Burbank, CA, USA — Imagineers Collin Campbell and Tony Baxter are among the contributors to the Disney legacy that will be named and honored as official Disney Legends during the D23 Expo 2013 at 2 p.m. on Saturday, August 10, in the D23 Expo Arena at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Collin Campbelltouched almost every part of The Walt Disney Company, from animated classics to legendary theme park attractions, with stints in live-action film and television. Collin’s work with Walt Disney Imagineering includes the development of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, Pirates of the Caribbean, as well as concept illustrations of Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot Center.
Tony Baxter has developed beloved Disney attractions including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,Journey Into Imagination, Splash Mountain, and countless more experiences over the course of his 43-year career with Walt Disney Imagineering. Revered by Disney fans, he is best known for his commitment to storytelling, attention to detail, and ability to develop new ideas and attractions by combining time-tested design practices with modern technology.
Also to be honored are Dick Clark, Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Jobs, animator Glen Keane, and Ed Wynn.
The Disney Legends Awards program is a 26-year tradition of The Walt Disney Company. The three-day D23 Expo provides a rare opportunity for the public to be a part of the presentation, hosted by noted television personality Tom Bergeron (host of ABC’sDancing with the Stars and America’s Funniest Home Videos).
“The Disney Legend Award is our highest and most coveted honor,” said Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger. “It’s reserved for the extraordinary visionaries and artists behind the Disney magic, the men and women who push the limits of innovation and creativity to ensure Disney remains truly special. The eight Legends we honor this year helped create some of our most beloved characters along with exciting new worlds and thrilling attractions. They also entertained millions of people and expanded our definition of what’s possible. They are all indelible parts of our legacy, and we are proud to recognize them as true Disney Legends.”
Each honoree receives a two-foot-tall bronze Disney Legends sculpture that signifies the imagination, creativity, and magic they have brought to the Company. Disney Legends Award recipients also participate in a handprint ceremony, and their bronzed prints will be displayed in the Disney Legends Plaza at the Company’s Burbank headquarters.
(above) SOMArts Cultural Center, (top) Prince George’s African American Museum and Cultural Center
Washington, DC, USA — Museums Connect announced 11 grants for the 2013 cycle, including projects in countries new to the program. Now in its sixth year, Museums Connect is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the American Alliance of Museums (the Alliance). Museums Connect pairs museums in the United States with museums abroad for a cross-cultural exchange that brings people, especially youth, together to open a dialogue through community projects, partnerships with local or tribal governments and schools, and local events. The 11 projects represent the largest number of grants awarded in a single Museums Connect cycle.
The mission of Museums Connect is to build global communities through partnership, collaboration and cross-cultural exchanges, linking the respective museums with communities both abroad and locally, while also supporting U.S. foreign policy goals such as youth empowerment and promoting disability rights.
“Museums Connect helps us link communities together across continents around topics that matter,” said Ann Stock, assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs. “By working with museums, we empower local communities to build understanding across cultures that go beyond formal diplomatic relations to find common ground through people-to-people exchange.”
Alliance president Ford W. Bell said, “Museums Connect is an initiative that showcases museums at their best – serving communities, building bridges between cultures and fostering the understanding between U.S. citizens and their counterparts abroad that can change world views.”
Since its inception, Museums Connect has linked American museums in 23 states, plus the District of Columbia, with partners abroad in more than 40 countries, including Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Mexico, Kenya and Morocco, among others. The program is excited to announce that it is now accepting applications for the 2014 cycle to further extend the program’s reach.
This cycle’s grantees embrace the discipline and geographic diversity that is the signature of Museums Connect. Locations in 2013 that are new to the program include Brazil, Egypt, Malaysia, Nigeria, the Palestinian Territories, Peru, Samoa and Spain. Below are brief summaries of these latest projects; further information can be found at www.aam-us.org/museumsconnect:
Ancient Shores, Changing Tides – Developing Local Archaeological Heritage Expertise Palawan State University Museum, Palawan, Philippines
Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Seattle, WA
Local residents work together to develop resources to protect their fragile marine environments, preserve their archaeological heritage and revitalize traditional cultural practices while exploring methods for sustainable tourism.
Citizenship Unbound: Flag Stories Islamic Art Museum of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
SOMArts Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA
Youth from Muslim, intercultural, refugee and immigrant communities in Kuala Lumpur and San Francisco interpret flags and cultural insignia through hands-on art production and storytelling; create new visual and multimedia representations of national, personal and cultural identity; and present public artworks in target community locations.
Common Ground: Connecting Communities through Gardens Egyptian Agricultural Museum, Giza, Egypt
Monterey County Agricultural and Rural Life Museum, King City, CA
Museums in Egypt and California partner with local community organizations to craft a cross-cultural garden curriculum for elementary school students. Participating youth share their insights and experiences across borders as they design gardens that reflect ancient Egyptian traditions in organic gardening as well as the Salinas Valley’s innovative approaches to sustainable agriculture.
Design Diaries International Palestinian Heritage Museum, East Jerusalem, Palestinian Territories
Minnesota Historical Society, Saint Paul, MN
Young women representing diverse populations in the Palestinian Territories and Minnesota’s Twin Cities investigate the subtext of clothing in their regions and reflect on their museums’ rich textile collections along with historical context provided by older generations to design garments that reflect their unique identities. Using their knowledge and designs, they dialogue with their partners about the meaning of clothing in their lives and how it shapes their personal, and even national, identities.
emPOWER Parents: Fostering Cross Cultural Networks between Families with Autism Museo ICO, Madrid, Spain
Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY
Museums in Madrid and Queens support the creation of a bi-national network of parent advocates, giving parents of children with autism the resources to affect institutionalized change in both countries, request improved programming in schools and include their children’s learning styles in community programs. Participating parents gain skills in teaching and behavioral methods, lead programs with other local families and maintain and disseminate resources in both English and Spanish to share their knowledge with a global audience.
Forest Guardians Sicán National Museum, Ferreñafe, Peru
Zoological Society of San Diego, San Diego, CA
Working with Three Mountain Alliance, Līhu’e, HI
Communities in Peru and Hawaii build ecological literacy, cultural knowledge and environmental stewardship using a new model for conservation education in a network of schools that demonstrate a commitment to environmental action and to developing students’ understanding of conservation in a global, multicultural context.
From the Ground Up: Nutritional Values and Cultural Connections Gidan Makama Museum Kano, Kano, Nigeria
Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, Pittsburgh, PA
High school students learn about nutrition, cooking and cultural food traditions by following local food from farm to table and creating recipe books that reflect the traditional recipes of their regions and cultures.
A Journey through the African Diaspora Museu Afro-Brasil, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Prince George’s African American Museum & Cultural Center, North Brentwood, MD
In celebration and exploration of the African American experience throughout the Americas, teams of high school students, teacher liaisons and teaching artists compare and contrast the history and impact of the African diaspora in Sao Paulo and Maryland’s Prince George’s County and collaborate on mural projects and exhibits in each location to showcase their findings in their communities.
Re:building Home: Climate Change in New York and Samoa Museum of Samoa, Apia, Samoa
American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Residents from both regions with homes in coastal areas impacted by hurricanes share their personal and community experiences through in-person dialogue sessions and virtual conversations to produce an online exhibition, a mobile app and cross-cultural educational resources to better adapt to changing weather patterns and manage the impact and resources in the aftermath of severe storms.
Scaling the Walls/Escalando Paredes: Creating Urban Green Spaces Interactive Science Museum, Quito, Ecuador
Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
Teenagers in Quito and Pittsburgh explore the environmental, social and economic impacts of food systems on local and global communities to consider solutions to the health and environmental challenges facing their crowded, urban neighborhoods and create easily implemented designs for planters that can host edibles for residents with little access to fresh food or green spaces.
Turning the Table: Understanding Cross-Cultural Movements Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Ateneo de Yucatán, Mérida, Mexico
Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center, San Antonio, TX
Using tables as a metaphor for bringing people and cultures together—whether to eat, create or resolve differences—high school students from Mérida, Mexico and San Antonio along with local artists explore their communities’ cultural movements and adaptations over time through community meetings and workshops as well as oral history collection and present their artistic interpretations of community change through local and virtual exhibitions.
Urayasu, Chiba, Japan — Oriental Land Co., Ltd. has announced that the Jungle Cruise, located in Tokyo Disneyland’s Adventureland, will be revamped with the new version opening in autumn 2014. The Jungle Cruise, which has been popular since Tokyo Disneyland Park opened in 1983, takes Guests on an adventurous cruise through the jungles with a humorous skipper at the helm.
The revamped version of the attraction will have new lighting effects and other special show effects. In addition, a specially written musical sound track will be heard throughout the attraction for the first time in any Jungle Cruise. Also, an after-dark only “night cruise” will provide a unique take on the jungle adventure.
The new Jungle Cruise will offer Guests an adventure that is even more thrilling than before. From on board the attraction’s boats, Guests will explore jungle landscapesfull of wild animals with the help of their daring and comical skipper who guides them through the beauty and dangers of this exotic world. The adventure includes a startling encounter with one of the animal spirit guardians in the ruins of a lost jungle temple.
Jungle Cruise is sponsored by JX Nippon Oil & Energy Corporation. The attraction will be closed from January 6, 2014 for this renovation work.
Director, Digital Engagement and Assistant Project Manager, Jack Rouse Associates
With years of experience in theatre and project management, Clara understands the importance of creating a quality guest experience and a productive, collaborative team environment. Her experiences working with diverse groups of people, her ability to multi-task and her keen eye for trends are imperative to her positions at JRA as Director, Digital Engagement and Assistant Project Manager.
Clara, a Virginia native, graduated from Grinnell College with Bachelors of Arts in Economics and Theatre and then went on to the Yale School of Drama to receive her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Management. In 2010, she received her Executive Certificate in Business Administration from the Mendoza School of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Prior to working at JRA, Clara served as the Associate Executive Director of Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. There she managed a $1.5M budget and supervised a staff of 15. She is distinguished as an outstanding business professional as a recipient of the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Forty Under 40 Award and has a long and varied history of civic engagement, from previously co-producing a TEDx on international diplomacy and leading a 100-personal volunteer corp for the Mayor of Cincinnati, to currently serving as Development Chair for a 200-person choir of young professionals.
In her project management role, Clara is responsible for contract, schedule and budget management, helping to ensure that JRA’s designs are produced accurately, on time and on budget. Previous projects include Ripley’s Believe It or Not! London, the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, and the Coca-Cola Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, and she is currently working on a Saudi Arabian energy science museum scheduled to be completed within the next two years. As Director, Digital Engagement, Clara is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of the www.jackrouse.com/blog company blog, coordinates all social media efforts and is always eager to find new ways to communicate the JRA story to the industry and beyond. She also enjoys giving back to the industry and currently serves on the Themed Entertainment Association’s Next Gen Committee.
Burbank, CA, USA (July 10, 2013) — The Walt Disney Studios today released this photo of Tom Hanks as Walt Disney escorting Emma Thompson as author P.L. Travers down Disneyland’s Main Street U.S.A. The film tells the story of Walt’s attempt to gain the film rights to Mary Poppins.
Laguna Beach, CA, USA — No TV event boasts a bigger cult following than Discovery Channel’s Shark Week, which takes over TV screens each August in seven days of jaw-dropping original programming.
Shark Week, which kicks off on August 4, is a TV – and now digital – phenomenon. Last year, Shark Week brought in 21.4 million viewers and generated 1.6 million tweets (doubling the volume of 2011).
More importantly, Shark Week represents a key moment in time when the ocean is top of mind for consumers across the country. And for those of us in the ocean community, it represents a tremendous opportunity to educate.
Which is why this year One World One Ocean is teaming up with Discovery in an effort to use Shark Week as the ultimate teaching moment about why sharks matter. To do this, OWOO will be harnessing the power of its social communities and new original content to educate audiences about the positive benefits sharks provide to the planet and humanity and the threats currently facing this keystone species and its habitat. (Click here to view official press release.)
The goal? Change the way people view sharks from a species to be feared, to a species to be admired and valued.
Starting now and throughout Shark Week, OWOO will be releasing an arsenal of educational shark content – from infographics to a brand new video – that will be shared across OWOO and Discovery online channels in an effort to catalyze support for this often misunderstood species.
London, UK — London’s latest visitor attraction, the Emirates Aviation Experience, was officially opened on July 5 by Mayor of London, Boris Johnson and Tim Clark, President of Emirates Airline, ahead of its public launch on July 6.
The Emirates Aviation Experience, which cost in excess of £4 million, takes visitors on an interactive journey into the world of flight. In a UK first, it includes four commercial flight simulators under one roof including two A380s and two 777 aircraft. Further attractions include a 3D hologram of the internal mechanisms of an aircraft, an HD video-wall and a full-size nose-cone and flight deck of an A380.
“The Emirates Aviation Experience is a celebration of flight and the industry our airline serves. It is an educational resource which opens the lid on something I still find amazing even now – how airplanes physically work, how they get off the ground and even more importantly, how they land,” said Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline.
“The Aviation Experience was born out of our experience, technology and sense of ambition and I am confident it will become a fascinating attraction for both young and old for many years to come,” added Mr. Clark.
The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “The Emirates Aviation Experience is a veritable Aladdin’s cave of technological wizardry and gizmos that will give people of all ages a real insight into the wonders of flying. Nestled right beside the stunning Emirates Air Line, this fantastic feat of British engineering is a great new attraction that provides yet another draw for people to come to Greenwich. It’s a great investment from Emirates that’s bound to take off and I’m delighted to join Tim today to declare it well and truly open.”
The Emirates Aviation Experience is open to the public daily from 08:00hrs to 19:00hrs. It is located at the Greenwich Peninsular end of the Emirates Air Line cable car. The closest underground station is North Greenwich.
“Since our first flight to London in 1987 we have grown our services to the city by a staggering 700 percent, achieved largely thanks to the support of the local London community. We are always looking for ways to show our commitment to London and we hope that this innovative new facility goes some way in demonstrating just how dedicated we are to this captivating city,” added Mr. Clark.
In addition to the ‘Flight Simulators’ zone, the Emirates Aviation Experience incorporates several other features that take the user on a truly interactive aviation journey. Visitors are able to look at a cross-section of a Rolls Royce Trent 800 jet engine partially built in LEGO, a virtual wind tunnel application looking at how this influences flight, a touchscreen game explaining the turnaround process of an aircraft, and a replica A380 Economy Class seating area – with a range of aviation themed videos utilizing Emirates’ ice system. In addition, the Emirates Aviation Experience also includes a food and beverage outlet and retail zone.
The Emirates simulator experience start from £47.00 for a 30 minute slot, when booked in advance online.
Entrance to the Emirates Aviation Experience is £3.00 for adults and £1.50 for children under the age of 12, making it one of the most affordable attractions in London.
Richmond, BC, Canada — When the Crayola Experience faced a major renovation, Prime Play was the choice for the design of a creative and colorful addition to the interactive attraction. Prime Play is proud to have been selected to work with the Crayola Experience design and management team as well as the project team from Bay Laurel Advisors and Jack Rouse Associates to provide a custom-designed Soft Contained Play structure themed specifically to Crayola’s iconic brand.
The Crayola Experience reopened Memorial Day weekend featuring Prime Play’s colorful and visually iconic climbing structure. It contains numerous play elements including a unique suspended bridge and tube crawl components extending over a Crayola-inspired chalkboard floor play space. A giant Crayola crayon tower and Pip Squeak Marker slide complete the look.
“Our key objective was to add a branded, interactive, indoor play space where children of all ability levels can participate in the fun. Prime Play’s design met and exceeded our expectations. The reward is seeing the reaction from our guests”, said Vicky Lozano, Crayola’s Vice President, Corporate Strategy & Development.
Charlotte, NC, USA — The newest addition to Discovery Place’s main entrance at N. Tryon St. is not only bovine, but also gassy. And she’s quite loud about it. Beckoning visitors to the Museum’s newest exhibition Animal Grossology, she’s also offering a rare opportunity to appear on a Discovery Place billboard.
Visitors can stop by to meet and have their picture taken with the cow, then share their photo on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #BlownAwayByScience and they could be featured on a billboard in the Charlotte metro area. They can also email their submission to [email protected] (include the hashtag #BlownAwayByScience). Museum admission is not required to take photo or participate.
Winners will be notified prior to billboard posting. For plenty of fascinating facts on cows and other en-GROSS-ing creatures, check out Animal Grossology, on exhibition through September 2.
