Calling all aspiring heroes! You won't want to miss a great adventure this spring at the i.d.e.a. Museum. The "Caped Crusaders & Everyday Heroes" exhibition, which opens Feb. 10, will unmask the history and science behind pop culture and real-life heroes through art and hands-on activities.
"Heroes and heroines inspire us and give us hope. Our exhibition sets a scene for guests to discover facts about how our heroes came to be and to invent their own superhero," i.d.e.a. Museum Executive Director Sunnee O'Rork said. "Plus, they will experience thought-provoking, imaginative art and nurture creative thinking through STEAM-based hands-on activities."
"Caped Crusaders & Everyday Heroes," which runs through May 28, takes you on a hero's journey to discover famous comic book, TV/movie, cultural and mythological heroes and heroines from around the world. Guests also will learn about men and women who became community heroes because of their work or actions.
"We want our visiting children and families to experience art in fun ways that also help them to learn more about the world around them," O'Rork said.
The exhibition is sponsored by the i.d.e.a. Museum Board of Directors Inc., the City of Mesa and the Arizona Commission on the Arts, which receives support from the state of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts. Other financial contributions come from the Gila River Indian Community, Wells Fargo Foundation and The Steele Foundation.
The Gila River Indian Community and Wells Fargo Foundation support the Access for All - No Barriers to Learning program, which helps pay for school field trips and free days at the museum. The Steele Foundation continues to provide funding for the ArtFul Tales Experience, an art and literacy program designed for children ages 2 to 5.
Artworks featured include paintings, digital photography, sculptures and mixed media. National artists in the show are: Duke Beardsley of Denver; Thomas E. Franklin of Montclair, New Jersey; Geoffrey Gersten of Scottsdale; Greg Gossel of Minneapolis; Josh Ln of Kansas City; Danny Neumann of Phoenix; Mark Newport of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan; Jason Ratliff of Indianapolis; Lizabeth Eva Rossof of San Francisco; Keyvan Shovir of San Francisco; and Ryan Huna Smith of Tucson.
Featured international artists are: Cl?mentine of Sydney, Australia; Andreas Englund of Stockholm, Sweden; Graham Kirk of New Plymouth, New Zealand; and Dan Sun of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. A collection of Vigraha Sacred Art is also on loan from Vigraha Gallery in Prescott, Arizona.
Contact: Yvette Armendariz
Museum Public Relations & Marketing
Yvette.Armendariz@MesaAZ.gov
(480) 644-4129