New Name, Mission for Science Museum

Nov 08, 08:12 AM

Current Headlines: By John Estus, The Oklahoman

Nov. 8--In a sense, the buses of schoolchildren who arrived at what was formerly Omniplex on Wednesday morning were the first folks to ever visit the museum.

The museum's directors had just announced a new focus and name -- Science Museum Oklahoma -- and promised fresh exhibits intended to capture a modern generation of science lovers.

The name and curriculum changes are the result of three years of planning to save the once-struggling science museum and make it relevant in the modern science era.

"It's a big change in what we're going to be doing," said James Farris, chairman of the museum's board. "The new name more accurately describes the future of this institution."

Science Museum Oklahoma's emphasis will be on education, particularly physical science education, officials said.

Officials plan to redo 150,000 square feet of exhibition space and say the changes planned in coming months are among the most aggressive at any museum in the nation.

Past problems improving The announcement marked more than just a name change for the museum. Just two years ago, it faced serious financial and personnel turmoil.

Officials had considered closing Omniplex because it had lost more than $7 million in seven years. The museum's executive director, Max Ary, had taken a leave of absence after he was indicted on charges he stole artifacts from a Kansas museum and sold them. He was convicted and didn't return as executive director.

Meanwhile, museum officials elected to keep the longtime Oklahoma City destination open, but they were forced to reduce its staff and reorganize its business structure, Farris said.

It paid off. The museum has posted a profit the past two years and attendance is up, Farris said.

Support from local governments, philanthropic grants and other sources, including $1.5 million from the corporate sector, have helped the museum become less reliant on the dwindling resources of an endowment that once funded most of its operations.

Late philanthropist John Kirkpatrick was instrumental in the creation of that endowment and in the relocation of the museum from its original location at State Fair Park to the 366,000-square-foot building at 2100 NE 52.

Part of a larger mission Physical sciences are a strong suit of higher education and research in Oklahoma. Farris said Science Museum Oklahoma's upcoming changes will help them get young museum-goers more interested in science at a younger age and ultimately benefit science statewide.

"If you don't get children interested in science by third grade, you're going to lose them," Farris said.

Officials now are developing a curriculum to correspond with the planned new exhibits and activities at Science Museum Oklahoma.

"More than anything else, this is about education," Mayor Mick Cornett said of the museum's changes announced at a news conference Tuesday.

New exhibits Science Museum Oklahoma will host the following exhibits and projects in the future:

-- GadgetTrees: A permanent exhibit that allows visitors to learn about nature through the use of simple machines. It will include a two-story tree house and the largest oak tree west of the Mississippi and what museum officials said is the nation's tallest spiral slide.

-- Destination Space: Oklahomans' role in space exploration will highlight this exhibit, which highlights the laws of physics and allows visitors to plan a space voyage.

Also, the museum is a part of the Oklahoma Museum Network, which is using a $7.2 million grant from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to bring traveling exhibits to museums throughout the state.

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