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The Works Museum

Exhibit Design - Play & Ingenuity: Games and Everyday Engineering in Community Culture

Location: MN — Twin Cities Metro
Type: Call for Submissions
Categories:
Any discipline

Deadline: 11/01/2024

Other Criteria:
No entry fee required
Open to artists statewide
Paid opportunity

Apply

Background:
The Works Museum is a hands-on engineering and design museum. Our exhibits, programs, and design challenges engage kids in science, technology, and engineering and make learning memorable and fun.
This exhibit aims to celebrate the creativity, innovation, and cultural significance of games and everyday engineering practices within communities. We seek to explore how play, problem-solving, and “MacGyvering” (making do with what you have) form a vital part of family life and cultural identity.
The STEM concepts being reinforced through this exhibit are centered around using the engineering design process to solve problems, and forces in motion such as gravity, friction and collision.

Project Goals:
The goal is to create opportunities for visitors to create at the intersection of play and ingenuity. We want to highlight how communities express creativity through games, both traditional and modern, and through everyday problem-solving techniques that demonstrate resourcefulness. This exhibit will provide visitors with insight into how these activities shape culture and bring people together.

Response Questions and Opportunities
Artists are invited to consider the following questions and opportunities to shape their creative contributions:
1. What games do you often play with your families? In your community/culture?
(Describe the traditional or contemporary games that are significant in your family or culture. Consider board games, card games, outdoor activities, or digital games that foster connection and storytelling.)
2. What type of everyday engineering do you do at home? (i.e. “MacGyvering”)
(Think about times when you’ve had to creatively solve a problem using limited resources. How does this kind of problem-solving play a role in your home or community? Share examples of how you repurpose objects or materials to create something functional or beautiful.)
3. What are some creative ways that your culture has solved everyday problems?
(Consider cultural traditions or innovative practices that demonstrate how your community creatively tackles challenges or comes up with resourceful solutions. These could be related to household needs, communal projects, or even larger societal solutions.)

Opportunities:
● Cultural Representation Through Play and Problem-Solving:
Your artwork can reflect the significance of games and everyday problem-solving in your culture, using these themes to tell stories of family, connection, and ingenuity.
● Blending Tradition and Innovation:
Incorporate traditional cultural elements—such as symbols, objects, or methods—while offering fresh, modern perspectives through contemporary design or techniques.
● Showcasing Practical Creativity:
Highlight the beauty of resourcefulness, focusing on the ingenuity in everyday life and showcasing how creative problem-solving is woven into the fabric of your community.

We are seeking collaboration and consultation from artists and the community for this exhibit, which is being fabricated and installed by exhibit design firm Process Curiosity in May 2025. This opportunity could be in the format of an artist consultation, or the creation of physical or digital works for the exhibit. Budget and compensation will be determined in consultation with the artist based on the scope and complexity of the proposed work.