive of such a concept!

Treasures of the Modern Renaissance: Milanese Tall Hat

With Da Vinci: The Genius Exhibition opening to the public this weekend we are getting ready to transport you to another time: The Renaissance. In the Grand Lobby at MOSI you can find an exhibit entitled Treasures of the Modern Renaissance which is a collection of Renaissance art pieces created by modern Florida artists. We’ll be highlighting pieces and artists from this exhibit here during the run of the Da Vinci exhibit.

Milanese Tall Hat 1540: Stiffened Felt, adorned with pearls and feathers.

The Milanese were exposed to Spanish and German clothing styles as a city along a key trade route. This hat, worn at an angle over a coif, is an example of the Milanese attempt to incorporate the fashions of other regions. The geometric patterns of the beading are borrowed from Moorish designs found in Spain.

About the Artist: Vandy Pacetti-Tune

Vandy Pacetti-Tune is a teacher/librarian and researcher residing in Auburndale, Florida. As a hatter, Ms. Tune recreates hats from Italian Renaissance portraiture. Vandy Pacetti-Tune is also known as Lady Franca Donato, a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism.

February 2010 Volunteer of the Month: Robert Wallace

Robert is a University of Florida graduate in Aerospace Engineering. He has been busily working with MOSI since July of 2009 and has contributed over 300 hours of volunteer service. Robert says that he enjoys his volunteer work at the museum because he loves science and is proud to have a part in bringing science to the community. As a volunteer Robert has helped to build and repair many of our exhibits and is a big part in bringing Da Vinci ‘online.’ We are grateful to have him as a part of the MOSI family!

Behind the Scenes: 3rd floor construction

If you drop by MOSI anytime soon you are going to notice some major construction happening on the 3rd floor of the main museum building. Right now we are working to remove our venerable Space and Flight exhibit to make way for the next phase of The Amazing You which is scheduled to open April of 2010.

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Some of the more beloved parts of the Space and Flight area are being relocated to the Kids in Charge building, so look for some additions there in the comings weeks. I went behind the scenes and snapped some pictures of the tear out so you can all follow along from home.

Down on the first floor there is also construction prepping for the opening of Da Vinci: The Genius which opens February 13th, 2010. You’ll see that a new gift store is being constructed and you might hear some construction sounds as the walls of the exhibit begin to come together inside the exhibit gallery.

Mathematical Quilts

Although MOSI is primarily a science center, we do have fairly regular art installations by artisans who create pieces that are a blend of art and science. Currently, one of these art exhibitions is a collection of quilts by Elaine Ellison who creates quilts that have mathematics at the core of their design concepts. The artist finds inspiration in mathematical sequences, architecture, and mathematics that occurs in nature.

Chartres Cathedral Quilt: "Chartres Cathedral labyrinth is an approximate golden rectangle. The gothic cathedral, begun in 1145, has a labyrinth on its’ floor. The cathedral marks the high point of French Gothic art. Pilgrims walk the labyrinth in reflection of their lives. A labyrinth has only one path. The architect of this cathedral is unknown.” –Elaine Ellison’s website

Buckeyballs and Bubbles - “This quilt turned out to be a tribute to Richard Smalley, a professor who discovered the existence of the Buckeyball in soot. For centuries it was thought that the only two pure forms of carbon were hard sparkling diamonds and dull, slippery graphite. In l985, Smalley's team announce a third pure form of carbon C-60. The Buckeyball was named after Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesic dome. The symmetry in the Buckeyball lends itself to applications in drug design, chemical sponges, miniature circuits, lubricants, catalysts, chemical probes in a scanning-fo rce microscope, batteries, molecular sieves, and possible use in photo copiers.” –Elaine Ellison’s website

About the Artist: Elaine Ellison, mathematical quilting artist

As the daughter of creative parents, I was fortunate to explore a variety of media from a very young age. My parents taught me the value of the arts in everyday life. Between my parents and the Central Michigan University Art Department, I was fortunate to explore drawing, painting, bronze work, photographs, woodworking, and textiles. My devotion to cloth peaked in the early l980’s when I read the book Geometry and the Visual Arts by Dan Pedoe. From this time, I have continued to explore the way that cloth can help me express mathematics geometrically.

My retirement from formal teaching in 2005 has given me time to develop more mathematical quilts. I continue to speak around the world at mathematics conferences, art museums, quilt groups and general interest groups. I have developed a wonderful PowerPoint presentation of my mathematical quilts that I share with interested groups.

Visit MOSI to see a beautiful collection of mathematical quilts on display in the 2nd floor connecting corridor gallery. You can also visit the artist’s website to learn more about Elaine and her work.

November Volunteer of the Month: Will Shumaker

Will Shumaker has been with MOSI since July of 1996. Over the course of his tenure, Mr. Shumaker has logged over 3,783 hours as a membership services volunteer. His work has been indespensible.

Will is an avid mountain and ice climber who enjoys movies, travel and phtography. Will also volunteers his time at the local greyhound rescue. He is very giving and seems to be friends with just about everyone!

A big thank you to Will for all he does to help make MOSI the great place that it is!

MOSI Wins Nation's Highest Award for Community Service

MOSI is excited to share with you that we have received the nation’s highest honor for community service - the 2009 National Medal for Museums, presented by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Out of 17,000 museums in the country, we are one of only 5 to receive this award!

We couldn’t have achieved this without the support of our members, visitors, donors and board members. Thank you for making MOSI one of the best Science Centers in the Country!