A Fun Night At the Museum

“Bully! I believe you can say we just met, but I do believe you can make a more ridiculous face than that, come on now ol’ gal” said Teddy Roosevelt to a young Instagram gallery hunter as he jostled her shoulders. She contorted her face and stuck out her tongue. “Bully good job,” Teddy said as he did the same, a picture was snapped, and off he went in another direction to mingle in the crowds of people at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts, at 1 Love St., last night.

Teddy, along with Genghis Khan, Christopher Columbus, and Pancho Villa were just some of the historical characters portrayed at Night at the Museum at SAMFA sponsored by ASU.

“We are focusing on making the community aware of ASU, as well making the ASU students aware of the museum,” said Jessica Garrico, ASU Studio Educator and Graphic Designer. “We started this last November, and Dr. May really liked it, so he decided he wanted us to do this every semester, this is our third one,” said Garrico. “We have free activities so students and families don’t have to worry with money and just come out enjoy art, learn something, and have fun.” Garrico herself was dressed as the “Queen of SAMFA”, crown and all.

Out of the many interactive things to partake in; the Instagram gallery hunt provided a photo scavenger hunt inside and out of the museum. When a hunter completed their checklist of ten things to do or find, (like taking a silly picture with Theodore Roosevelt), they could bring their photographic proof to the prize table, post it on Instagram with #SAMFA, and receive a gift like an ASU car charger or an ASU keychain made by a 3D printer, t-shirt, or coffee mug.

Small displays were set up in different galleries. One was filled with taxidermy and a few live insects, rodents, and reptiles.   “You want to see how they talk,” asked the entomologist to a small group of kids as he held a hissing, hissing cockroach. “Eeeeewwww,” exclaimed a little girl as she covered her eyes. “It’s the way they communicate,” he explained smiling. “They produce the sound by forcing air through their spiracles.” As the group then learned spiracles are external respiratory openings through the pores on the body of an insect.

Brian Beck manned the MakerBot 3D printer, as a constant flow of curious onlookers surrounded the display. “Right now it’s printing a shark chip clip,” Beck explained. “When it’s done you will see that the clip actually has a zig- zagged design like that of a shark, and it seals a bag of chips,” he said. Beck described a technical process that involves a computer program called Blender, a free and open source software that allows any user access to 3D blueprints for things like a chip clip. “The printer builds the item layer by layer from plastic,” he said.  There were several items displayed that came from the printer, a comb, a stretchy bracelet, bolts and washers ,some ASU keychains, and a small chain.

“I think this is going well,” said museum volunteer, Yvette Deanda. “There are a lot of people that are interested in the exhibits, and ASU has brought in a lot to show off, its nice to see the museum so filled with people.” 

Other exhibits and activities included a walk and talk with Dr.John Klingemann about Pancho Villa, and ceramic painting and other crafts for kids at the museum itself. Also special exhibits on Oakes Street by artist Jeremiah Ibarra at the Coop Gallery, and photography exhibit entitled Night in San Angelo at Gallery Verde.

Visitors could enjoy food and drinks sold by a couple of vendors set up in front of the museum and snow cones from a vendor on Oakes St.

As the sun set on the Concho River, visitors made their way to the balcony for a viewing of Night at the Museum. The smell of popcorn and coffee filled the air. Families, students and characters alike enjoyed the outdoor viewing in the warm night air as a full moon shined down from the vacant west Texas sky.