Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead!
Curator’s Statement
Science. Technology. Engineering. Art. Mathematics.
In 2020, as the world struggled to comprehend the magnitude of the forthcoming COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and schools across the globe closed their doors. Plans were cancelled, priorities shifted, and uncertainty loomed. The Mazza Museum was no exception. On Friday, March 13, 2020, the museum closed its doors and turned off the lights, relinquishing its beloved artwork to the silent shadows of its once lively galleries.
As the staff retreated to isolation, school visits and tour schedules disappeared. The fabled story of the Mazza Museum entered a rather unpleasant chapter. Yet, in its darkest moments, something magical happened . . .
One morning, a large hole appeared just outside the museum walls. The ground shook and engines hummed to life. A new form began to take shape. From the pit emerged a steel skeleton. Wire veins and pneumatic tubes pulsed to life beneath a shimmering glass skin. The contours of a mysterious creature came into focus: a Nautilus inspired by the Divine Ratio.
Bold in its conception and resolute in it’s purpose, the new building stands as a living monument to those who seek to bridge the lessons of the past with the challenges and promise of the future. In this special place, Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics join forces to redefine possibilities and push past the horizon.
In honor of the opening of the new Joseph and Judith Conda STEAM Education Center, the Mazza Museum is proud to announce its latest exhibition, which explores the five disciplines of the S.T.E.A.M. acronym as seen through the creative lens of picture book illustrations. Newly donated artwork, along with old favorites, stand in celebration to the principles that they personify – the very ideals that carried the world through its darkest hours, towards the promise of its brightest tomorrow. The Mazza Museum cordially invites you to join the celebration, as we shake off the dust, open wide the doors, and charge enthusiastically forward, Full S.T.E.A.M. Ahead!
Curator
Dan Chudzinski