SPACE. SKY. SCI-FI.

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    icon Feb 09, 2012
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The Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art opens an expansive and engaging hands-on examination of Space, Sky and Science Fiction with five exhibitions that celebrate the beauty and science of the upper atmosphere, along with the determined imagination of those who explore it.
 
Beginning with Giant Worlds: Voyage to the Outer Solar System, visitors can discover the beauty and allure of our Solar System's four giant planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus, learning what these giant planets are made of and also gain a deeper understanding through hands-on experience that allows them to peer through instruments to explore how scientists from Galileo to today  explored our universe. Additionally, you can send a virtual probe through the crushing atmosphere of Jupiter, experience the push and pull of the Gravity lab, and take a bumpy ride through an asteroid belt.
 
The second exhibition, In Plane View: Abstractions of Flight consists of over 50 large-format photographs by Carolyn Russo showcasing some of the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum's iconic aircraft - from the first successful flight on the Wright Brothers to landing on the moon, decades of historical and technological milestones are represented in these images.
 
Sky Designs II: A Collection of Aviation & Aircraft Artifacts allows patrons to explore the excitement of flight through aviation artifacts from private collectors, including radio-controlled model airplanes, world-class collectible models and photographs.
 
“Between the Saginaw Valley Air Museum, Willow Run Airport, Mid-Michigan Model Makers and Henry Ford's Bomber Assembly plant, each of these groups had a plethora of aircraft & aviation artifacts that we were able to draw upon, explain Midland Center for the Arts Museum Director Bruce Winslow.
 
Touch the Sky: Cloud Photographs by Fran Gardino continues the theme with a collection of the photographers imagery of clouds, placing the viewer above the clouds where the pictures were shot, these canvas-mounted visuals capture the power and majesty of these billowing forces of nature.
 
And rounding it all out as a pivotal focal point is Out Of This World: Extraordinary Costumes from Film & Television, which features an amazing array of original costumes from some of the most popular sci-fi & fantasy  film and television shows of all time, including original costumes from Star Wars and Blade Runner to The Terminator, Star Trek, Raiders of the Lost Ark, and even the original hat worn by Margaret Hamilton as the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz.
Taken from a collection from The Experience Music Project, which was funded from the estate of the late Jimi Hendrix, visitors can discover how costume design incorporates color, style, scale and cultural cues to help performers and audiences engage with the characters portrayed on the screen.
 
The exhibits will be at the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art at Midland Center for the Arts, 1801 W. St. Andrews Rd., Midland. Admission is $8.00 adults and $5.00 for children and is free to museum members.  The museum is open Wednesday - Friday from 10 am to 4 pm; Thursday 10 AM to 8 pm; and Sunday 1 pm to 5 pm and is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays & Major Holidays.
 
On February 18th from 11 am - 2 PM a Cosmic Costume Carnival will take place where families can meet some of their favorite Star Wars when the Rebel Legion's Great Lakes Base costuming group makes a special appearance.  Come as your favorite sci-fi character and learn more about the incredible artistry of costuming.

For more information or tickets you can call 989-631-8250 or visit www.mcfta.org.

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