On May 1, OMCA will celebrate the reopening our Art and History Galleries. Meanwhile, we are kicking into high gear for the transformation our Natural Sciences Gallery, scheduled to open in 2012. This month, we talk to Lead Developer/Designer Mary Jo Sutton about the changes already underway in the first level gallery.

We are temporarily moving dioramas around to make way for our prototype testing in the front of the gallery. But they won’t disappear for long. Sutton explains, “The dioramas and habitat cases are the heart of the natural sciences collection. Rather than replacing the displays or starting from scratch, our challenge is to find ways to reuse these exhibits in ways that are meaningful to our visitors—both today and in the future.”

The team is testing a wide range of ideas to enhance existing models. According to Sutton, “We want to help visitors explore these amazingly detailed dioramas, and bring in their own life experiences.” Dioramas might have current photos or hosted webcams from key locations. The gallery might incorporate more hands-on experiences, such as our egg drawers, which have been popular in the past. We are also testing components such as commissioned work from visual and sound artists, scientist interviews and research tools, or even objects from our art or history collections, all intended to illustrate the essence of each place.

Early testing has shown some exciting results. But you won’t have to wait until 2012 to see what Natural Sciences has planned. We’re keeping a presence with temporary displays in the History Gallery, where visitors can look through windows down into the Natural Sciences Gallery and see the work underway. We’ve also included a display by the overlooks, giving visitors a sneak peek of what’s to come. So come on by and see what we’re doing!

The California relief map moves into temporary storage to make way for prototype testing. This map might return with special multi-media components. Photo: Terry Carroll.

Look for this display in the History Gallery—a sign of things to come! Photo: Terry Carroll.