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Jack Hanna Returns to SeaWorld Orlando

Joe Kleiman
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Orlando, FL, USA — Celebrity wildlife expert Jack Hanna returns to SeaWorld Orlando on March 24 and 25 for Jack Hanna Weekend, accompanied by some of the world’s most amazing animal ambassadors.


Included with park admission, this special limited-time series takes place at SeaWorld’s Nautilus Theater on Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25. Shows will be at 1:15 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. 
Recognized around the world for his boundless enthusiasm for animals and conservation, “Jungle Jack” helps us share in his wondrous connection to wildlife and the world we share. Hanna’s past “co-stars” have included clouded leopards, chatty kookaburras, and all kinds of majestic eagles.
 
As a bonus exclusively for Pass Members, a Jack Hanna Breakfast gives families an up-close opportunity to spend some quality time with Jack and some of his ‘wild’ friends while also receiving reserved seats to the 1:15 p.m. show.  This exclusive Breakfast is for Pass Members and up to 6 (six) guests. 

ABOUT SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT

SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates 10 parks across the U.S. including SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio; Busch Gardens parks in Tampa, Fla. and Williamsburg, Va.; Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando; Sesame Place near Philadelphia, Pa.; and water parks Adventure Island in Tampa and Water Country USA in Williamsburg. The 10 parks play host to 23 million guests each year and employ 20,000 people nationwide. www.SeaWorldParksandEntertainment.com

Da Vinci Machines exhibit ushers in a new cultural space for downtown Saint Louis, USA

Judith Rubin
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by Judith Rubin, IPM co-editor

All photos by Judith Rubin unless otherwise labeled
“We’re trying to create a space that can house a variety of art exhibits and be different from the typical art museum or history museum. We wanted something downtown.” 
–Jessie Gillam, Imagine That! Design & Production Inc.

Some 60 items brought to life from notes and drawings by the maestro, from the manuscript collection known as the “Codices of Leonardo da Vinci,” comprise the traveling exhibition, “Da Vinci Machines,” created by Niccolai Teknoart SNC (Firenze) Artisans of Florence Pty Ltd., in association with the Museum of Leonardo da Vinci.

The objects are working models, handcrafted primarily of wood, metal and cloth, in five groups, reflecting this quintessential Renaissance Man’s tinkerings with ideas for flying machines, instruments of war, practical industrial and agricultural implements, an infinity chamber of mirrors, boats and transport. There are also a robot and – said to be the first time in the US – Leonardo’s famous mechanical lion.

In many cases, visitors can interact with the objects: turn cranks, manipulate hoists, etc. and observe their operation. They are accompanied by several related videos and reproductions of the Codices as well as a selection of famous Leonardo paintings and an array of merchandise. Local sponsor of Da Vinci Machines was the weekly Riverfront Times. Additional sponsorship is provided by Northstar Imports, which imports sugarless wine from Uruguay.

According to sales rep Jessie Gillam, who is based in St Louis and works with the company that manages the exhibit in North America, Imagine That! Design & Production Inc. (Las Vegas), Da Vinci Machinesaverages four months per stop but was popular enough in Saint Louis to remain for seven and a half months. While declining to give exact attendance numbers, Gillam said, “The St. Louis Schools and community embraced us; we had more than 100 school groups, and the da Vinci exhibit was extended twice.”

Rather than book the exhibit into museums, the distributor negotiates leases in private spaces. In Saint Louis, Da Vinci Machines was shown to good advantage at 800 Market Street, in a former bank lobby on the first floor of a commercial building downtown. The exhibitors found that very few changes, other than a few partitions and some seating, were needed to make the space work. “We had all the setup we needed,” says Gillam. “It worked out very well with the existing bank counters and the offices in back. It’s a beautiful space with good light and wraparound walls; we’ve been very happy. We changed out some of the light bulbs but the fixtures were already installed.” Individual tickets ranged from $9 to $14 with a special $40 price for family groups of 5. It was not far from Busch Stadium and stayed open late on baseball game nights.

Da Vinci Machines does not rely on original artifacts, but rather gets its authenticity from Teknoart’s standing as an historical expert and its endorsement from the Italian Government. Three iterations of the exhibit were launched in 2002 – one for North America, one for Asia, and one for Europe – and have been on the road ever since. Teknoart’s other traveling exhibits include Da Vinci Robots (reported a huge hit in Mumbai); Julius Caesar and Michaelangelo.
Da Vinci Machines concluded its Saint Louis run March 31 and is now on its way to Denver, but Imagine That! is holding onto the 15,000 square foot space and planning to bring in a new exhibit by summer 2012. 800 Market Street is in a very accessible part of downtown with good business traffic, that has lately seen promising cultural developments such as the award winning CityGarden, an outdoor sculpture and fountain park; and the recently restored and reopened Peabody Opera House (formerly the Kiel Opera House). “The building owners are happy with the arrangement,” says Gillam. “The exhibit was good for the building. The space had been vacant for 7-8 years prior to our moving in, in July 2011. We’re trying to create a space that can house a variety of art exhibits and be different from the typical art museum or history museum. We wanted something downtown.” The next exhibit may be one of Teknoart’s offerings or it may be from a different distributor. Interested parties may contact Jessie Gillam at [email protected].

Photo: davinciexhibitstl.com

Disney Cruise Line’s Newest Ship, Disney Fantasy, Christened in New York by Mariah Carey

Joe Kleiman
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New York, NY, USA /PRNewswire/ — The Disney Fantasy, the fourth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, was christened March 1 during a star-studded christening celebration at the Manhattan Cruise Terminal.
On a night filled with celebrity performances from the likes of Jerry Seinfeld, Neil Patrick Harris, Nick Cannon and Heather Headley, it was “Disney Fantasy godmother,” Mariah Carey, who took center stage for the christening moment. Similar to the famed New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, Carey led the audience in a countdown that triggered a 6-foot tall bottle of champagne in the Atrium Lobby to erupt and shower onlookers with confetti and streamers as a traditional bottle of champagne broke against the ship’s hull.

Newly christened and already a Thea Award recipient!
Animation Magic in the Animator’s Palate Restaurant on the Disney Fantasy will be honored with a Thea Award from the Themed Entertainment Association at TEA’s annual awards gala, March 17 in Anaheim. Click here for more information.

“The Disney Fantasy is a spectacular addition to our fleet and builds on the creativity, innovation and artistry that are hallmarks of the Disney Cruise Line,” said Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger. “Like her sister ship, the Dream, the Fantasy will connect guests to iconic Disney characters and storytelling, creating unforgettable, one-of-a-kind vacation experiences for the entire family.”

“At Disney Parks and Resorts, we strive to be the most trusted and highest quality provider of shared travel and leisure experiences in the world,” said Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Tom Staggs. “From stem to stern, the Disney Fantasy was designed and built with the singular purpose of surprising and delighting our guests, helping them make memories to last a lifetime.” 

 
When the Disney Fantasy begins sailing on March 31, 2012, it will continue the innovative approach Disney Cruise line brought to family cruise vacations with a collection of new guest experiences specifically developed for the ship’s seven-night itinerary.

Highlights include:

  • Animator’s Palate on the Disney Fantasy brings the magic of Disney animation into the dining room with a new show called “Animation Magic.” At dinner, families are encouraged to draw a character of their own on a specially designed placemat. Once the placemats are collected, the magic begins as Mickey takes to the screens and brings the guests’ characters to life as they march across screens around the dining room and even step into scenes from beloved Disney movies side-by-side with characters such as Mickey Mouse, Jiminy Cricket, Cinderella and Snow White.
  • Guests can join the world-famous Muppets for interactive adventure quests to find missing show props by uncovering clues via more than a dozen pieces of Enchanted Art around the ship. Guided by a map and holding a unique game card in front of select pieces of Enchanted Art, guests unveil games and clues to find the missing items. “The Case of the Stolen Show” is a self-paced adventure game that features several possible endings and multiple randomized events – so each time a guest plays, they have a different game experience. 
  • Soaring above the upper decks of the Disney Fantasy, guests will find the AquaDuck a 765-foot long, twisting-and-turning water coaster that has been a huge hit with guests sailing on the Disney Dream. 
  • Several new water surprises are set to debut on the Disney Fantasy including AquaLab — a water play area on the upper deck filled with a variety of water “experiments,” created by Donald Duck’s nephews, designed to drench, soak and saturate guests. This fanciful 1,800-square-foot space features pop jets, geysers, bubblers, falling water, squirting walls and more.
  • On Deck 13 forward, guests 18-years of age and older will find a new relaxing respite. Satellite Falls is a circular splash pool with benches and a gently falling rain curtain that provides cool comfort and is surrounded by ample deck space where adult guests can soak up the sun in loungers or relax in the shade under a canopy.
  • The launch of a new Disney ship includes the premiere of two new Broadway-style stage spectaculars in the lavish Walt Disney Theatre. The signature show “Wishes” is a 45-minute musical journey about three best friends who discover the secret to being a grown-up is staying connected to their inner child. “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular” is a fast-paced musical comedy where Aladdin, the “street rat” of Agrabah, meets a Genie who grants him three wishes, battles the evil Jafar and falls in love with Princess Jasmine.
  • Nightlife takes a European twist with Europa – an entertainment district of high-energy, sophisticated clubs and lounges inspired by the night spots of Italy, France, Ireland and London. Europa is a “continent” of adult nighttime fun without borders. La Piazza is a lounge that draws inspiration from stylish Italian plazas. Skyline is a chic bar that provides ever-changing birds-eye views of European cityscapes. O’Gills Pub is a rollicking Irish bar and Ooh La La is an elegant French champagne bar. The Tube transports guests to a vibrant metropolitan club reminiscent of swinging London.

The Disney Fantasy will sail from Port Canaveral, Fla. on seven-night Caribbean itineraries that alternate eastern (St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and western (Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel). All itineraries will include a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay. To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, visit www.disneycruise.com

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to Become Christmas Town This Holiday Season

Joe Kleiman
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Tampa, FL, USA (March 1, 2012) — Busch Gardens Tampa is getting ready to launch the biggest Christmas celebration ever! Christmas Town will transform the park into a nighttime holiday wonderland of wintery surprises and all things Christmas, filling guests’ senses with seasonal sights, sounds and flavors, and creating a beautiful new tradition for Tampa’s families.

For the first time in the park’s 53-year history, visitors to Christmas Town will experience all-new evening attractions, shows and shopping every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, Nov. 30 through Dec. 23. Guests can look forward to special entertainment, live music, festive treats, holiday shopping and thousands and thousands of twinkling Christmas lights around every turn.

“When Christmas Town opens in November, it will be the beginning of a unique holiday tradition for Tampa Bay area,” says Jim Dean, Busch Gardens Tampa’s park president. “We are creating a season-long celebration for family and friends unlike any other event our guests have ever seen – the kind of Christmas fun only Busch Gardens can provide.”

Similar to the park’s popular Halloween event, Christmas Town will be a separate-ticketed night event, and regular daytime Busch Gardens admission is not required or included. Discounts will be available for annual pass members, and families with children ages 3 to 9 will enjoy special ticket prices for their youngest members.

http://seaworldparks.com/en/buschgardens-tampa

HD Makeover of Spider-man Opens Next Week at Universal Orlando

Joe Kleiman
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Orlando, FL, USA (March 1, 2012) — Today, Universal Orlando Resort revealed what people around the world have been waiting to learn: The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man will reopen on Thursday, March 8 – featuring all-new 4K digital high-definition animation, a new musical score and all-new 3-D “Spider-Vision” glasses.

The enhancements will transform what is already one of the most popular theme park attractions ever created into what will feel like an all-new adventure. The newly reanimated, high-definition experience will unfold within the attraction’s towering visual spaces. The enhancements will allow guests to experience details they’ve never been able to before – from the flames spewing from Hobgoblin’s pumpkins to the electricity arching through Electro’s body to the stitching on Spider-Man’s gloves.

Here are highlights from the brand new 3-D experience:

  • Legendary comic book icon and Spider-Man co-creator Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance in the new film animation.
  • The action is more life-like than ever. Guests will actually see the movement of the characters’ muscles and the changes in their facial expressions. 
  • The enhanced attraction features a new original music score. It is the same Spider-Man theme you love – with a rockin’ twist.
  • The ride vehicle audio system has been upgraded from 8-channel to 16-channel so riders will be even more immersed in the action. Guests will experience 3-D sound quality.
  • There are hundreds of new details for guests to discover in the attraction. Lighting, sets, graphics, props and even scenic detail have been updated to further enhance the animation’s tremendous improvements.

And, for the first time ever, Universal Orlando is giving fans the opportunity to unlock sneak peeks of the new hi-def ride animation before the attraction reopens next week.  www.universalorlando.com/spider-man 

 

Joint Rock and Roll Hall of Fame/Graceland Curated Exhibit Opens at Elvis Presley Estate

Joe Kleiman
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Memphis, TN, USA (March 1, 2012) /BUSINESS WIRE/ — The yearlong 35th anniversary commemoration of the life and legacy of Elvis Presley continues in Memphis with the third and largest exhibit launching at Graceland in 2012. Icon: The Influence of Elvis Presley Presented by Fender will be open March 1, 2012 through February 2013.

Curated by the Graceland archives team in partnership with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, this groundbreaking exhibit features 75 artifacts on loan from the famed Cleveland museum, along with items from the collections of many of today’s biggest names in music who have been influenced by the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The exhibit celebrates Elvis’ status as a music pioneer and icon that paved the way for many of today’s artists and celebrities. Items on display in this exhibit include Bono’s “MacPhisto” suit from U2’s Zooropa performances, Bob Dylan’s leather jacket that appears on the album cover “Real Live,” James Brown’s jumpsuit and vest worn in concert in the 1970s, along with artifacts from Elton John, Trisha Yearwood, Joan Jett, Wanda Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, The Beatles, Katy Perry and many others.

Grammy award-winning artist Amy Grant, a well-known Elvis fan, gladly accepted the invitation to display her personal copy of lyrics for “Heartbreak Hotel,” handwritten for her by the songwriter, Mae Axton. “The ink is fading on the page, but the special memory of spending time with one of the great writers who gave Elvis a song to sing never will,” said Grant when asked about being included in the unique exhibit.

Earlier in 2012, two additional exhibits opened at Graceland. Elvis on Tour celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Golden Globe award-winning documentary of the same name. The documentary takes an in-depth look at Elvis’ multi-city tour during April of that year. Artifacts from the exhibit include the producer’s Golden Globe award, jewelry and stage clothing worn by the king during the concerts, rarely-seen photos, videos and more.

A new addition to the VIP Tour, Elvis…Through His Daughter’s Eyes opened on February 1, Lisa Marie Presley’s birthday, and highlights the relationship between Elvis and his only child. Presley was personally involved in the exhibit’s development and planning. Visitors will see numerous items including family photos and home movies that explore her experience of growing up at Graceland and the relationship with her famous father. Artifacts include Presley’s baby footprints, clothing, childhood tricycle, record player, crib, gold ID bracelet given to her by Elvis and much more.

Graceland is open year round with various tour options. Icon: The Influence of Elvis Presley Presented by Fender is included in the VIP and Platinum Tours. For more information on tours, please visit: http://www.elvis.com/graceland/.

Smithsonian Prepares to Open Landmark Exhibit on Video Games

Joe Kleiman
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Washington, DC, USA (March 1, 2012) — “The Art of Video Games” is one of the first major exhibitions to explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking graphics, creative storytelling and player interactivity. The exhibition features some of the most influential artists and designers across five eras of game development, from early pioneers to contemporary designers. Video games use player participation to tell stories and engage audiences. In the same way as film, animation and performance, video games are a compelling and influential form of narrative art.

“The Art of Video Games” is on display at the Smithsonian American Art Museum from March 16 through Sept. 30. Chris Melissinos, former chief evangelist and chief gaming officer for Sun Microsystems and founder of PastPixels, is the guest curator of the exhibition. Georgina Goodlander, the museum’s social media and Web content manager, is the exhibition coordinator. The exhibition will travel to 10 cities in the United States following its run in Washington, D.C.

“Video game designers are engaged in creating a world, as are all artists,” said Elizabeth Broun, The Margaret and Terry Stent Director of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. “The Smithsonian American Art Museum recognizes the designers and developers who create these beguiling worlds in this exhibition. Contemporary video games have taken this creative expression to a whole new level, and we are eager to explore this popular global phenomenon.”

“Video games are a prevalent and increasingly expressive medium within modern society,” said Melissinos. “In the 40 years since the introduction of the first home video game, the field has attracted exceptional artistic talent. Video games, which include classic components of art, offer designers a previously unprecedented method of communicating with and engaging audiences by including a new element, the player, who completes the vivid, experiential art form by personally interacting with the game elements.”

“The Art of Video Games” focuses on the interplay of graphics, technology and storytelling through some of the best games for 20 gaming systems ranging from the Atari VCS to the PlayStation 3. The exhibition features 80 video games, selected with the help of the public, that demonstrate the evolution of the medium. The games are presented through still images and video footage. In addition, the galleries include video interviews with developers and artists, historic game consoles and large prints of in-game screen shots.

New technologies allow designers to create increasingly interactive and sophisticated game environments while staying grounded in traditional game types. Five featured games, one from each era, are available in the exhibition galleries for visitors to play for a few minutes, to gain some feel for the interactivity. The playable games—Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst and Flower—show how players interact with the virtual worlds, highlighting innovative new techniques that set the standard for many subsequent games.

Visitors to the exhibition are greeted by excerpts from selected games projected 12 feet high, accompanied by a chipmusic soundtrack by 8 Bit Weapon and ComputeHer, including “The Art of Video Games Anthem” recorded by 8 Bit Weapon specifically for the exhibition. These multimedia elements convey the excitement and complexity of the featured video games. An interior gallery includes a series of short videos showing the range of emotional responses players have while interacting with games. Excerpts from interviews with 20 influential figures in the gaming world also are presented in the galleries.

The museum invited the public to help select the video games in the exhibition. A pool of 240 games was selected by Melissinos and an advisory group consisting of game developers, designers, industry pioneers and journalists. Voting took place between Feb. 14, 2011, and April 17, 2011. More than 3.7 million votes were cast by 119,000 people in 175 countries. The full list of advisory group members is available in the museum’s online press kit for the exhibition, americanart.si.edu/pr/kits/#taovg.

Micro-donations  

The museum launched its first micro-donation campaign in connection with the exhibition in September 2011. Individuals can become a part of this historic exhibition by adding his or her name to the credits, which are projected in the exhibition, by supporting the exhibition online or by text message. Details are on the museum’s website, americanart.si.edu/taovg.

Free Public Programs—GameFest

“GameFest,” a three-day festival with talks, discussions, open game playing, music and movies, celebrates the opening of this ground breaking exhibition. Friday, March 16, Melissinos moderates two panel discussions exploring the history of video game design and imagining what is in store for the future, from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the museum’s McEvoy Auditorium. Nolan Bushnell, founder of Atari and a key player in the growth and popularity of the first video games, offers the keynote address at 7 p.m., which is followed by a screening of TRON (1982) at 8:30 p.m. in the museum’s Kogod Courtyard.

Saturday, March 17, features activities for all ages from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the museum’s Kogod Courtyard, including live-action games with costumed characters by Spontaneous Art and a soundtrack by dj MKO; performances by 8 Bit Weapon, ComputeHer and The Triforce Quartet; hands-on craft activities; the opportunity to play a variety of classic and modern video games; and a photo booth where costumes are encouraged. Programs in the museum’s McEvoy Auditorium include a conversation with Hideo Kojima, video game designer best known for the Metal Gear series, at noon; a talk by Robin Hunicke, video game designer at thatgamecompany, at 5 p.m.; and a screening of the documentary The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters (2007) at 7 p.m., followed by a conversation with several of the participants. The activities in the courtyard are repeated Sunday, March 18, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.

A detailed schedule of all activities and links to live webcasts of all GameFest programs in the McEvoy Auditorium is available online, americanart.si.edu/taovg.

Additional programs include a concert by University of Maryland’s Gamer Symphony Orchestra, Sunday, April 29, at 3 p.m. in the museum’s Kogod Courtyard. The 21st Century Consort presents “Music of Games” Saturday, May 5, at 5 p.m., with a pre-concert lecture at 4 p.m.
 
Symposium

“Video Games: Beyond Play,” a symposium that examines the changing roles of video games, consists of two panel discussions Friday, May 4, from 1 to 4:30 p.m. in the museum’s McEvoy Auditorium. The first panel, “Video Games at Work” from 1 to 2:30 p.m., is an in-depth look at how video games are revolutionizing areas such as health care, education, civics, journalism and national defense. Panelists include Asi Burak, co-founder of Games for Change; Brian Crecente, editor in chief of the video game blog “Kotaku”; James Paul Gee, the Mary Lou Fulton Presidential Professor of Literacy Studies at Arizona State University; J.C. Herz, author of Joystick Nation; Ben Sawyer, co-founder of Digitalmill Inc.; and moderator Constance Steinkuehler Squire, senior policy analyst with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The second panel, “Game Change: Society and Culture” from 3 to 4:30 p.m., examines the impact of video games in the fields of academic research, science, art and education. Panelists include Hunicke; Richard Lemarchand, lead game designer at Naughty Dog; Eric Zimmerman, game designer, educator and co-author of Rules of Play; and moderator Colleen Macklin, associate professor of design and technology at Parsons the New School for Design. The symposium will be webcast live and archived on the museum’s website.

Tour

The exhibition will travel to 10 cities in the United States following its presentation in Washington, D.C. Confirmed venues include the Boca Raton Museum of Art in Boca Raton, Fla. (Oct. 24 – Jan. 20, 2013); the EMP Museum in Seattle (Feb. 16, 2013 – May 13, 2013); the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, N.Y. (Feb. 15, 2014 – May 18, 2014); the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio (June 19, 2014–Sept. 28, 2014); the Flint Institute of Arts in Flint, Mich. (Oct. 25, 2014 – Jan. 18, 2015); the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis, Tenn. (June 6, 2015 – Sept. 13, 2015); and The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at Florida International University in Miami, Fla. (Oct. 9, 2015 – Jan. 25, 2016). Information about additional venues will be available on the museum’s website, americanart.si.edu/taovg.

Credit

“The Art of Video Games” is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with generous support from the Entertainment Software Association Foundation; Sheila Duignan and Mike Wilkins; Shelby and Frederick Gans; Mark Lamia; Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk; Rose Family Foundation; Betty and Lloyd Schermer; and Neil Young. Promotional support is provided by the Entertainment Consumers Association. The C.F. Foundation in Atlanta supports the museum’s traveling exhibition program, “Treasures to Go.”

ABOUT THE SMITHSONIAN AMERICAN ART MUSEUM
The Smithsonian American Art Museum celebrates the vision and creativity of Americans with artworks in all media spanning more than three centuries. Its National Historic Landmark building is located at Eighth and F streets N.W., above the Gallery Place/Chinatown Metrorail station. Museum hours are 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, except Dec. 25. Admission is free. Follow the museum on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, iTunes and YouTube. americanart.si.edu.

Blackpool Pleasure Beach 2012 Season Features New Twists on Shows and Attractions

Joe Kleiman
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Blackpool, UK — The 2012 season is in full swing at Pleasure Beach Resort, Blackpool! Thrill-seeking rides, high dives and first birthdays are just a few of the attractions in store for the rest of the year.

Wow Weekends have been welcoming early thrill-seekers and there are more special offers available to everyone right throughout the season via http://www.pleasurebeachresort.com

There are even more attractions at Pleasure Beach this year.

While London is gearing up for the Olympics, the 42-acre park will be welcoming its own special troupe of Mexican Olympic high divers as part its new attractions.

La Quebrada will be bringing their unique show to the park in July at a purpose built arena in the shadow of the Big One.

Their performances have wowed audiences around the world with death-defying high dives from heights of up to 25 metres (81 feet), combining comedy, fire and Olympic dives. They will perform their first dive on July 16 through the season until September 2.

Closer to ground level a birthday celebration is being planned for SpongeBob SquarePants and his friends as they celebrate Nickelodeon Land’s first birthday on May 4.

Opened by Baywatch star David Hasselhoff last year, the £10.3m investment has been a huge hit with all age groups. It has 12 amazing rides including SpongeBob’s Splash Bash and Dora’s World Voyage plus many more.

When the rest of the park closes at 5pm, Nickelodeon Land will stay open until 7pm and wristbands for the attraction will be just £10 from 3pm on the day with a cake cutting ceremony at 4.30pm.

Hot Ice will celebrate its 75th production in 2012 when Entice will be skating its way on to the ice. With more than 30 skating stars from around the world, Entice will feature over 400 stunning costumes to mesmerising music, lasers and pyrotechnic effects. Hot Ice scooped “Best Show” at the Big E award in Las Vegas, a glitzy ceremony that recognises all that’s great in the world of big productions. A jaw-dropping illusion of the senses is promised with world-class performers taking to the ice for the show, which premieres on July 4, with matinee performances at 2.30pm, and evening shows at 7.30pm.

Also this year Pleasure Beach will see one of its most famous rides be treated to a transformation. The Revolution, the iconic looping rollercoaster, will go all industrial for a stunning new look.

Pleasure Beach managing director Amanda Thompson OBE said: “2012 is already going to be a memorable year with the Olympics and the Diamond Jubilee taking place. At Pleasure Beach we have our very own celebrations.We are really looking forward to welcoming the high divers to the park and I am sure they will be a huge success. Celebrating Nickelodeon Land’s first birthday will be fun and we are looking forward to the rest of 2012 being a huge success.”

Indianapolis Museum of Art’s IMA Lab Partners with Corning Museum of Glass on New Website Design

Joe Kleiman
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Corning, NY, USA (March 1, 2012) /PRWEB/ —  The Corning Museum of Glass has launched a redesigned website at http://www.cmog.org. The site offers new content, increased access to the Museum’s collection and new user-friendly features. The front page serves as a starting point to explore 35 centuries of glass art: the site now features thousands of videos, articles, images and resources on glass and glassmaking.

“The Corning Museum of Glass is the authority on glass, and we wanted to make as many of our resources available online as we could,” says Karol Wight, executive director. “We’ve made new digitized materials from our Library available, are sharing every single video we’ve ever produced and are publishing articles that address glass from many angles. Visitors to our site can easily access information about glass at any level that interests them.”

The redesigned site provides a new integrated search function that allows visitors to access more than 200,000 records from both the Museum’s comprehensive collection of art and historical glass and the Rakow Research Library’s collection of archival and reference materials on the history of glass and glassmaking.

More than 30 years of images from the Museum’s prestigious annual journal, New Glass Review, are now available to view online for the first time. An All About Glass section features more than 350 videos, 100 articles, and 225 recently digitized books from the Rakow Research Library, as well as glass term definitions and podcasts.

The Museum’s popular YouTube channel is now integrated into the site, featuring glassmaking techniques, demonstrations from master glassblowers, and interviews with glass artists.

Additional new features on http://www.cmog.org include:

  • In-depth collections records including related multimedia, publications and exhibition information, as well as provenance, related objects and user tags.
  • A collection set feature allowing visitors to save and share collection objects, articles, events and media across the site.
  • Overviews of the Museum’s galleries, highlighting featured objects in the collection.
  • Online registration for glassmaking classes at The Studio, the Museum’s glassmaking school.
  • An improved calendar including a daily demonstration schedule, current exhibitions on view and special events.
  • The Museum’s blog, Behind the Glass, is now accessible on the site providing a behind the scenes look at glass conservation, glass artists and the Museum’s events and programming.
  • A mobile site, providing information for planning a visit on the go and access to collections information in a smart-phone optimized format.

The Museum partnered with IMA Lab, the media and technology group at the Indianapolis Museum of Art for the website redesign project. IMALab designed and developed the site, working on new solutions to bring the Museum’s various collections to the web.

The Corning Museum of Glass is the foremost authority on the art, history, science, and design of glass. It is home to the world’s most important collection of glass, including the finest examples of glassmaking spanning 3,500 years. Live glassblowing demonstrations (offered at the Museum, on the road, and at sea on Celebrity Cruises) bring the material to life. Daily Make Your Own Glass experiences at the Museum enable visitors to create work in a state-of-the-art glassmaking studio. The campus in Corning includes a year-round glassmaking school, The Studio, and the Rakow Research Library, the world’s preeminent collection of materials on the art and history of glass. Located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Wine Country of New York State, the Museum is open daily, year-round.

Float Mobile Learning and Iona Group Demonstrate Power of Android and Intel

Joe Kleiman
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Barcelona, Spain /PRWEB/ — Float Mobile Learning and The Iona Group, in conjunction with Live Marketing, debuted its newest work at the Intel® booth at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this week.

As part of the “What’s In Your Pocket” campaign concepted by Live Marketing, Float and Iona created a 30-ft-long installation comprised of 32 monitors that display content from four Android tablets running on Intel’s new Atom™ Z2460 processor, formerly codenamed “Medfield.” Users from anywhere in the world can upload live images through the app, and conference attendees can select which image they would like to appear on the screen. What’s In Your Pocket also generates dynamic word clouds based on responses to a survey of Intel’s developers, which are then displayed on the monitors in real-time.

“We developed this to demonstrate the capabilities of the new devices and the types of creativity that Intel’s new mobile platforms allow,” said Jim Ferolo, creative director at The Iona Group. “The app showcases the interaction between the mobile client, cloud services and the Intel processors. Basically, we were able to show the interaction between uploading content, processing content, and displaying that high-res imagery on multiple screens.”

This project marked Iona and Float’s first development on Ice Cream Sandwich, Android’s newest and most robust operating system. Furthermore, it was one of the first apps ever developed for Intel’s newly announced Medfield platform.

“There are very few companies developing for Ice Cream Sandwich ,” added Ferolo. “Intel is truly making inroads into Android development by helping to run Ice Cream Sandwich, and we’re excited to be at the forefront of this innovation.”

Float’s managing director, Chad Udell, said of the installation, “The power of the new Intel Atom platform and the ease of development on Android made this project a pleasure, and the results are truly amazing.”

Standing seven feet tall and more than nearly 30 feet in length, Float and Iona’s work is one of the largest interactive enterprise-level installations at Mobile World Congress. The real-time control and selection of content on the wall makes the fixture unique.

Dynamic word clouds and user-uploaded photos are processed server side and generated on the fly using a custom web app developed by The Iona Group using survey questions that are answered via a mobile app.
The team on the floor of the Intel booth can moderate what people are uploading, all in real-time.
 
The information is then displayed to each of the monitors, each of which is powered by the Intel Core i7 Processor. The entire wall resolution is roughly 8000×2000 pixels running at 60fps.
 
Float developed the Android app that allows users to browse content on the wall and select visual elements that are dynamically generated in OpenGL through links to a custom CMS via a webservice API that can format and process images, text and other rich content.

Users from around the world have uploaded content to the wall for the past week, and conference attendees continue to populate the database to document their time in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress.

ABOUT FLOAT MOBILE LEARNING
Float’s team of experts combines strategy, mobile app development, and eLearning to guide organizations by harnessing the unique power of mobile technology. Founded in 2010, Float works with industry leaders such as Caterpillar Inc., Pioneer Hi-Bred, GROWMARK, and Wiley Publishing Inc. to strategize and develop mobile learning initiatives. To learn more, please visit http://floatlearning.com.

ABOUT IONA GROUP
For more than 25 years, The Iona Group has consulted with Fortune 500 companies to create targeted interactive experiences through eLearning, events, exhibits, and the Web. Iona connects industry-leading clients such as Adler Planetarium, Caterpillar Inc., the Museum of Science and Industry, and Pioneer Hi-Bred connect their audiences with their messages by creating the best media solutions. To learn more, please visit http://ionagroup.com.

ABOUT LIVE MARKETING
Live Marketing is an integrated engagement marketing agency, helping companies create engagement programs online, on-demand, and in-person. With a mix of strategic, creative and production services, Live Marketing has earned over 750 industry awards and is consistently ranked on Event Marketer Magazine’s list of top event marketing agencies. Live Marketing is also a certified woman-owned business through WBENC. Learn more at http://www.livemarketing.com.

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