Franklin Institute, Crayola’s colorful exhibit
THE FRANKLIN INSTITUTE IS HOSTING AN INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION INSPIRED BY A VISIT TO THE CRAYOLA EXPERIENCE IN EASTON.
The Franklin Institute is hosting an interactive exhibition inspired by a visit to the Crayola Experience in Easton.
Three years ago, Clayton Ferguson and his family were visiting the Crayola Experience in Easton, and it got his creative juices flowing.
“We just fell in love with how Crayola is all about creativity and the creative process,” Ferguson said. “We just had this crazy idea that our belief in creativity is a process that can really be learned, really be explored and really be developed.”
Out of the visit to the Crayola Experience came Crayola Ideaworks. After a long three years (the last year being the longest), Ferguson and the Franklin Institute teamed for the world premiere of “Crayola IDEAworks: The Creativity Exhibition,” which brings a little bit of color and, well, idea working to our long COVID-19 winter.
“We’ve been planning this even before the pandemic,” said Larry Dubinski, president and CEO of the Franklin Institute. “It’s one of these great partnerships that have come forward. One of the great things is the planning occurred during this. Always, our thought process was to have an exhibit totally spread out.”
“Crayola IDEAworks: The Creativity Exhibition” is spread out over 17,000 square feet at the Franklin Institute. The exhibit features more than 150 physical and digital inquiry-based experiences and challenges. Guests track their progress on an RFID wristband and receive a customized summary of their creative strengths discovered on their journey.
Of course, as COVID-19 took over the world, there were a few crazy moments for executive producer Ferguson and the team.
“We sat in a room with 30 people a year and a half ago and started to design this,” Ferguson said. “The craziest thing is we designed this almost completely by Zoom. After our initial creative meetings here where we were in person, since that point, we were bringing in new people and never met them. This was designed almost exclusively by Zoom, email and collaboration.
“We didn’t see these (exhibits) until we got them off the truck. We relied on video, lots of phone calls. It was a little scary. You know, you are waiting there for the trucks to open, hoping it all looks OK.”
The Franklin Institute has put in all the necessary protocols, including limiting the amount of visitors and continued cleaning of the hands-on exhibits.
“The design changes weren’t as many as you might think,” Dubinski said. “One of the things you’ll see in here is initial cleaning protocols that happen throughout here, with spraying machines that come through. There will be continuous cleaning while the exhibition is open and deep cleaning while it is closed.”
During the exhibition, guests will encounter three distinct areas:
• IDEA Workshop: Upon exhibition entry, guests will have their creativity put to the test with challenges, questions and puzzles that sharpen their existing skills. The IDEA in IDEAworks, is an acronym for Identify, Define, Explore, Assess, which outlines the design thinking process and is reflected in the IDEA Workshop’s four different sections — I, D, E and A.
• Colorverse: Once inside the Crayola Colorverse, guests will travel to the bustling City of Crayopolis, then to a thriving Mars Station and finally, a curiosity-bending SeaBase to put their IDEA skills into action and test solutions to complex problems based on current scientific research and discovery. These include living on Mars, restoring a coral reef ecosystem and building a sustainable neighborhood.
• Grand Finale: Bidding farewell to the Colorverse, guests will reveal their customized creative strength summary that celebrates their creative strengths highlighted during their adventure.
“The first half of the exhibition is really the steps of ideas,” Ferguson said. “Which is identify the problem and define the problem, explore the solution and then assess. So, once you really learn the steps of this in a really fun environment, we put you in the second half of the exhibition, what we call the Colorverse, where you are taking all that and putting it into real science and real problems that are affecting the world today.
“You walk out of this and you learn about your own skills and how you approach creativity. Then we are saying: ‘Be empowered. Go out there and make your mark on the world.’ ”
The Franklin, despite being closed at various times throughout the pandemic, has been able to adapt to the new world. “Crayola Ideaworks: The Creativity Exhibition” follows after the successful “The Presidents by Madame Tussauds” in the summer and fall.
“I have to say this team has done and amazing job,” Dubinski said. “I think, in many ways, we have led the country as far as safety protocols. What’s been difficult is we are are really reliant on revenue from the door, and membership, and philanthropy. Right now we are running about 15-20 percent pre-COVID numbers.
“We are excited to open a new exhibit. It’s always interesting when you are the world premier of an exhibition, but it’s something we are proud of. This one is bright, it’s colorful, you are going to learn something. I think, candidly, it’s something we need at a time like this.”