“Build! Create! Innovate!” at the Putnam Museum & Science Center -- through September 4.
Through Sunday, September 4
Putnam Museum & Science Center, 1717 West 12th Street, Davenport IA
Visitors to Davenport's Putnam Museum & Science Center can receive insight into problem solving and abstract thinking using mathematics, physics, and design with fun, simple building materials in the venue's Build! Create! Innovate!, an exhibition that, through September 4, boasts 3,600 square feet of building space and more than 15,000 KEVA Planks, along with photography of local architecture and a pre-built bridge, Kone Tower, and the Putnam’s iconic Velie automobile.
Equally appealing to children and adults, KEVA Planks require very little instruction and allow guests to unleash their creativity. In Build! Create! Innovate!, children will discover the joy of physics, engineering, and design while adults will build alongside kids, testing their own abilities at a higher level and taller heights. Teachers, meanwhile, will be empowered and equipped to challenge students to imagine, design, and build their own structures – all within the Smithsonian-affiliated Putnam Museum & Science Center.
Precision-cut, identical construction blocks, KEVA Planks are about a quarter-inch thick, three quarters of an inch wide, and four-and-a-half inches long, and stack with surprising stability without glue or connectors. Using only gravity, Build! Create! Innovate! Patrons of all ages will engage with physics to achieve balance, optimum proportion, and a steady structure, and will also be encouraged to fashion castles, bridges, trains, and full scenes such as landscapes, farms, or their favorite areas of the Quad Cities.
“Join us to create everything from simple stacks to elaborate cities full of towering skyscrapers!” says Ben Johnson, Vice President of Museum Experiences. “We hope you’ll be inspired, and possibly find your path toward becoming a tradesperson, engineer, architect, or artist."
With the support from the local labor and trades industries, the Build! Create! Innovate! exhibit celebrates the construction and architecture of our region. “We’re so appreciative for the support of our local building and trades community, partnering to inspire the next generation of creators and builders in our community,” says Rachael Mullins, CEO and President of the Putnam. “With their support, this exhibit will also become a permanent part of the museum's collection, with features integrated into the Putnam visitor experience for years to come.”
Build! Create! Innovate! is made possible with support from IMPACT Illowa Construction Labor & Management Council, Tri-City Building Trades Council, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of the Quad Cities, Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) of Eastern Iowa & Western Illinois, Finishing Contractors Association Quad Cities, NECA Quad Cities, and SMACNA Quad Cities.
Entry to Build! Create! Innovate! is free with $8-9 venue admission, the exhibition will be on display through September 4, and more information is available by calling (563)324-0049 and visiting Putnam.org.
