So I’ll admit, I kinda forgot I had a blog...

This thing was way overdue for an update, and so I decided to try and make up for incredibly lost time by putting in a better effort. Like the new design? J

As some of you may know, I made a trip back to the States at the end of October. A total spur-of-the-moment decision, I ended up splitting up my time back between family, friends, and a serious travel agenda. In between running errands for material goods (REI, Gap, a cigar shop, Pike Place, Goorin Hats, Apple Store, Integrity Spirits, Big 5 Sporting Goods, and plentiful others), I was also darting up and down the west coast critiquing museums. Below are the eight museums I managed to see/learned from over a fourteen day period:

Tech Exhibit at OMSI

• Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (Portland, Oregon)---spectacular tech/engineering wing with contemporary examples; open labs for physics, chemistry, computer science and others designed to encourage personal and facilitated exploration; in-house design department; and currently, they’re hosting a fantastic multi-disciplinary exhibit about Identity that brings together genetics, psychology, sociology, and neuroscience.
• Museum of Flight (Seattle, Washington)---a history of technology museum that does an incredible job catering to a large demographic; object-based exhibits mixed with exquisitely restored collections (inside and outside) that are both approachable while showcasing their impressive engineering feats; actively integrates social facts (from historical to contemporary to controversial) into exhibit texts; excellent current exhibit on women
• Pacific Science Center (Seattle, Washington)---currently hosting the infamous Harry Potter exhibit, which doesn’t necessarily merit a review but rather a mention as an interesting learning experience on funding and exhibit content



DNA Sculpture at The Tech


• The Tech Museum (San Jose, California)---a fabulous science center dedicated to contemporary applied technology; exhibits on inventions with the potential to solve global issues; a highly effective, contemporary, and multi-sensory exhibit on microchips; interesting approach to credit sponsors; consistent female and minority presence; biotechnology exhibit with free, walk-up open lab opportunity; entirely bilingual
• Exploratorium (San Francisco, California)---artfully-designed exhibits that included little text but instead encouraged active and collaborative exploration of scientific phenomena, often made with readily available material; live microscope images of developing zygotes (zebrafish); art installments mixed in with science exhibits; hugely successful adult program (AfterDark) where cabaret meets gallery opening meets science club
• California Academy of Sciences (San Francisco, California)—platinum LEED-certified building that serves as a super-modern natural history museum and research hub; didn’t get to go in, but learned a valuable lesson in accessibility and funding—tickets were $30 per person…
• The deYoung Museum (San Francisco, California)—recently completed (2005) art museum that actively integrated influences from the natural sciences in their outside façade, inside courtyards, and galleries; permanent installments feature science-friendly artists like Andy Goldsworthy, Ruth Asawa, and James Turrell. 



Exploratorium's Art!!

• Seattle Art Museum (Seattle, Washington)—didn’t necessarily learn much here, but had an amazing time with Mom looking at some completed and in-progress Picassos J

Anyway. See how busy?? So if you’re reading this and feel hurt that we couldn’t hang out, or you didn’t know, please don’t take it personally. If there was one other thing (besides museums) I learned during this trip is that these two-week rallies never seem to go the way you planned; it’s always rush, rush, rush, and ultimately overwhelming. Lucky for me, I also managed to get sick (damn those 10-hour recycled air sessions!) in the middle of all of it, and so that just made things exponentially more frustrating.

Whining aside, to those I did see/stay with/bum rides from/talk with/share a beer with, it was fantastic to see you and what simplicity that was left of my trip existed solely because of you. Thanks for a good, brief visit—and you better get your asses to Sweden, so I can return the favor.

Now two weeks back in Sweden, it feels like I visited the States like a year ago. It wasn't hard to get back into the groove of things here outside of missing friends and family (really, a fantastic sign for me), but man, things did change. I landed in Stockholm in the middle of a massive snowstorm, and the darkness has totally set in. I looks like 6am when it's really 8am, and it gets dark at about 4pm...(sigh) it's going to be a long winter.

Classes this module look like they're going to be much better---much more relevant. We had an interesting seminar on fiction as pedagogy (ie: The Colbert Report---using fictional characters to critique a nonfictional reality), and next week we'll probably continue suit with workshops and more lectures. Not sure how that's related to museums, but it's interesting nonetheless. Later in the course, we'll have seminars on how to write exhibit labels (yay!), the legendary UK museologist Viv Golding will come to lecture (double yay!), and more lectures at the World Culture Museum (woohoo!). 

So it looks promising. I hope to God that's the truth.

Anyway. More to come later: class is in 2 minutes.  

Dad and I at Cal Academy! <3