Thousand Oaks, CA — January 8, 2012 — Chuck Trunks' Surfboard Art will be displayed at the Discovery Center in Thousand Oaks through February 20th. SURFBOARD SALES TO BENEFIT THE VENTURA COUNTY SURFRIDER FOUNDATION.
In December The Discovery Center for Science and Technology opened its Tinkering Zone, a variety of hands-on activities that encourage creativity and problem-solving through construction and scientific exploration. Open on weekends and by appointment through February 20, The Discovery Center is the perfect place to play and learn as a family or with friends.
In “The Zone” guests can build scribbling machines (using recycled materials and mini motors) that jiggle around the table creating unique pieces of art. Design aficionados can form one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces or objects of art using assorted bling, LED lights, and scrap materials. Those interested in flight can build flying machines, then test them in a wind tunnel to see how long they stay in flight or how high they fly.
Visitors can design their own marble machines, creating paths for marbles to travel through channels, down ramps, and around obstacles to meet suggested challenges, like “How Slow Can You Make Your Marble Go?”
What can you do with 10,000 building blocks that are all exactly the same shape and size? Come and find out! The Discovery Center recently invested in Citiblocs, high quality wooden construction blocks cut from renewable forests in New Zealand. “Citiblocs require no glue, no snaps, no connectors and no magnets: just gravity, balance and imagination.” Imagination is a jumping off point and critical component of creative problem solving and abstract thinking. “Today kids are sealed in a silicon bubble. They don’t know how anything works,” states Frank Keil, a Yale University psychologist, in a blog by science journalist, Anne Murphy Paul.
“Research in the science of learning shows that hands-on building projects help young people conceptualize ideas and understand issues in greater depth,” states Murphy Paul, in her blog article titled “In Praise of Tinkering.”
In addition to all the fun tinkering exhibits on the museum floor, The Discovery Center is thrilled to be able to display the creative work of local artist and scientist, Chuck Trunks. “Trunk’s colorful surfboard art pieces reflect the kind of out of the box creativity that we value. His pop-art, brightly hued pieces take inspiration from his work in biology, the corporate world, and the natural beauty of Ventura County,” stated DC President, Carrie Glicksteen. “He takes well-used surfboards that would normally be discarded and turns them not only into beautiful wall art, but prepares them for a second life in the ocean; recycling at its best!” Trunks states, "The ocean is responsible for so much art inspiration - why not create art that 'goes back' to the ocean?"
Tinkering activities are recommended for children age 6 and up. Special programs will be available for younger children and their parents. The Tinkering Zone is not just for kids! Teens and adults will have just as much fun as the kids if they dare to jump into the creative fun. There are no rights or wrongs here… just a chance to build, design, create, learn, share and have a great time with friends or family.
The Discovery Center is a resource for personal exploration of science and technology for people in all stages of life. The center seeks to empower individuals as problem-solvers and innovators enabling them to respond to issues that shape their lives and impact their world. Tinkering, building structures with a variety of materials, messing around with squishy circuits and gooey Oobleck give people the kind of direct experience they need to build their own conceptual understanding of how things work.
“Tinkering is a great way to exercise the muscles of patience and tenacity while expanding our capacity to solve problems creatively,” said Carrie Glicksteen, president of The Discovery Center for Science and Technology. “We believe in this engaging self-directed type of learning because it is motivating, authentic, and effective in helping people understand how things work and develop confidence in their own abilities.”
The exhibit, located at 43 W. Thousand Oaks Boulevard, next to Big 5, will run through February 20, 2012. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is $5 per person. Follow The Discovery Center for Science and Technology on Facebook for the most current information. For additional information call 818 879-2021.
To see more of my work, please visit my website at www.chucktrunks.com.
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