When the Imagine Children’s Museum got permission from the federal government to obtain and display a 42′ gray whale, they weren’t sure what to do with it. An articulation wasn’t possible due to the space, but they wanted the bones to be on display somehow. Originally, the idea was to just have the skull, a few vertebrae, and other bones such as the hands-on a series of crates.
In my opinion, this wasn’t the best way to display whale bones. Having random bones does not tell the whole story and having an articulated skeleton provides many more learning opportunities. After a lot of thinking, I proposed this design to ICM.
This is partially articulated whale tunnel uses less space than a fully articulated whale skeleton while still highlighting almost all of the major teaching points used on traditional skeletons. The neck, hands, cervical and thoracic vertebrae along with one set of ribs provides the opportunity to gain a sense of scale while providing educators the bones they need for public interpretation.
The tunnel will provide a real sense of scale for visitors while providing an experience unlike any other The tunnel will be accessible to both adults and children and will contain more information about gray whales on the inside creates.
This will be by far the most unique articulation I have ever done. I look forward to the challenges it will bring as it will be in a children’s museum, so my work will have to be solid. Check back for updates as this project progresses!