Elephants and the Eameses: Our Own Take

Last week, Melissa Fitzmaurice and her students explored the work of Charles and Ray Eames. Campers and counselors drew inspiration from the designs of these modern builders to create their own whimsical array of colorful houses, warped furniture, solar-powered do-nothing machines, and elephants.

 

Students then broke into groups to study and pay homage to the many films made by the Eameses and their descendants. These showcase the Eames’ best-known inventions, and the Museum’s most beloved. Please enjoy the finished product:

 

A Formidable Start to Summer 2014

The Museum began the summer with a series of five individual projects diverse enough to satisfy the interest of any child out early from school. Flashy pinball machines told adventure stories. Battery-powered cars, dressed up like animals, spaceships, and bulldozers, changed direction at the flick of a switch. On Wednesday, students tested their castle construction skills as fortified walls complete with working drawbridges rose up above murky moats. Boats and sea monsters braved rough water, and robots spun and waved their arms in elaborate dances.