MOR TO COME
Exhibits Scheduled Through 2018
Exhibits Scheduled Through 2018
Overcoming centuries of environmental and cultural challenges can make for unexpected partnerships that result in extraordinary outcomes. In Roots of Wisdom, stories from four indigenous communities are brought to life in real-world examples of how traditional knowledge and cutting-edge Western science can be blended together to provide complementary solutions to contemporary concerns. From restoring ecosystems to rediscovering traditional foods and crafts, Roots of Wisdom invites guests to understand the important issues that indigenous cultures face, discover innovative ways native peoples are problem-solving and contributing to the growing movement towards sustainability and the reclamation of age-old practices.
Roots of Wisdom: Native Knowledge. Shared Science., was produced and is toured by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). The exhibit was made possible with funds provided by the National Science Foundation.
David F. Barry photographed Native American men and women, frontier scouts, soldiers, trappers, missionaries and other pioneers, recording the panorama of people who populated the northern plains in the late 19th century. Barry recorded forts, battlefields, and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in present-day North Dakota.
Barry developed long-term relationships with some of his Lakota and Dakota subjects, who called him Icastinyanka Cikala Hanzi, “Little Shadow Catcher.” This exhibition examines his career from a photographer’s assistant to a professional image-maker in his own right. A veritable list of the people who played important parts in the story of the radically changing character of Dakota Territory, both American Indian, and Euro-American, are presented here. Chiefs Sitting Bull and Gall and Joseph of the Nez Perce, George Custer and his army associates, and many others are all represented in Barry’s voluminous portfolio.
Memory on Glass: D.F. Barry on Standing Rock, 1878-1891 examines Barry’s work as he recorded the creation of the Standing Rock Reservation and the ongoing controversies that continue to surround American Indians and their relationship with the U.S. government to this day. This exhibition, produced by MOR Exhibitions, will feature new research about Barry’s life by Museum of the Rockies Curator of History Michael Fox.
If we could travel back in time and visit Ancient Rome, we would be very surprised to see how many aspects of our society resemble those of 2,000 years ago. We would learn that we have inherited from this great Empire many of the objects, concepts, technologies and machines that are part of our contemporary life. It has been said that the Romans copied, or at least were greatly influenced by Alexandrine Science (that Greek-Hellenistic revolution sparked by Alexander the Great, circa 300-100BC). However, it is thanks to the socio-economic conditions created during the Roman Empire and the Romans’ shrewd, selective adaptations of that knowledge that have allowed the spread and preservation of many “ancient technologies” to us.
The JULIUS CAESAR EXHIBITION: MILITARY GENIUS - MIGHTY MACHINES Exhibition was born from the desire to recreate this fascinating period of history, as realistically as possible, to explore and experience the mighty machines, gadgets and clever technologies of the Roman Empire.
Showcasing over 100 exhibits comprising interactive machines, virtual reality displays, reconstructed scaled models, recreated artwork and frescoes the Exhibition is presented covering four themes:
Military Genius: The machines are interactive, reconstructed to scale by the Niccolai Teknoart Artisans, using only materials available in Roman times. Follow the exploits of Gaius Julius Caesar, reformer (inventor), military and political leader, and who played a crucial role in the transition from a republican system of government to an imperial one. Through the conquest of Gaul, Caesar expanded the Roman “res publica” from Egypt to the Atlantic Ocean and led the Roman armies to the first invasions in written history of Britain and Germany.
All Roads Lead To Rome: The Romans understood physics and excelled at controlling natural resources (the aqueduct), and used the abacus to manage their finances. To communicate with and better administrate (control) their multi-ethnic populations in such a vast Empire, they adopted a sophisticated strategy of propaganda images, we now refer to as Public Relations or even “Spin”.
Building Rome: The Roman Empire was in a state of constant expansion. Engaging in large-scale construction projects, from roads and bridges to baths houses and majestic monuments such as the Roman Arch that were symbolic of the Empire’s greatness. What made these feats of construction engineering so remarkable and durable was the sophisticated Roman use of construction materials. Inventions like cement, glass windows and large-scale production of an incredible variety of brick and marble products.
Entertainment and Lifestyle: They built amphitheaters (the Oval Arena is their invention) to host gladiatorial games, their favorite sporting event. The Colosseum is one of the world’s most famous monuments. This stadium, technologically advanced even by today’s standards, was fitted with features such as the velarium, the vomitoria, lifts, turning platforms and turnstiles. The skilled Teknoart artisans have meticulously reconstructed these features to scale, and have even recreated the gladiators in their dramatic final act.
Other forms of entertainment and lifestyle are examined (gambling with dice, playing with dolls and fast foods). In fact, Roman citizens enjoyed a busy calendar of religious rites and social events aided by gadgets such as pocket sundials and personal “notebooks."
“GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World” offers attendees an entertaining, engaging, and hands-on experience with one of the most important cultural icons in history: the guitar. The exhibition is comprised of three elements: the science of sound; the evolution, engineering, and design of the guitar; and its cultural impact. The Exhibition engages visitors in an experience that is visual, tactile, and aural. “GUITAR: The Instrument That Rocked The World” has it all: Music. Science. History. Pop culture. Video. Education. Interactives. Games.
It has an immense cool factor and is designed from the outset to attract all age groups – from individuals to families. Kids, teenagers, adults . . . every age group has its connection to the guitar, from classic rock songs and concert memories onto film soundtracks and video games. And the guitar has no boundaries: every form of popular music features the guitar. To date, over 1,000,000 people have seen the exhibit!
“To approach animals in their most natural, native settings, I have to understand the mysteries of their behavior. With careful preparation, I can show the animal in its best light, demonstrating its beauty, strength, and intelligence.” – Paul Nicklen
At the age of four, Paul Nicklen moved with his family to Baffin Island in the far Canadian North and so began a lifelong relationship with the vast Arctic landscape and its creatures. During a stint as a wildlife biologist studying polar bears, grizzlies, and lynx, Nicklen grew impatient with data gathering. He resigned his job, gathered a camera, a backpack, and an inflatable canoe, and set out on a three-month solo expedition in the high Arctic to pursue his dream of being a wildlife photographer. Since then he has published dozens of articles about the Polar region, including several for National Geographic. Nicklen’s photography of icy landscapes, polar bears, walrus, leopard seals, penguins, and more, illustrates both his passion for the environment and a deep commitment to conservation. As the Earth’s warming trend threatens the ice upon which the Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems depend, Nicklen urgently hopes his skills as a wildlife photojournalist will inspire stewardship of the rare, remote, and threatened at the Earth’s extremes.
Into the Arctic: Over fifty powerful paintings of some of the most remote and wild corners of the Canadian Arctic comprise this remarkable exhibition. Canadian painter, Cory Trépanier, created the body of work, drawn from four purposeful expeditions that spanned the course of a decade. The result is a time capsule of some of the planet’s most spectacular, yet fragile landscapes. During four extended expeditions to the far corners of the Arctic, Trépanier immersed himself into the land Canadians refer to as “The North,” hauling a backpack loaded with camping gear, and painting and filming supplies, which at times exceeded 100 lbs. He often traveled with Inuit, gaining first-hand knowledge from First Nation people. Confronting elements that included raging storms and ravenous hordes of mosquitoes, Trépanier’s motivation through it all was the inspiration for canvas and film born of experience in locations inexperienced by the population as a whole. The result is a remarkably unique and moving body of work that includes an unsurpassed collection of paintings.
*Exhibits, their dates, and locations are subject to change without notice.