Discovery Pavilion

The Discovery Pavilion is a new and exciting area that will be part of the new Museum expansion now underway. Tom Rockwell, designer of the Discovery Pavilion (and grandson of Norman Rockwell) describes one part of it, the Community Gallery (image 1, 2, 3), as a "self portrait of the community, by the community and for the community." It will be a densely-textured exhibit designed for art discovery by individuals and community groups whose work will constantly rotate through the Gallery. The Community Gallery will represent the many ways in which the people and environment of the region meet to create its distinctive and multifaceted character. A kinetic Energy Sculpture will embody the flow of energy from the sun into agriculture, industry and culture. A collection of portraits, puppets and masks will compose the People and Creatures cluster. A sound and image map of the region, combined with doll houses, dioramas and life-size architectural elements will make up the Space and Place cluster. An area called Grandma's Gallery will combine art work with household objects and various inventions to paint a picture of the creativity expressed through the domestic and industrial life of the region. A decorative band of tile, mosaic, small paintings, photographs and found objects, the River Collage, will thread through the Community Gallery and extend into the rest of the Discovery Pavilion, unifying the overall design of the space. This will be complemented by the 3D Quilt made up of painted and quilted banners throughout the Discovery Pavilion which together will compose a three-dimensional fabric sculpture inhabiting the airspace of the whole Pavilion. Two kinetic sculptures are proposed, one in the Community Gallery based on energy and one based on communication at the other end of the Pavilion. Sound and Light(image 1, 2), the science section, will feature a self-generating electrical station, a unique elliptical room that will reflect both light and sound to different axis within the room. There will be a module showing how both sound and light are composed of waves, a jam room where visitors can experiment with rhythm and melody. Creativity Central will encourage the creative spirit in art and invention with a wide variety of activities: painting, construction, a mural wall, and a scrolling canvas. The proposed Rhoads kinetic sculpture would be only the second such in Texas. The sculpture would, with independent but linked units, demonstrate communication. The Communications Gallery is not just a high tech demonstration but a place to exercise human communications. It would include a chat room without computers, a lot of intimate spaces with conversational stimulation pieces throughout. There would also be a symbol room and a technology room with computers, pneumatic tubes, and "You2 TV," which poses a question and then records your answer. Tom Rockwell stressed that the community involvement, including community-built portions of the Pavilion, will not only create an absolutely unique set of exhibits but also the process itself will generate State and nationwide recognition.