Xu exhibit headed for Mid-America
Curiosity and creativity will be on display at Mid-America Science Museum later this month with an art exhibit collaboration between a renowned local artist and his grandson.
“Crayons to Canvas” opens
May 29 and runs through Sept. 5 at the museum, located at 500 Mid America Blvd.
The 26 paintings are adaptations by Longhua Xu based on the drawing of his 6-year-old grandson, Han Xu, and they span several topics such as dinosaurs, chickens and aquatic animals.
“It’s beautiful, it’s colorful, it’s vibrant, and it is a great blend of young and old,” Diane LaFollette, museum executive director, said, noting the exhibit will be a “once in a lifetime opportunity” for Han Xu.
“How many artists have their first show when they are 5 years old?” she said, referring to the age the younger Xu started working on the project.
While the collaboration has allowed the younger Xu to watch a master artist work, LaFollette said the project was
“good for both of them,” as it forced the elder Xu to look at art from a different perspective.
As for why a science museum is doing an art exhibit, LaFollette said this is actually their third art exhibit.
“When I was growing up, we thought that art” was learned on the right side of the brain and math and science learned on the left side of the brain, she said, with the common thought that one side of each person’s brain was the dominant side.
“We understand now it’s more entangled,” LaFollette said. “The quality to succeed in either field are common. You need curiosity.”
She said the lessons learned in creating art carry over into science. The two previous art exhibits in the museum featured the works of Lori Arnold and Gary Simmons.
The exhibit will also feature some interactive elements. Once a week, Longhua Xu meets with other artists to have a drawing circle and the museum will have a drawing circle that visitors can take part in, she said, noting there will also be a sculpture station where visitors will be able to take home their creations.
There will also be a community mural visitors can help work on that is 26 feet long.
Longhua also creates sculptures, some dating back 40 years, that will be on display, LaFollette said.
“All of the artwork in the exhibit will be for sale, with some of the proceeds benefiting a trust fund for Han,” a news release states. There will also be commemorative T-shirts and signed posters in the museum’s gift shop.
A member’s only preview will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 28.