ALDEN B. DOW MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & ART
1801 West Saint Andrews Road, Midland, Michigan 48640
Ticket Office: (989) 631-8250 or (800) 523-7649
Directions

HOURS:
SUMMER HOURS (effective May 26, 2009 through September 7, 2009)
Hall of Ideas and Galleries:
Wednesday-Saturday: 10 am - 4 pm
Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Sunday: CLOSED
CLOSED SUNDAYS, MONDAYS, TUESDAYS & MAJOR HOLIDAYS
CLOSED June 28 through July 5
CLOSED September 4 through September 7

ADMISSION:
Regular Museum Admission* (includes Hall of Ideas):
Adults: $8 | Children 4-14: $5 | Children 3 and under: free
Museum and Friends of the Center Members: FREE
ABDM/FOC/ASTC reciprocal: free

Hall of Ideas ONLY:
All ages: $3
Museum and Friends of the Center Members: FREE
ABDM/FOC/ASTC reciprocal: Free

Become a Member!

*Select exhibits may require an additional fee for both members and non-members.

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DETROIT SYNOPSIS:  RUSSELL DUNBAR PAINTINGS
May 30 - July 18, 2009

At the 2007 Greater MI Art Exhibition, Detroit artist Russell Dunbar was presented with this Solo Exhibition Award.

A graduate of Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Dunbar came to Michigan as an industrial designer for a major Detroit manufacturer designing consumer products, exhibits, office interiors and automobile nameplates and icons.  Upon retirement, he accepted a professorship at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.  All during this time, he continued to paint watercolors and acrylics, as well as print serigraphs.  Just as societal tastes and preferences evolve, so did Mr. Dunbar’s art.  After 30 years of abstract work, he realized that a warmer, realistic, representational approach to his artwork – “photo-realism” – would be more personal and fulfilling.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 11 at 7 pm
FREE admission. Public is welcome; refreshments will be served.

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FROZEN MUSIC: Frank Gehry and the Walt Disney Music Hall
June 6 - July 18, 2009

An exhibition on celebrated architect Frank Gehry focusing on one of his most visible accomplishments, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. Gehry's drawings and more than 70 photographs by Gil Garcetti tell the story of the design process, construction and completed form while portraying how the building is, in essence, a sculpture as much as a functional structure.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 11 at 7 pm
FREE admission. Public is welcome; refreshments will be served.

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BUILDING IMAGES: Seventy Years at Hedrich Blessing
June 6 - August 1, 2009

Ken and Bill Hedrich transformed architectural photography from a documentary medium to an art form. Hedrich Blessing has the photographed work of the world's twentieth-century masters such as Frank Lloyd Wright, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Eliel Saarinen and Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. This exhibition presents eighty of the studio's most stunning photographs, spanning the last seven decades of American architecture.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 11 at 7 pm
FREE admission. Public is welcome; refreshments will be served.

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MATERIALIZING THE IMMATERIAL:
The Architecture of Wallace Cunningham
June 6 - July 18, 2009

"Wallace Cunningham is a master of light, space and design," states furniture designer Sam Maloof. Cunningham is otherwise a self-taught architect of magnificent vision. Cunningham states, "Open up a structure to sky, landscape, and view and the building becomes alive. Your soul has a place to enter." The exhibit features architectural photographs documenting Cunningham's structures.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 11 at 7 pm
FREE admission. Public is welcome; refreshments will be served.

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SHARPENING THE FOCUS: ALDEN DOW THROUGH THE LENS OF ELMER ASTLEFORD
June 6 - July 18, 2009

Elmer. L. Astleford studied architecture at the University of Michigan. After working as a draftsman with distinguished architecture firms including Albert Kahn, Astleford turned to architectural photography in 1933. Alden Dow, an avid photographer and cinematographer himself, clearly appreciated Astleford's artistic eye for composition, attention to detail and beauty. Dow commissioned him to photograph residential projects across the state in the 1930s.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 11 at 7 pm
FREE admission. Public is welcome; refreshments will be served.

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MIDLAND - THE CITY OF ARCHITECTURE: A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
June 6 - July 18, 2009

From buildings to bridges, fences to arches, windows to doorways, nooks to crannies, this exhibit displays many creative perspectives of Midland's architecture by local photographers.

OPENING RECEPTION: Thursday, June 11 at 7 pm
FREE admission. Public is welcome; refreshments will be served.

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EINSTEIN
August 8 - December 6, 2009

"A powerful new exhibition" - U.S. News & World Report

"Eye-popping interactives...and whimsical touches" - Newsday

"What's most exciting is the treasure-trove of original manuscripts, photographs and letters" - Discover Magazine

The most comprehensive exhibition ever coordinated on the subject of Albert Einstein, who interpreted the inner workings of nature, the very essence of light, time, energy and gravity.  His insights fundamentally changed the way we look at the universe. 

A visionary physicist, he was also a passionate humanitarian and anti-war activist.  This exhibition will look at Einstein's life and times, his thinking on light, time, energy gravity, and his legacy as a global citizen.  It is highly interactive and inspires learning through its innovative exhibitry and engaging activities. 

The tour of Einstein is made possible byTIAA-CREF. In Midland, Einstein is sponsored by The Dow Chemical Company. This exhibition is organized by the American Museum of Natural History, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

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PAREIDOLIA: New Ceramic Works by James Freeman
NEW DATE: October 17, 2009 - January 3, 2010

James Freeman was awarded this exhibition as a Solo Exhibition Award at the 2007 Greater Michigan Art Exhibition. This exhibition is sponsored by Merrill Lynch.

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49TH ANNUAL GREATER MICHIGAN ART EXHIBITION
October 17, 2009 - January 3, 2010

One of the few remaining statewide visual arts competitions in Michigan. Organized by the Alden B. Dow Museum of Science & Art at Midland Center for the Arts, this exhibition provides a forum for the most recent developments by Michigan artists. Reputable arts professionals from around the country are invited to serve as jurors for the exhibition.

Learn more...

Downloadable application forms (pdf, 2.9 MB)
Deadline for submissions: Friday, July 17, 2009

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WATERWORKS- Soak Up the Science!
January 23, 2010 - April 25, 2010

This winter we welcome the exhibit WaterWorks: Soak Up the Science! from Science North in Ontario, Canada. This exhibit highlights the physical properties of water in its various states, the harnessing the power of water, and water’s role in our everyday lives.

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