Vulcan Reimagining
I was honored to work alongside John Kelton of Kelton Design and Phillip Ratliff of Backstory Educational Media to create a full package of conceptual renders for Vulcan Park & Museum in Birmingham, Alabama.
The creative team turned to me to conceptualize several reimagined exhibit spaces, focusing on history, inclusivity, and accessibility. Among the areas and activations I designed were:
An interactive movie theater space themed to Birmingham's iron-mining roots, where kids can grease the wheels, play with pretend mining equipment, take a photo with a "pack mule" and go on a simulated mine cart ride;
A World's Fair-inspired space representing the artist's studio of Vulcan statue-designer Giuseppe Moretti, where kids can see an in-progress statue of the Roman god Vulcan and even try their hand at what it's like to be a real sculpture artist;
An immersive gallery space representing Birmingham's creative spirit and featuring work of incredible local artists like Thornton Dial, Lonnie Holley, Joe Minter, Geneva Mercer, and Sun Ra;
Plus interactive game elements, including a plinko game that simulates how iron ore, limestone, and coke are melted down in a blast furnace; an AR sand table that simulates the process of casting iron; and a nature-themed spin browser station where a child can scroll through the various peoples that have called Birmingham home, beginning with the Muskogee and Creek, and concluding with the child's own reflection.
