The Museum of Discovery was awarded a grant of $9.2 million by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to renovate and update its facilities and exhibits. The grant will allow the Museum to build a more visible accessible entrance directly on President Clinton Avenue and to create three new galleries.

While the footprint of the renovated Museum will not change, the square footage will increase to over 50,000. New exhibits will explore the physical sciences and math, the wonder of human life and global earth processes made relevant by their connection to the natural landscapes of Arkansas.

Museum leaders expect to start renovations at the current facility in late 2009. The Museum will be closed for several months for renovation.

Read the story in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette!

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The executive directors got a chance to see a model of our latest exhibit, which is being developed by the Science Museum of Minnesota. Science & Art looks at how science and art work together to inspire innovative creations that enhance our lives and open our minds. You will meet five scientists who have used both science and art in their work, and learn what inspires them. There will also be plenty of opportunities to experience science and art yourself with several hands-on interactive activities.

See more pictures of the model on our Flickr page!

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Arkansas teachers, who attended the 2008 Exploratorium Teacher Institute this past summer, shared interesting activities they learned with other teachers at the Arkansas Curriculum Conference during a session called Exploratorium Explorations, on November 14 in Little Rock.

Activities included learning about the primary colors of light and the primary colors of pigment by making personal "tvs" and looking at colors of light mixing. Attendees were shown how to conduct hands-on investigations locating the point where an earthquake begins; participants played a game that simulated p and s waves from an earthquake. A "Balloon Air Puck," made from a cd, a bottle top with a hole, and a balloon, investigates Newton's Laws of Motion. Participants learned how to use adding machine tape to find the relative distances between the planets. Teachers graphed without numbers using hand temperatures to show the linear pattern of the differences in temperatures of hands compared to a standard.
 
Attendees were also shown a slide show of pictures from the 2008 Teacher Institute and were told how the program operated. (More information on the Summer Teacher Institute.)

More pics of the ACC session Exploratorium Explorations on flickr!

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Thank you to the Ross Foundation for its generous $2,000 sponsorship for The Race for Planet 'X' to visit 6th-grade students at Goza Middle School in Clark County. Contributions like this ensure our mobile museum will continue to serve our rural schools.

To see photos of The Race for Planet "X," go to our flickr page!

Race for Planet "X"

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The Mystery of the Medallion will be at the Museum of Discovery until December 14. Those of you in southern Arkansas will have a chance to solve the mystery when it opens at the Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources in Smackover, where it will be from December 21 until March 8.

An archeological team has mysteriously disappeared from a dig site in Palenque, Mexico. They had been investigating a long-standing rumor that a priceless jade medallion is buried in the temple there. However, something horrifying has scared them off. Luckily, in their haste to escape, they managed to leave behind a video with clues and a warning to all who come after. See if you can uncover the mystery of the dig site and find the priceless treasure!

To see photos of the Mystery of the Mayan Medallion, go to our Flickr page!

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Activities at the Arts and Science Center
Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas, Pine Bluff
Christmas bargains galore will be a big draw at Potpourri 2008, featuring a gourmet meal and live and silent auctions. The event is planned for 6 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at the Pine Bluff Convention Center. Cost of the event is $75. Auction items can be viewed at the Center’s web site. The work of western artist and sculptor Frederic Remington continues in the galleries at the Center with the exhibit “Frederic Remington Makes Tracks” running until Jan. 24. Also continuing in the galleries are the “Impression-style” landscapes of artist Clyde Downs of Louisiana and the freestyle pottery of Gail Miller with Miller’s Mud Mill of Dumas. For more information, contact the center at (870) 536-3375 or visit the web site. at www.artssciencecenter.org.

November/December Activities
Museum of Discovery, Little Rock
Make a Holiday Discovery at the Museum of Discovery! Win a huge Christmas stocking filled with toys worth more than $1,000. One entry per paid admission between Nov. 28 and Dec. 20. On November 19-22 Discover Native American culture and tradition at Tribal Trails as S.D. Youngwolf of the Cherokee Tribe shares his people’s history, folktales, art, and music At Saturday Discoveries: Creature Feature on Dec, 13 from 1-4 learn about adaptations that help animals survive in their environment by viewing - or even touching - the real thing. $20 per child. Spaces are limited so call Beth Nelsen, Reservationist, at (501) 396-7061 to make your reservation. School Break Discoveries will take place Nov. 24 - 26 and include Tribal Trails Camp, Go Green!, Endangered Species, Science Magic, and Indian Animal Tales. For more information, go to www.museumofdiscovery.org.

Holiday Activities
Mid-America Science Museum, Hot Springs
The holidays are always a magical time at the Mid-America Science Museum (MASM). The Volunteer Association will host a special Holiday Breakfast for Kids on Saturday, December 13th, from 9-11 a.m. Children will enjoy a delicious breakfast, creative holiday activities and special "surprise" guests, and get their pictures taken with Santa Claus. Tickets are $5 and are on sale now. To purchase tickets, call 1-501-767-3461 or visit the website at www.MidAmericaMuseum.org. All children must be accompanied by an adult. There are Gifts Galore at MASM’s Museum Store. Its superlative array of creative, innovative-play, and educational gifts has makes it THE ideal place for “smart” holiday shopping. From rocks and minerals, classic toys and games, jewelry, butterfly collections, pottery from local artisans, puzzles, plush toys, books, museum apparel, and science kits, shoppers can find it at the MASM Museum Store. You don't have to be a Museum member or pay the Museum admission fees in order to shop. Holiday shopping at the Museum Store is a breeze this year with not one, but two upcoming sales: November 28 – 30, 2009 and December 13 – 14, 2009. During these sales, all educational science kits will be on sale at 20% off, and seasonal holiday items will be 40-60% off.

To see what else is going on at our partner sites across the state, see our Events page.

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The mission of the Network is to bring world-class educational experiences to the children and families of Arkansas. A generous grant of $7.3 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation initiated the Network and made the programs possible.

Find out more about the network of museums across the state of Arkansas. To keep up on the latest events and a behind-the-scenes look every now and then, check out our flickr photostream or flickr group page, our blog, our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter.

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