Noah's Ark at the Skirball

This weekend I was down in LA to see some friends (congratulations Vee and Oscar!) and was surprised with a visit to The Skirball to catch the popular exhibit, Noah's Ark, before the end of the month.

For those of you not familiar with it, it is an interactive exhibit which showcases a slew of animals made from repurposed/found objects. Inside the exhibit is an actual ark complete with rope ladders, a mini kitchen, and even foam pieces of poop that the kids can use little dustpans to sweep up. It was a great opportunity to get into that child state again and allow myself to give in to that sense of wonder -- something we should all do more often. So, adults, kids, if you haven't seen it yet be sure to stop by before it closes. Below are a couple of highlights and here's an article on the designs and artists.

This crocodile's head is made from a violin case, its teeth are pipette tips, and its tongue is the neck of a violin. If you look closely, you'll notice that the brows are actually leather gloves and the eyes are small cabinet knobs.

This deer has shoe forms for ears and below...

an assortment of found objects from rulers, to pulleys, to wrenches make up its body.

These turtles, perched innocently atop a wooden beam of the ark, are made from steel rebar and...catcher's masks! They are made of found objects yet manage to capture so much personality!

There were a number of different bird friends floating over head but this one was definitely the most dramatic with her red fan wings and spring torso.

I should also mention that one of the greatest things was watching the kids interact with the exhibit and hear their commentary on it. At the end of the exhibit, they have a little desk where visitors can make a statement about what they can do to improve the world. That statement is then projected on a nearby wall in circulation with a host of others for about a week. This one was just too good not to post :)

Education First!

The Art Center petition to put education first is closing tomorrow, June 13th. If you haven't signed it already, please do so and tell all your Art Center friends about it!

Art Center Petition: Education First!