By Lee Belote
Virginian-Pilot Correspondent • Feb 19, 2023 at 11:22 am
On your next visit to the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, watch sparks fly when creating electricity with a metal roller and wand. Next, make music with air and electricity while playing a tune with a theremin instrument. If you want to see the world as Captain Nemo, lower an authentic dive helmet on your head.
These interactive stations are part of the aquarium’s newest exhibition called “Discover Steampunk: A Fantastical Hands-On Adventure.” The exhibit runs through May 14 and features interactive galleries inspired by innovators and historical figures of the late 1800s. Visionary writers H.G. Wells, Jules Verne and Mary Shelley are included in the exhibition along with four influential Victorian-era inventors: Isaac Singer, who developed the sewing machine; Thomas Blanchard, who worked on the first automobiles; George Eastman, who helped popularize photography; and Jan Matzeliger, whose inventions made footwear accessible to the masses.
Caryl Thompson, chief operating officer of the aquarium, said the museum chose “Discover Steampunk” as a changing exhibit because it complements the center’s focus on science, technology, engineering, art and math, or STEAM.
“As guests explore the exhibit, they will be introduced to authors and inventors of the late 1800s, and learn how technology and innovation impacts our daily lives,” Thompson said. “I love the visual impact of this exhibit, especially the arch that leads into the changing exhibit.”
The galleries include photography, robotics, stories, sculpture and interactive machines.
Artist Bruce Rosenbaum’s artworks decorate the exhibit. His uniquely designed “Humachine,” an eclectic, human-like sculpture that features antique clock faces, a power grid and a face, lights up when guests press the button.