Special Exhibition Psychology: Understanding Ourselves, Understanding Each Other
Temporary Exhibition Area, through January 2, 1994
For thousands of years people have pondered the mysteries of human behavior. Now, the Exploratorium invites you to explore your own psychological make up-- thoughts, feelings and attitudes -- in this exciting hands-on exhibition. More than 30 displays cover an extraordinary range of topics from childhood development to mind-body interaction to leadership skills to personal space. Come measure your reflex time or your ability to handle stress. And bring the kids. Playspace, for children aged 4 and under (and a parent), is designed specifically for the very, very young.
Special Exhibit The Love Tapes
Temporary Exhibition Area, through January 2, 1994
The public is invited to spend three minutes discussing their most intimate thoughts and feelings about love, videotaped in a private and unique environment of their choosing. This is an ongoing project of artist-in-residence and psychotherapist Wendy Clarke. Participants may have their videotapes added to the growing collection of extraordinary testimony on a topic both personal and universal. The Love Tapes is offered in conjunction with the special exhibition Psychology.
McBean Theater, 2pm
In tribute to the many talented artists who have died of AIDS, we join in the national day of recognition, Day Without Art, with this selection of videos: Untitled (directed by John Sanborn & Mary Perillo, 1989, 10 min.) is a moving dance eulogy performed by Bill T. Jones for his former collaborator Arnie Zane; Bardo of Dreams (Mitch Loch, 1987, 44 min.) is the irreverent story of Alvin who has lost the ability to dream; and Amen (by Exploratorium artist-in-residence Wendy Clarke, 1992, 60 min.) is a series of interviews with HIV-positive inmates of Del Norte California Institution for Men who reveal their inner selves in visualizations and stories of birth, life, and death. ____________________________________________________________________
Members Only:
Holiday Traditions A Seasonal Sampling & Soiree
Museum floor and Exploratorium Store, 7-9pm
Take advantage of your 15% discount in the Exploratorium store, as you enjoy seasonal children's activities, foods and festivities from around the world. ____________________________________________________________________
Films Filmmaker Fred Marx in person
McBean Theater, 2pm
Higher Goals (27 min.) by Chicago filmmaker Fred Marx is an inspirational piece that looks at the connection between athletics and academics. Featuring aspiring young athletes William Gates and Kim Williams, as well as NBA All-Star Isiah Thomas and former BullÕs player Skip Dillard, Higher Goals pierces the perception that athletics are the only way for young people to escape the conditions of the inner city. We will also show a sneak preview excerpt from Hoop Dreams, a three-hour film Marx has just completed (in collaboration with Steve James and Peter Gilbert) that is due to air on PBS this Spring. ____________________________________________________________________
Crafts and Demonstrations
Marble Making with Patrick Mullen Museum floor, noon-5pm. Using a small open-faced furnace, glassblower Patrick Mullen demonstrates the art of shaping marbles. ____________________________________________________________________
Films
Human Primates
McBean Theater, 2pm
In this program we look on our own side of the bars at the zoo. Microcultural Incidents in Ten Zoos (1969, 34 min.) travels across cultures in a study of human behavioral patterns in zoos. The Social Life of Small Urban Spaces (William Whyte, 1979, 58 min.) uses hidden cameras to observe human use of public plazas in New York City and throughout the country. Narrated by William Whyte, author of The City, the film is a wonderful observation of how city dwellers react to the elements of their physical surroundingsÑ sunlight, street furniture, traffic, etc.Ñand an evaluation of how the design of these places encourages or inhibits our ability to enjoy our cities. ____________________________________________________________________
Lectures On Your Mind Lecture Series
Cross-Cultural Behavior: Dr. Santiago Rodriguez
McBean Theater, 7:30 pm
Dr. Rodriguez, Director of Multicultural Programs at Apple Computers, discusses the psychology of cross - cultural behaviors, particularly cultural nuances and their impact in the work place. Staring, for example, is acceptable behavior in Latin America, but it is not well-accepted in the US. Call (415) 561-0361 for reservations. ____________________________________________________________________
Films
McBean Theater, 2pm
Featuring five different elderly couples, each married fifty years or more, For Better or For Worse (David Collier, 1992, 56 min.) gives us insight into the joys and struggles of long-term commitments. In lively interviews, these couples challenge popular conceptions of aging in their discussions of sex, love, parenting, loss, infidelity, and getting along. In Suburban Queen (1985, 3 min.) filmmaker Mindy Faber dreams her suburban mother into a feminist. Her good-natured mother plays along. ____________________________________________________________________
Lecture On Your Mind Lecture Series
A Child's Theory of the Mind: Alison Gopnik
McBean Theater, 7:30pm
Gopnik, a psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley, contends that children construct theories about mental life in much the same way as scientists construct theories about natural phenomena -- discarding or refining theories in light of new evidence. Gopnik will examine children's "thinking about thinking" and will discuss the major shift in children's understanding that takes place around age 4. For lecture reservations, please call (415) 561-0361. ____________________________________________________________________
Films
Child Development
McBean Theater, 12pm,2pm,4pm
In conjunction with the lecture by Alison Gopnik and the PlaySpace activities of our special exhibition Psychology: Understanding Ourselves, Understanding Each Other, we present 6 episodes (60 min. each) of the series Childhood (produced by WNET, The Childhood Project, and Channel 4 Television). This fascinating series on child development is a cross- cultural examination of the various influences that shape us as individuals and as members of the families and societies in which we are raised. By observing twelve families on five continents, the series examines childhood from a number of perspectivesÑpersonal, scientific, historical, and cultural. The programs move chronologically from birth to adolescence, examining stages in child development such as language acquisition. On Saturday we will show the programs Great Expectations, Louder Than Words, and LoveÕs Labors. On Sunday, In the Land of the Giants, LifeÕs Lessons, and The House of Tomorrow. ____________________________________________________________________
Films
McBean Theater, 2pm
A treeÕs generosity to a young boy becomes a metaphor for love in The Giving Tree (1972, 10 min.), an animated fable by Shel Silverstein. Based on a true story by Jean Giono, The Man Who Planted Trees (by Frederic Back, 1988, 30 min.) tells the tale of an eccentric shepherd, Elzeard Bouffier, who devoted his life to planting a forest in a barren region of the Swiss Alps. Animated with colored pencils, the film moves like a beautiful, constantly shifting canvas.
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In keeping with the holiday season, we wish to gratefully acknowledge Hewlett Packard Company Foundation's donation of $327,500 in equipment to support the Exploratorium's Center for Media and Communication, Center for Public Exhibition and general administration. This is one of the largest grants Hewlett Packard Company Foundation has awarded this year and it is the largest corporate grant to the Exploratorium in recent memory. This generous support of the Exploratorium's educational mission will serve us well through 1994 and for years to come.
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