|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||||||
| |
About Us |
 |
|
Press RoomMedia Only: David Perry Star Wars: Art of the Starfighter New Traveling Smithsonian exhibit at Oakland's Chabot Space & Science Center — October 16 through January 6, 2002 28 September 2001, OAKLAND, CA: Oakland's new stellar showcase, Chabot Space & Science Center, will present a new Smithsonian traveling exhibit, "Star Wars: Art of the Starfighter." Visitors will explore the art of filmmaking through models in this new exhibit, which will open in its West Coast premiere at Chabot Space & Science Center on October 16 and remain on view through January 6, 2002. "As a Smithsonian affiliate, Chabot is delighted to host 'Star Wars: Art of the Starfighter,'" said Chabot Executive Director Dr. Mike Reynolds. "It is a wonderful opportunity for us to use a popular medium such as the Star Wars film saga as a catalyst to investigate scientific concepts and further Chabot's mission to make science fun and accessible to the general public." "Star Wars: Art of the Starfighter" was organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) and Smithsonian Affiliations, in conjunction with Lucasfilm Ltd., and put together especially to tour Smithsonian affiliate museums. The centerpiece of this new Smithsonian traveling exhibit is a full scale, 35-foot Naboo Starfighter used in the making of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace. This is the first time this signature yellow and chrome spacecraft model will be presented on the West Coast. "Star Wars: Art of the Starfighter" also features two interactive games and a seven-minute documentary video which highlights the work of Lucasfilm. Computer interactives from Lucas Learning will be available for children, while young adults can sample the popular, new Sony PlayStation 2 game from LucasArts Entertainment Company — "Star Wars Starfighter." In conjunction with the exhibit, Chabot Space & Science Center will produce a series of educational activities centered on science and the imagination. For decades, filmmakers have dazzled us with visual effects, using props, models, and creative devices to spark our imaginations and tell us fantastic stories. George Lucas and his artists at Industrial Light & Magic pioneered many of the techniques used in today's films, including the integration of models, motion-control photography, and computer animation. Utilizing the Naboo Starfighter as an example of the artistry of model making, as well as through an audio-visual component, images and interpretive text, "Star Wars: Art of the Starfighter" investigates the use of models in the creative process filmmaking. Additionally, the exhibit examines the evolution of the starfighter design in the Star Wars saga. Vehicles in The Phantom Menace were precursors to ships seen in the original trilogy. In creating vehicles for Episode I, artists had to consider existing designs and work within a family of elements. Visitors to "Art of the Starfighter" will view reproductions of concept art for other Star Wars vehicles such as the Millennium Falcon and the X-wing fighter, and compare the vehicles to understand how their design shapes this cinematic epic. Each year, SITES shares the wealth of Smithsonian collections and research programs with millions of people outside of Washington, D.C. One of the Smithsonian's four National Programs, SITES makes available a wide range of exhibitions about art, science, and history, which are shown not only in museums but wherever people live, work, and play: in libraries, science centers, historical societies, community centers, botanical gardens, schools, and shopping malls. In 2002, SITES will celebrate 50 years of connecting Americans to their shared cultural heritage. Exhibition descriptions and tour schedules are available at www.si.edu/sites. Chabot Space & Science Center is the continuation and expansion of Oakland, California's public Chabot Observatory that has served San Francisco Bay Area schools and citizens with astronomy and science education programs for 117 years. The institution began in 1883 as the Oakland Observatory, through a gift from Anthony Chabot to the City of Oakland. The original Oakland Observatory was located in downtown Oakland, and provided public telescope viewing for the community. For decades, it served as the official timekeeping station for the entire Bay Area, measuring time with its transit telescope. For information and tickets, please call (510) 336-7300 or visit www.chabotspace.org.
Naboo Starfighter, from SITES exhibit "Star Wars: Art of the Starfighter" 2001TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. Click to download high-resolution image. (Right click on PC; click and hold on Mac.) # # # # | |||||||||||
|
|
