The Henry Ford Museum stuns again with its latest exhibition, Mathematica, which opened today. The interactive exhibit- which your kids will L-O-V-E, is based on the work of design duo Ray and Charles Eames.
Best known for their timeless design sense encompassing modern textiles, architecture, furniture and graphics— the team also left their mark in the field of mathematics and computing.
The original Mathematica exhibit was created by the Eames' for the 1964 World Fair. The Henry Ford Museum’s Director of Historical Resources, Marc Greuther, acquired the exhibit in 2015 and has been working tirelessly to bring the exhibit to the museum for visitors to experience.
Best known for their timeless design sense encompassing modern textiles, architecture, furniture and graphics— the team also left their mark in the field of mathematics and computing.
The original Mathematica exhibit was created by the Eames' for the 1964 World Fair. The Henry Ford Museum’s Director of Historical Resources, Marc Greuther, acquired the exhibit in 2015 and has been working tirelessly to bring the exhibit to the museum for visitors to experience.
Click 'Read More' to read about our experience ↓↓↓
The size and breadth of Mathematica is more far-reaching than similar exhibitions seen in the past. There are numerous displays, most interactive- that are truly engaging audiences to explore without abandon.
Walking around, it was easy to see everyone's (we're talking old, young and every age in between) excitement and wonder. At every display there was someone explaining a concept to active listeners. It was amazing to see this level of engagement and discussion going on between people that were viewing the exhibit. The displays really encourage active participation.
And that’s just it, the exhibit creates an excitement and free-flowing conversation. It also makes math cool. The girls each had their own favorite exhibit. The eleven year old was mesmerized with the concept of the ball bearings spinning in the “Celestial Mechanics’ piece. She attends a local STEM school and showed me many connections that I would have otherwise missed, hahaha.
So definitely bring your kids- because they’ll break it down for you!
The six year old was really excited about the “Multiplication Machine,” since she is just getting started with multiplication. The best part is, her eyes lit up and you could see her making the connection with multiplying at home and this machine that brought the idea behind it to life.
It is pretty amazing to see mathematical concepts illustrated through formal design. Every exhibit- from the “Projective Geometry” exhibit [one of my personal faves] to the “Topology,” was fabricated with a true artfulness. It truly is fascinating to see these concepts transformed into something concrete.
After our trip to the museum, we came home and the one in elementary school began working on math using Osmo- so believe me when I say this exhibit translates irl. It totally will get them excited about mathematic concepts. Pinkie-swear.
*RockStar Tip*
Plan a visit after school sometime, that is when we have found the museum is least crowded. Basically- we just hit the road right after school ends and have enough time to explore the exhibits for an hour after most of the crowds have left.
Walking around, it was easy to see everyone's (we're talking old, young and every age in between) excitement and wonder. At every display there was someone explaining a concept to active listeners. It was amazing to see this level of engagement and discussion going on between people that were viewing the exhibit. The displays really encourage active participation.
And that’s just it, the exhibit creates an excitement and free-flowing conversation. It also makes math cool. The girls each had their own favorite exhibit. The eleven year old was mesmerized with the concept of the ball bearings spinning in the “Celestial Mechanics’ piece. She attends a local STEM school and showed me many connections that I would have otherwise missed, hahaha.
So definitely bring your kids- because they’ll break it down for you!
The six year old was really excited about the “Multiplication Machine,” since she is just getting started with multiplication. The best part is, her eyes lit up and you could see her making the connection with multiplying at home and this machine that brought the idea behind it to life.
It is pretty amazing to see mathematical concepts illustrated through formal design. Every exhibit- from the “Projective Geometry” exhibit [one of my personal faves] to the “Topology,” was fabricated with a true artfulness. It truly is fascinating to see these concepts transformed into something concrete.
After our trip to the museum, we came home and the one in elementary school began working on math using Osmo- so believe me when I say this exhibit translates irl. It totally will get them excited about mathematic concepts. Pinkie-swear.
*RockStar Tip*
Plan a visit after school sometime, that is when we have found the museum is least crowded. Basically- we just hit the road right after school ends and have enough time to explore the exhibits for an hour after most of the crowds have left.
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