creative enlightenment

Chabot Space Center in Oakland

Expand Your Universe, Chabot Space Center, Oakland

Silvia

While the eclipse was a great way to get your children interested in space, planets, and safety goggles, you should use this excitement to your advantage to teach them more about the universe. The Chabot Space Center in Oakland is one of the places you can go to learn about space, see movies in a planetarium, tour the telescopes, crawl into a black hole, and much more. They even had volunteers explaining a pinhole to see the storms on the sun (we saw three storms the size of earth!) and another volunteer was tracking the sun’s movement.

Art and Science of Pinball exhibit at the Chabot Space Center in OaklandThe exhibit that convinced my family to go is their current Art and Science of Pinball exhibit, through September 27th, 2017. Of course they let you play a variety of pinball machines. But they also explain the mechanics and help you understand it by singling out the technique and making you press a button to see it.

Art and Science of Pinball exhibit at the Chabot Space Center in OaklandI loved the two pinball machines that were all see through!  One digital, one mechanical, they both allowed you to see the moving parts while someone else played. It made us go back and find the examples in the exhibit.

Bean Sprouts Cafe at the Chabot Space Center in Oakland

Also two thumbs up for the Bean Sprouts Cafe with a lot of healthy and fun food options.

 

Where do you expand your universe?

The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum

Line-Up on the Surf History, Surfing Museum

Silvia

Santa Cruz, aka Surf City, was the first city in the United States to learn about surfing. In 1885 three Hawaiian princes took a break from boarding school in San Mateo and taught the locals how to surf.

The Surfing Museum in the old lighthouse in Santa Cruz lets you in on over 100 years of surfing history. The museum is free, but kindly asks for donations. Listed in decades, it takes you through the advancements of surfboards and the history of local surfers. You can see the board that was attacked by a white shark, including two of the teeth left in the board!

From here, if you start walking towards the boardwalk, you come across the memorial for surfers that have left the earth for good. Behind the memorials are some surfing rules by Sam Reid.

Surfing sculpture in Santa CruzIf you continue your walk there is another tribute in form of the surfing sculpture (“This monument is dedicated to all surfers – past, present, and future…”).

I had a fun time watching the young surfers (I assume this was a summer camp) trying out the waves. 

 

Where is your favorite surf spot?

Sweeten Your Museum Visit, Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia

Silvia

PEZ vending machine at the PEZ museum in BurlingameThe first thing I learned about PEZ at the Burlingame Museum of Pez Memorabilia was that it is short for the German word for peppermint: PfeffErminZ and the company that creates these famous dispensers and treats is Austrian. Mini PEZ dispensers at the PEZ museum in Burlingame

This tiny museum was a great visit. For $3 you get a tour with the owner who has a copiousness knowledge of PEZ.

The vending machines that give out PEZ took me down memory lane.The cutest dispensers, I think, are the mini Japanese editions – dispensers for four PEZ with all the famous characters, like Pikachu and Nintendo’s Mario.

the Atomic Energy Lab is part of the banned toys exhibit at the PEZ museum in BurlingameThe museum expanded to show classic toys, like Lincoln Logs and Mr. Potato Head and a section on Banned Toys, which was my favorite: The Atomic Energy Laboratory (with 4 samples of radioactive material!).

If you like Guinness Book World records you can view the World’s Largest PEZ Dispensing Machine. 

Are you a PEZ collector?

Andy Goldsworthy’s Stone River at Stanford University

Sit by the Stone River, Goldsworthy’s Stone River

Silvia

Andy Goldsworthy’s sculptures in San Francisco’s Presidio are well known and worth seeking out. But did you know that Silicon Valley has one of his nature sculptures?

Andy Goldsworthy’s Stone River at Stanford UniversityAcross from the Anderson Collection at the Stanford University you can sit in the park and enjoy a picnic, while you marvel at the snake like sculpture. Goldsworthy’s Stone River. It took about 128 tons of material to build in one month. During his work on Stone River, Goldsworthy has also created a “heap of pieces with grasses and leaves” just a few yards away from the sculpture.Andy Goldsworthy’s Stone River at Stanford University

Every third Sunday, at 11:30 a.m. there is a free 1 ½ hour docent led tour for the outdoor sculptures. Tours start at the front of the Cantor Arts Center.

 

Have you walked along the Stone River?

 

Now hear this! sign at the Box Office entrance at the Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga

Exercise Your Auditory Sense at the Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga

Silvia

Now hear this! is the name of the new outdoor exhibit at the Montalvo Arts Center in Saratoga.

Subtitled: an exercise in listening, you might be able to guess that these artists composed an interesting experience for you consisting of 5 installations.

Seats at the Lilian Fountain Garden Theatre in Montalvo, SaratogaFor example Stephen Vitiello’s Taking Sound Cues From The Wind plays on the hour and on the half hour from 10 am – 4:30 pm at the Lilian Fountain Garden Theatre. A sonic response to the 1925 play Wings by Joseph S. Thompson. I could sometimes not tell if the rustling of the leaves came from the speakers or just that the wind was moving  the leaves next to me. For a while I watched a dragonfly dancing to the music, her abrupt turns fitting the rhythm. I did enjoy this piece and the surrounding distractions.

On the same note Soundings are two audio tours created by Detour, an audio tour guide app. Tours involve new artists and their music while exploring the grounds of the Arts Center.

I took the first audio tour and it starts with an introduction at the box office and guides you down the path through the blue garden. The first composer Theresa Wong shares her experience in Venice, Italy under a trellis. Beautiful and minimalistic: Venice is a Fish.

Next you walk up the path and stop on the next bench to listen to Wayne Horvitz sharing his composition: 55 music and dance in concrete, part 1.

Carmina Escobar’s music can be enjoyed on a bench under the ginkgo tree.

Nina Young ends this interactive walk at the Belvedere with Temenos – an arrangement about architecture and music.Belvedere at Montalvo Arts Center, Saratoga

It was a surreal experience listening to these unusual compositions outside in a park combining  the calming visuals of greenery with experimental sounds and with the chatter of summer campers.

How will you sharpen your hearing sense?

Now hear this! and Soundings

Monday – Sunday 10 am – 5 pm

Ends October 22nd, 2017

 

Charles Street Gardens, Sunnyvale

Garden for all Senses, Charles Street Gardens

Silvia
Charles Street Gardens SunnyvaleThe Charles Street Gardens in Sunnyvale opens its doors each Tuesday from 11 am – 1 pm. This is not only interesting for the curious gardener like me – always a pleasure to see what and how other people grow vegetables and more – but here the children’s garden is a special treat.

Kids are encouraged to feel, smell and touch the plants in a few raised garden beds.

The chickens that live in the coop next to it are a bonus.

Charles Street Gardens chicken, Sunnyvale
Do you garden with all your senses?

Start your Travel with Art, San Francisco airport

Silvia

I noticed before that the San Francisco airport has a lot of interesting art on display. Did you know that there is a museum located at the international terminal? It is only open till 4:30, so we missed the opportunity to go in last time we flew. But don’t worry there are different exhibits all around the airport.

Chinese opera shoes. Part of the Stepping out: Shoes in World Cultures exhibit at the SFO MuseumWe saw the funky shoes from around the world, a quick glance at Ancient Rome and examples of arts and crafts. For a complete list of the different exhibits you can check out the museum’s website.

Stepping Out: Shoes in World Cultures, at SFO International Terminal

There is also the SFMOMA store for your after art shopping fix.

Have you noticed the art at SFO?

Monopoly in the park, San Jose

Play a Game in the Park, Monopoly in the park

Silvia

There are so many great parks around the Bay Area and they offer many possibilities for games. You could play bocce in Cuesta Park in Mountain View, or pickle ball in Mitchell Park in Palo Alto. I’m sure there a many places for chess and horseshoes.

Monopoly in the park in San JoseBut the most amazing, and might I add Guinness World Record Book worthy, is the Monopoly in the park. You can find this attraction across from the Children’s Discovery Museum in San José. To play it you will have to book it and pay the rental fee. But I’m sure everyone will have fun

Senet Game at the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, San JoseAnother option, that is free, is to play a game of Senet, the Egyptian game that is said to be the model for backgammon. At the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose they have a great outdoor park with a Peace Garden, a Labyrinth and a Senet game.

Do you know of a great outdoor game?

Entrance to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose

Walk in the Egyptian, Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum

Silvia

The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San José has the largest collection of Egyptian artifacts in the western North America. The entrance is framed by goats similar to the Avenue of the Sphinxes in Luxor.

Egyptian king When entering I had to adjust my eyes; the light was dim which gives it an eerie atmosphere. The exhibits are going off in four different directions on multiple levels and are organized by themes, (burial practices, gods and religion, kings and pharaohs, daily life, trade, and neighbors) rather than time periods, so you can pick your favorite direction.

A lot of school groups were there at the same time. This allowed me to listen in to some of the guides’ presentations. I enjoyed the story of the senet game, which was so popular that no one bothered to write down the rules!

Tomb entrance at the Egyptian Museum in San JoseThe most spectacular exhibit is the replica of a tomb. Not necessarily wheelchair accessible, it guides you into an entrance room and further down a staircase into the tomb.

To keep the kids engaged they have a passport program in which they can collect stamps.

Have you walked like an Egyptian before?

Murmur Wall by Future Cities Lab

Experience code:ART, Palo Alto

Silvia

I love how devoted Palo Alto is to public art. Their latest installment will only last through this weekend code:ART.

Eight installations starting at City Hall are meant to involve the audience and inspire the dialogue of passerbys.

Advertised as a laboratory for urban experimentation the artists reimagine public spaces through interactive sound, light and motion installations.

The Murmur Wall, the first installation at City Hall, displays search terms from Palo Alto on multiple LED screens connected with lights. On the website: http://www.murmurwall.net/Whisper you can enter your own “whispers” that will be displayed instantly. This will be the only piece that will remain after June 3rd. Since it is LED lights I bet it is better viewed at night.

The soTomo Saito's Save and Soundund installation of Tomo Saito is active twice a day at 2 pm and 6 pm.  It is a concert made by the people that sit down in the chairs.

Across the street you can be part of the art making and let Palo Alto know what your dream city will look like.

Sensory Garden by Elaine Uang, Sandra Slater & Megan Stevens

 

My favorite piece is the Sensory Garden. In an alley next to Bell’s books the artists try to evoke all of your senses. You can touch moss, smell herbs, admire the chalk mural or rattle some cow bells. 

Will you check out code:ART?