We are so excited about the upcoming art exhibit “Outer Space” which will open next Friday! Artist Robert Hauser of Busyhaus Artworks in Peterborough, NH has created 15 pieces which take what we know (and thought we knew) about the universe and interprets that in three-dimensional artwork. You’ll see inspiration from Galileo, Stephen Hawking, and even Star Trek! This temporary exhibit will be included in regular admission to the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center and will be open through the fall- we hope you join us!

Since the turn of the twentieth century, audiences have been amazed by the technical and artistic marvel that is motion pictures. The very first movies were live-action, but it wasn’t long until artists started bringing their drawings to life in animated shorts and films.

Let’s learn about why we see animation, how computer science plays a big part in some of your favorite movies, and how to make our own Victorian animation device, a zoetrope!

Here in New England, autumn is a favorite season for many for a variety of reasons: the cool, crisp weather, the abundance of fall produce like apples and pumpkins (and the tasty treats made with those!), and the beautiful changing leaves. But with the changing of the seasons comes the question of why we see this change at all. So today, let’s explore why the leaves change color in the fall. Then, once we know the “why,” let’s save a little bit of fall by making fall leaf pigment prints!

We can study the way regular polygons interact with each other, and one way they can do so is through tessellations. A tessellation, also called a tiling, is a way to cover a surface with a repeating pattern of flat shapes such that there are no overlaps or gaps. A good example of a tessellation is actual tile, like what you would find on a bathroom floor.

This is a geometry activity that is good for all ages!