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I was recently visiting the Monterey Bay Aquarium and came across a new temporary display that just plain kicked ass! The signage and designage were spectacular playful and extremely interactive. This seems like a side of the sign business that I could seriously get into. Are there any Letterheads out there that can point me in the right direction to start such an adventure?
Thanks!
------------------ Rich Diltz In Sacramento for now, but who knows where next
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I think we may have a photo or two, but Sofia used up most of our film taking pics of me finishing my diving certificate. You have to see it to believe it...it is:
VERY dimensional...all the surfaces have 3d elements
EXTREMELY colorful... they used a pallette like what you might find in a pristine coral reef and then they turned it up a notch
WILDLY tactile...soft carpets, wet play surfaces, rough rocks, and slick signs to experience
AMAZINGLY interactive... all sorts of knobs, dials, and things to touch
The design was CLEAN, the craftsmanship was OUTSTANDING, and the overall effect was awesome.
You gotta see it. And that's just the new kids exhibit, for those who haven't been there the whole aquarium is quite well put together!
~Rich
------------------ Rich Diltz In Sacramento for now, but who knows where next
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Currently doing some pro bono for our local museum. Exterior sign and some interior wall displays, nothing too fancy just helping out with a hometown project.
Everything is donated and kinda ragged, old glass display cases of all types and nothing matches but it'll be something for our community to be proud of in their efforts.
I enjoy working on displays and tradeshow booths, sometimes you can really turn loose and make something nice if the client has the budget but so many times it's just make-do with what you have.
------------------ Larry
Elliott Design McLemoresville, Tn.
If you can't find the time to do it right, where gonna find the time to do it over?
Posts: 486 | From: McLemoresville, TN. USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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I think you might be talking about the Splash Zone exhibit at the Monterey Aquarium. I'm not sure who designed that one but usually how these things happen is that one design company will design the whole exhibit and then contract a whole ton of smaller companies to create and assemble it. The coral might be made by one company while the rocks are made by another. One company does the signs and another sculpts the giant whales and dolphins. If you are on the West coast, there's a good chance Scenery West or Treadway Industries did something in that exhibit. They are some of the larger companies out there that work on zoos and museums. The Jack Rouse company designs a lot of zoo and aquarium exhibits as well. They are in Ohio. Practically everything you see with dimension to it in these exhibits is either made out of foam and coated, or was originally sculpted in foam then cast in epoxy, plastic or fiberglass. Most artificial rock has a metal and foam core that is coated in gunite or one of many two-part polymers. Gunite is the same stuff used in swimming pools. Most coral is actually epoxy based. There are several companies out there that do nothing but artificial rock. Personally I consider rock and coral very boring to produce. I have created several components used in zoos or museum displays and practically all of it was sub-contracted from a larger company. As a matter of fact, I'm working on some items that will go to zoo here in Texas. There are dozens of contractors involved in it. As far as getting into the exhibit business, you just have to figure out the area of expertise you want to be in and then contact the people who design them. There are only a handful of companies that produce the whole package. The rest of it is done by a whole bunch of us little guys. Treadway Industries pretty much sets the bar for foam sculpture work. If you can produce their quality of work, you're in.
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I'm facinated by this sort of thing too...that's why I traveled to the 'wilds' of British Columbia to watch Dan Sawatzsky sling mud!!! Man!! I wish I owned my own house, I'd turn it into an amuzment park!! (I've been told I'm easily amused...)
One of these days I gotta get down to the Auquarium! A
------------------ Adrienne Morgan Splash Signs www.splashsigns.com "Rainkatt'on chat
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I can tell you that Monterey Bay Aquarium has their own router, which would indicate that they are doing some part of it in house.
I do around the edges stuff for the Blackhawk Museum, but they tell me what they want and I just make it - very little graphic skill involved. Just did my first large scale banner for them if you are interested in looking
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Adreinne, Have kids, Your houseWill turn into an amusement park
Kinda of an interesting subject for me in the since I had to travel to Indianapolis on Thursday to see a knee specialist on Fri morning. After seeing him early friday and getting some bad news, Penny and I decided to have some fun and take the kids to the Indianapolis Childrens Museum.
One word... WOW
Penny and I truly enjoyed it as much as the kids did, and some exhibits even more I think. I got some really neat idea's that I would like to incorporate into my signage as far as materials and different effects.
I took a few pics, but since this wasa a spur of the moment thing all we had was a one-time use camara.
------------------ Troy Haas "Metal_Leg" on mIRC
SAM Signs & RPM Auto Graphix 931 W. Columbia street Evansville,Indiana 47710 812-437-5367 Home of the: "Brush Fire at the Hose House" Letterhead Meet April 27-29th,2001
"Chaos, panic, disorder - my work here is done."
[This message has been edited by Troy Haas (edited May 26, 2001).]
Posts: 1100 | From: Evansville,Indiana, USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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Like the others have mentioned, the architecs get the job first, the displays are designed, full color drawings made or miniture sacle models, then the nitty gritty work is contracted out.
If you want this kind of work, you will have to go golfing with the architecs.
------------------ Draper The Signmaker Bloomington Illinois USA Get To A Letterhead Meet This Summer! See you there! 309-828-7110 drapersigns@hotmail.com Draper_Dave on mIRC chat
Posts: 2883 | From: Bloomington Illinois USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
We have considered taking on this type of work in the past but after looking at what is required We decided to stay with amusement park work instead... Most museum type work is Government type work and as such way too controlled for me to have any fun at all.
Now we are mostly our own client in our own little theme park which is the most fun yet.
You should see the plans for phase II !
Good luck if you go there!
-dan
------------------ Dan Sawatzky Sawatzky's Imagination Corporation Cultus Lake , British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.ca
to watch Dan Sawatzsky sling mud!!! Man!! I wish I owned my own house, I'd turn it into an amuzment park!!
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