Tag Archives: Chaffee Planetarium

Public Museum a hoppin’ place to be this holiday season

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Local Entertainment, , ,

By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
joanne@wktv.org

The holiday season is well underway at the Grand Rapids Public Museum with special exhibits and activities for the entire family now on display including historic Grand Rapids built from LEGO® bricks, Santas from around the world, holiday planetarium shows and more.

Returning to the Grand Rapids Museum is the recreation of 1925 era of downtown Grand Rapids in LEGOs. (Photo supplied by Grand Rapids Public Museum)

“The Museum is a great place for families as they get into the holiday spirit this season with special displays and activities that will excite all ages,” said Kate Kocienski, vice president of Marketing & Public Relations at the GRPM. “In addition to annual favorites, including our historic LEGO® display, visitors can peek into the history of traditions through a festive display of Santas from around the globe and decorations found in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibit.”

One of the most popular GRPM exhibits during the season is the LEGO® recreation of 1925 Grand Rapids. The old-time Grand Rapids model features historic buildings built to scale and operating trams. Visitors have the opportunity to search and find different places all while discovering what downtown Grand Rapids use to be like.

The treasure hunting continued with the Santa and Elf Hunt. Riddles will help visitors find 15 historic Santas from around the world in the Streets of Old Grand Rapids exhibit along with learning about the traditions of each culture around Saint Nick. And while some homes have Elf on a Shelf, the GRPM has Elves in the Exhibits. Visitors can also follow clues to find all 12 elves hidden throughout the three floors of the museum. The Santa and Elf Hunt is available in both English and Spanish.

Featured exhibits are “Bats: Masters of the Night” and “POPnology,” featuring iconic replicas of a DeLorean Time Machine, R2D2, E.T. and more. “Bats,” which explores the famous creatures of the night, is part of the Museum admission. “POPnology,” which runs through Jan. 30, may be added on to any Museum visit.

Santa search now taking place at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Photo supplied by the Grand Rapids Public Museum)

Kent County adults are only $5 for general admission and Kent County children 17 and under are free. For pricing and tickets, visit grpm.org.


At the Chaffee Planetarium

Running through Jan. 2 at the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium is the show “Let It Snow,” which features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee. Also, if you did not get a chance to see the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the “Let It Snow” production includes a multimedia finale by the popular group. Tickets for the Planetarium are $4/with general admission to the Museum, $2 for Museum members, and $5 for planetarium-only tickets.

 

An added bonus at the Chaffee Planetarium is the installation of a hearing loop system which provides a highly effective way of broadcasting information to visitors for those who are hard of hearing.

The loop systems connect with an individuals’ personal hearing device, utilizing the T-coil system, to receive clear, crisp audio without the need for any other device. Additionally, the Museum will have two loop receivers with headphones for individuals requiring hearing assistance who do not have T-coil equipped hearing devices that will be available upon request.

“The Grand Rapids Public Museum is proud to continue to expand access to the Museum and Planetarium for members of the community who are hard of hearing,” said Dr. Stephanie Ogren, the Museum’s Vice President of Science and Education. “By installing the loop system in the Chaffee Planetarium, the Museum is reducing another barrier to access, continuing to ensure the Museum is as accessible and inclusive to the broadest population.”

More more information on the Chaffee Planetarium, visit grpm.org/planetarium.


Coming in January

The Public Museum’s popular series Concerts Under the Stars returns in January. The series is a fully immersive audio and visual concert experience in the Chaffee Planetarium, highlighting local music and visual artists.

Grand Rapids-based Normal Mode performs on Jan. 13 at the Chaffee Planetarium. (Photo supplied by Grand Rapids Public Museum)

“We’re excited for the return of Concerts Under the Stars at the Chaffee Planetarium,” said GRPM’s Planetarium Manager Jack Daleske. “This year will feature a broad range of musical talent from local musicians in combination with local digital artists for an incredible full-sensory experience unique only to our location.”

This winter, three West Michigan bands will perform their music, enhanced by the unique environment created by the dome and seating of the Chaffee Planetarium. Completing the immersive experience will be area visual artists weaving digital art to the music being performed.

On Jan. 13, Concerts Under the Stars will feature local band Normal Mode, a Grand Rapids-based trio writing lo-fi space travel music. This group of young, but seasoned musicians offer up floating ethereal soundscapes on top of head bopping grooves; perfect for a relaxing exploration.

Local video artist Nate Eizenga will accompany Normal Mode. Eizenga is a Grand Rapids native who moonlights as a video artist, focusing on accompaniment for live musical performances.

Shows will begin at 7:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m., including access to the Museum’s first two floors of exhibits. Performers will play two sets with a short intermission in between. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase. Tickets are $20, with discounted pricing of $16 for GRPM members. Tickets are currently on sale and available at grpm.org.

The 2022 Concerts Under the Stars series will continue on Feb. 10 with a dynamic mix of surf and garage rock sets performed by Hollywood Makeout and will conclude on March 10 and 11 with a unique blend of alternative rock by Lazy Genius.  

Grand Rapids Public Museum hosts Planetarium double feature of Queen, Pink Floyd light shows

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment,
The final double feature showing of “The Queen Light Show” and “Dark Side: The Light Show” is set for Thursday, Aug. 1. (Longway Planetarium)

By Kate Kocineski
Grand Rapids Public Museum


Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) for the final Planetarium Double Feature showing of The Queen Light Show and Dark Side: The Light Show in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium on Thursday, August 1. 

Music enthusiasts will rock out to the music of Queen and Pink Floyd paired with stunning visuals on the planetarium dome.

The Museum’s doors open at 6:30 p.m. with the first show, The Queen Light Show, starting at 7 p.m. A cash bar will be available before the first show and during a short intermission.

Tickets to the Planetarium Double Features will include both light shows, and are $8 for non-members, $4 for members. Tickets may be purchased at grpm.org or by calling 616.929.1700.

The Queen Light Show

New life is brought to the wildly popular classic rock light show format with an original production set to the music of Queen. Experience 10 of Queen’s greatest hits, including favorite like Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust and You’re My Best Friend. The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love! is brought to the Chaffee Planetarium from Longway Planetarium in Flint.

Dark Side: The Light Show

Experience Pink Floyd’s iconic album as never before in this one-of-a-kind light show, featuring stunning 4k visuals, brilliant LED sequences, and incredibly clear 5.1 surround sound. Dark Side: The Light Show is a GRPM original production, first launched at the Chaffee Planetarium in Spring 2015. 

Frankie & Myrrh up next for Public Museum’s Concerts Under the Stars

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Frankie & Myrrh perform Feb. 7 at the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium.

By Christie Bender
Grand Rapids Public Museum

Sit back and experience the wonder of the cosmos with the wonder of music! The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) welcomes Frankie & Myrrh for the second concert in the Concerts Under the Stars series on Thursday, Feb. 7, in the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium.

The sound of Frankie & Myrrh has been touted as music for driving on an empty late night city highway with bright sodium lights and 24 hour convenience store parking lots in the summer when you were 20. Makes you want to dance, kind of leaves a sense of assured loneliness and the acceptance of it. Accompanying Frankie & Myrrh with live visuals on the planetarium dome will be Meghan Moe Beitiks.

 Meghan Moe Beitiks, has designed lights for the California Academy of Sciences, the Asian Art Museum, SF Sketchfest, and Atom-R. She is an artist working with associations and disassociations of culture/nature/structure, analyzing perceptions of ecology through the lenses of site, history, and emotions in order to produce work that interrogates relationships with the non-human. She was a Fulbright Student Fellow in Scenic Design to Latvia and a recipient of the Edes Foundation Prize for Emerging Artists. She received her BA in Theater Arts from the University of California at Santa Cruz and her MFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She is currently a Visiting Assistant Professor at Grand Valley State University, and has designed media for previous Concerts Under the Stars in 2018.

Concerts Under the Stars will begin at 7:30 p.m., with Museum doors opening at 6:30 p.m. New this year, performers will play two sets, with a short intermission in between. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

Tickets are $12 for GRPM members and $15 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for members and $18 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616.929.1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.

The 2019 Concerts Under the Stars series will continue on February 28 with ambient R&B from Bronze Wolf and conclude on March 21 with the electronic sounds of Pink Sky.


Public Museum presents new planetarium show ‘Ice Worlds’

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“Ice Worlds” is the newest planetarium show at the Chaffee Planetarium.

Discover the balance between ice, water and the existence of life! The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is proud to present a new planetarium show, Ice Worlds, beginning Jan. 7 in the Chaffee Planetarium. 

Travel to the Arctic and Antarctic regions of our planet as well as the icy bodies beyond Earth. Audiences will examine the ecosystems that live and thrive in the icy regions of our planet and see how their survival is connected with our own. Beyond Earth, we’ll see how the existence of ice shapes the landscape and the natural systems on other planets and moons in our solar system. Narrated by two-time Academy Award nominee for Best Actress, Emily Watson.

“At the Grand Rapids Public Museum, we are continuously working to bring new, exciting and educational offerings to the community, and are excited to kick off 2019 with Ice Worlds,” said Kate Kocienski, VP of Marketing and PR for the GRPM. “Planetarium visitors will explore and compare ice throughout the universe from Earth to other planets and beyond.”

Ice Worlds will begin in the Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium on January 7, with shows daily at 2 p.m.

Tickets to the Chaffee Planetarium are free for Museum members and $4 with general admission to the Museum, $5 for a Planetarium-only ticket for non-members.

Ice Worlds is produced by Evans & Sutherland Digital Theater.

New Queen Light Show at the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium

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By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) has announced that a brand new show will begin this fall in the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium line up! Beginning, Saturday, Sept. 15, The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love, “will rock you!”

 

New life is brought to the wildly popular classic rock light show format with an original production set to the music of Queen. Experience 10 of Queen’s greatest hits in this brand new show, including favorites like “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites the Dust” and “You’re My Best Friend.”

 

The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love is brought to the Chaffee Planetarium from Longway Planetarium in Flint, MI.

 

The Queen Light Show will play at 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Planetarium tickets are $4 each with purchased general admission to the Museum, $5 each for planetarium-only tickets and free to Museum members. For more planetarium show times and to purchase tickets, visit grpm.org/Planetarium.

 

Grand Rapids Public Museum hosts special ‘Be the Astronaut’ planetarium evening

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Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium is located in the Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)

By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is hosting a special evening planetarium event Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Astronaut, including a special spotlighted showing of Space School and opportunities for attendees to relax, socialize and learn more in-depth about astronomy.

 

Take part in the full astronaut experience on August 2, Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Astronaut? will test your skills and knowledge of space flight. Start the evening in the planetarium watching Space School, a new documentary based planetarium show, to learn the incredible story of how astronauts train underwater to live and work in space. Missions will be given to participants to see if they can complete the tasks and reach their destination!

 

After Space School, visitors can take command of space vehicles through video game technology in the Museum’s summer exhibition, Be The Astronaut. In a special guided-tour with an expert, visitors will chart their course to the Moon, Mars and beyond. The exhibition features detailed digital recreations of actual places in the solar system built using data from NASA space probes.

 

Tickets are $8 for Museum members and $12 for non-members. GRPM doors open at 7 p.m., with the planetarium show beginning at 7:30.

 

The GRPM will host another evening planetarium show, Night Sky Trivia, on Thursday, September 6 to learn about the night sky and test your astronomy trivia knowledge!

 

September 6 – Night Sky Trivia

 

Explore the night sky inside and out! Start by learning end-of-summer constellations and current astronomy events in the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium. Participate in an extended version of the Under Scorching Skies live show to delve into the current astronomical events.

 

Following the planetarium show, venture outside for telescopic observations with the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA). See what you can find in the night sky above the city, with a star chart and astronomy experts to guide you. Participants can plan to see Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, as well as some of the very brightest stars such as those that make up the Summer Triangle.

 

*Outdoor observation is weather-dependent, and alternate indoor activities will include a trivia tournament in the newly renovated Meijer Theater.

 

Tickets for Night Sky Trivia are $8 for Museum members and $12 for non-members and can be purchased at grpm.org.

 

Grand Rapids Public Museum announces planetarium evenings

Entertainment, , , ,

By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) announced that a special evening series of programs will take place this summer at the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium. Three evenings this summer will include a special spotlighted show, along with opportunities for attendees to relax, socialize and learn more in-depth about astronomy.

 

Special late-night Chaffee Planetarium evenings will be held on Thursdays on July 12, Aug. 2 and Sept. 6 with each program having a specific theme. GRPM doors open at 7 p.m., with the planetarium show beginning at 7:30 p.m.

 

On July 12, join the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium for a special one-night-only double feature of Dark Side: The Light Show and NEW! The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love!

 

Dark Side: The Light Show is the Museum’s first original planetarium production since the new generation of planetarium technology, and is set to the music of Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon album. Experience this iconic album as never before in this one-of-a-kind light show, featuring stunning 4k visuals, brilliant LED sequences and incredibly clear 5.1 surround sound.

 

Experience ten of Queen’s greatest hits in this brand new show, including favorites like Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust and You’re My Best Friend. The Queen Light Show: From Mercury with Love is brought to the Chaffee Planetarium from Longway Planetarium in Flint, MI.

 

*These shows contain some adult language and dizzying effects. It is not recommended for individuals prone to motion sickness, seizures or light sensitivity.

 

Tickets for the July 12 light show double feature are free to Museum members, $5 for non-members and can be purchased at grpm.org.

 

Additional evening planetarium shows will take place August 2 and September 6.

 

 

August 2 – Do You Have What It Takes to Be an Astronaut?

 

Join the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium for a special evening for the full astronaut experience! Start the evening in the planetarium watching Space School, a new documentary based show, to learn the incredible story of how astronauts train underwater to live and work in space. Missions will be given to participants to see if they can complete the tasks and reach their destination!

 

After Space School, visitors can take command of space vehicles through video game technology in the Museum’s summer exhibition, Be The Astronaut! In a special guided-tour with an expert, visitors will chart their course to the Moon, Mars and beyond. The exhibition features detailed digital recreations of actual places in the solar system built using data from NASA space probes.

 

September 6 – Night Sky Trivia

 

Explore the night sky inside and out! Start by learning end-of-summer constellations and current astronomy events in the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium. Participate in an extended version of the Under Scorching Skies live show to delve into the current astronomical events.

 

Following the planetarium show, venture outside for telescopic observations with the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA). See what you can find in the night sky above the city, with a star chart and astronomy experts to guide you. Participants can plan to see Saturn, Jupiter and Mars, as well as some of the very brightest stars such as those that make up the Summer Triangle.

 

*Outdoor observation is weather-dependent, and alternate indoor activities will include a trivia tournament in the newly renovated Meijer Theater.

 

Tickets for August 2 and September 6 are $8 for Museum members, and $12 for non-members and can be purchased at grpm.org.

New show ‘Space School’ coming to the Chaffee Planetarium

Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, , ,

Jonathan Bird filming astronauts in NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Lab (NBL), Houston, TX for the production of Space School.

By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) is pleased to announce that it will open a new show in the Chaffee Planetarium on Saturday, June 16. The show, titled Space School, is a new documentary style show that features astronauts training underwater for working in space. The show will begin in conjunction with the Museum’s summer traveling exhibition – Be the Astronaut.

 

Space School will provide visitors with a rare glimpse of NASA astronauts training for walking and working in space by spending time in underwater environments here on Earth to learn how to manage and work in the microgravity of space. Visitors will see a breathtaking close up view of astronauts training for what promises to be the greatest of human adventures – traveling to distant planets and exploring other worlds – in our continuing effort to discover who we are and where we came from.

 

Space School will be part of the regular show schedule at the Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, beginning on Saturday, June 16. Space School can also be reserved for school groups and field trips. Planetarium shows are $4 with general admission and $5 for planetarium only. Museum members receive free admission to planetarium shows.

 

The Making of Space School

 

Filmmaker Jonathan Bird, host of the syndicated Public Television series Jonathan Bird’s Blue World, shot the film for projection in full dome theaters using the latest technology from RED, the ultra-high-definition 6K RED Dragon. With the cooperation of NASA, Bird and his team filmed astronaut Chris Cassidy training for space walks at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, and astronaut Jeannette Epps practicing techniques for exploring distant asteroids and planets at the Aquarius Reef Base in Florida.

 

At the Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, Cassidy and fellow astronaut Jeff Williams are lowered into a giant pool while wearing a full size space suit, breathing through an umbilical tube, as they would in space. Divers adjust each astronaut’s weight so they achieve neutral buoyancy inside the pool. Here they practice repairs to the International Space Station on life size mockups. Working in this environment, astronauts can practice maneuvering in their awkward space suits using the same tools they would use during an actual spacewalk, anchoring themselves, as they must in space to gain leverage and prevent themselves from floating away.

 

In Florida, Jeannette Epps spends over a week living with other astronauts in the Aquarius Reef Base. Here astronauts learn to live together in isolation for long periods of time, a requirement of space missions. At Aquarius the astronauts practice going on excursions and use specially designed drills to gather soil and rock samples, practicing methods required to explore distant planets and asteroids.

 

Aquarius is like a space mission in another important respect. Astronauts cannot simply leave and go home when they want. The reason, in the underwater environment, is a phenomenon called nitrogen saturation. After just a few hours underwater, the astronaut’s blood becomes saturated with nitrogen held there by water pressure. If the astronauts were to suddenly go to the surface where the pressure is less, the nitrogen would come bubbling out of their system to disastrous consequences. To safely make it to the surface, divers must be slowly decompressed to allow the nitrogen to dissipate.

 

Space School is among the first digitally-filmed live action dome format films. The RED Dragon is the first commercial camera to offer high-resolution images suitable for projection on a dome. The film was also shot at 60 frames per second, more than twice the frame rate of conventional film, creating an amazingly life-like experience. “Live action in the dome format at a high frame rate is just like being there,” says filmmaker Bird. The film is distributed by Sky-Skan, the world’s largest full dome film distributor.T

Concerts Under the Stars hosts Major Murphy at Chaffee Planetarium

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The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) continues the 2018 Concerts Under the Stars series in the Chaffee Planetarium with new music from Grand Rapids’ band Major Murphy on Thursday, April 12.

 

Major Murphy reimagines 1970s radio rock with bristling sensitivity for our present era. They have debuted three albums with the newest “No. 1” being released just recently on March 30, combining the sounds of rock, pop and dream pop.

 

This concert will feature a chilled-out tempo and atmosphere, and the sprawling jam, expanding in effervescent layers of psychedelia. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

 

Major Murphy is the collaboration of Jacob Bullard, Jacki Warren, and Brian Voortman. Their first EP was recorded before they had ever formally played a show, but in the months following its release, the band hit the road and begin playing out regularly. These shows gave Major Murphy a new perspective and confidence to their music.

 

This concert will feature a custom light show on the planetarium’s dome, which boasts state-of-the-art technology with 4k visuals and surround sound for an amazing immersive concert experience.

 

Tickets are $10 for GRPM members, $12 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616.929.1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.

 

The final 2018 Concerts Under the Stars will take place on May 15 with local band Mertle.

Dan Rickabus is next featured performer Museum’s ‘Concerts Under the Stars’

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Dan Rickabus performs at the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium

By Kate Moore

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) continues the 2018 Concerts Under the Stars series in the Chaffee Planetarium on March 22 hosting Dan Rickabus and his 9-piece band.

 

Drummer, producer and songwriter Dan Rickabus spends his days crafting sounds for The Crane Wives, Public Access, Seth Bernard and many others in Michigan’s beautiful music community. Last summer, he released a new collaborative solo record called “Void / Journal” – an album of cosmically conscious, existentially charged, groove-oriented dream-folk that explores what it means to be alive and breathing amidst the limitless beyond.

 

Dan has gathered a 9-piece band of his friends and collaborators to perform the vibrant, immersive music of “Void / Journal” in the mystical setting of the planetarium.

 

Dan Rickabus will be joined by a nine-piece band of friends.

“This performance is an honor and a dream come true for us,” Rickabus said. “We can’t wait to share this artistic adventure with you.”

 

This concert will feature a custom light show on the planetarium’s dome by Nate Eizenga. Nate is a Grand Rapids native who moonlights as a video artist, focusing on accompaniment for live musical performances. By using controllers intended for digital music production to create, mix and manipulate video in real time he crafts a visual experience that toes the line between artistic spontaneity and musical synchronicity. Since his first public show in 2015 Nate has performed for numerous events, including past Concerts Under the Stars shows.

 

The recently renovated planetarium boasts state-of-the-art technology with 4k visuals and surround sound, for an amazing immersive concert experience.

 

Concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

 

Tickets are $10 for GRPM members, $12 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616-929-1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.

 

The next 2018 Concerts Under the Stars will take place on April 12 with the alternative rock sounds of Major Murphy.

Local artist Edye Evans Hyde featured performer at Museum’s next ‘Concerts Under the Stars’

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Edye Evans Hyde

The Grand Rapids Public Museum continues the 2018 Concerts Under the Stars series on Thursday, Feb. 8, hosting local jazz vocalist Edye Evans Hyde for a fully immersive audio and visual experience in the Chaffee Planetarium.

 

Hyde has been singing jazz, blues and pop music for more than 30 years in West Michigan, Los Angeles, Asia and Europe. Hyde was the 2011 West Michigan Jazz Society Musician of the Year. Over the years, she shared the stage with world-renowned blues singer Linda Hopkins, pop singer Michael Bolton, vocalist Maria Muldaur, actress Connie Stevens, the late Ray Charles, and Cuban trumpet player Arturo Sandoval.

 

Each concert features a live custom light show on the planetarium’s dome that complement the various genres throughout the series. The recently renovated planetarium boasts state-of-the-art technology with 4k visuals and surround sound, for an amazing immersive concert experience.

 

Concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

 

Tickets are $10 for GRPM members, $12 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616-929-1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.

 

The 2018 Concerts Under the Stars Series will continue Mar. 1 with one-woman-band Jes Kramer, Mar. 22 with alternative folk by Dan Rickabus, and will close on Apr. 12 with the alternative rock sounds of Major Murphy.

Public Museum creates a ‘bang’ of a show for Chaffee Planetarium on Higgs boson

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By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma

joanne@wktv.org

 

Imagine taking a complicated theory such as the Higgs boson and creating a 30-minute film that not only provides an explanation of the theory and its importance for all ages to understand but developing a component that children with autism would also enjoy.

 

That is exactly what the Grand Rapids Public Museum did with its recently released original production “Subatomic,” now showing at the museum’s Roger B. Chaffee Planetarium.

 

“The show focuses on arguably the most significant scientific discovery in the last 50-75 years,” said Grand Rapids Public Museum President and CEO Dale Robertson. “We tend to think about science having great discoveries happening a long time ago: Newton’s theory of gravity in 1676, Einstein’s theory of relativity in 1915.”

 

Museum visitors check out the pinball-style interactive exhibit demonstrates how the Higgs boson was discovered.

British theoretical physicist Peter Higgs proposed a theory in 1964 that stated that a field exists joining everything and giving it mass. For about the next 50 years, the scientific community set about to prove this theory with more than 10,000 scientists around the world collaborating. In 2012, the largest machine in the world, a Large Hadron Collider, discovered the Higgs boson. It also has been nicknamed “the God particle” because it’s said to be what caused the “Big Bang Theory” that created the universe many years ago but more importantly to the scientific community, it gives validity to The Standard Model of Physics, the authoritative theory for particle physics. There is also hope that the Higgs boson will help shed light on other mysteries such as dark matter.

 

“It is a very difficult concept but we are trying to do now particularly with the passage of our millage and promise to the community is to really bring significant discoveries and significance happenings to the world right here locally to Grand Rapids and doing it in a partnership way,” Robertson said.

 

And just like international collaboration that took place to discover the Higgs boson, there a large collaboration with groups like Hope Network and Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design along with a couple internationally know scientists with local ties.

 

“So this really is the biggest of big sciences but here is what is great about it two West Michigan natives were among the scientists who collaborated worldwide to discover the Higgs boson,” Roberton said, adding that Dr Jacob Bourjaily, a theoretical physicist at the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen and a graduate of Forest Hills and Dr. Brian Winer, chair and professor of physics at Ohio State University and a graduate of Ottawa Hills High School, participated in the project.

 

“Both have shared with us right up front that they have very fond memories of coming on school tours [to the Public Museum], with their parents and so forth on weekends to see planet shows,” Robertson said. “It was inspiring to them as a child growing up and lead to a path that they chose for their career.

 

“We know that we touch lives here at the museum and we know that we touch lives here at the planetarium, which is exactly what it exists to do,” Robertson said.

 

Visitors look at how mass is created.

Touching lives is part of the reason why Museum officials purposefully focused on those with autism developing a program that would be particularly appealing to the autism population from the theory of universal design learning and improving the experience for everybody, Robertson said. “Subatomic” has three parts with a live presentation with the planetarium presenter right in the middle of the room talking to the audience. Then there is the full dome presentation with the audience exiting out to the hands on activities focused on specific principles.

 

“We learned through our Hope Network partnership that with certain principles, it begins the gears turning and then to immediately go into something that has multi-sensory, active learning engagement helps make that visceral, cerebral connection that will lead into increased learning,” Robertson said about offering the hands on portion after the film’s showing. Activities include a pinball-style particle collider that allows guests to try their hand at having two balls shoot through a wire frame and collide.

 

“I have been absolutely amazed with the groups here and the partnerships that takes something that is very complex and make it very accessible and is one of those great things that has happened in our life time,” “Robertson said. “Being able to take it in and understand and beginning to relate to it…I have seen it three to four times, and continue to want to comeback because I find it that inspiring.”

 

“Subatomic” is part of the Chaffee Planetarium’s regular schedule. Planetarium shows are $4 with regular admission and $5 for planetarium only. Museum members receive free admission to planetarium shows. The program meets middle school curriculum as it does explore such scientific concepts as gradational waves and atoms and the program can be reserved for school groups and field trips. For more information, visit www.grpm.org.

 

Grand Rapids Public Museum Announces 2017 Night at Your Museum event

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See your favorite characters come to life at the Night at Your Museum event hosted by the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) on Wednesday, Dec. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. Night at Your Museum is held annually at the GRPM, and is based on the popular 2006, 2009 and 2014 movies.

 

Using a souvenir flashlight and honorary security guard badge upon admittance to the dimly-lit museum, visitors become part of the drama that unfolds as characters from the Museum’s exhibits come to life. Guests can take a ride on the Spillman Carousel, hear the Mighty Wurlitzer Theater Organ and see the holiday planetarium show in, Let it Snow, in the Chaffee Planetarium. The evening will culminate with Medieval knights dueling with swords.

 

Advance purchase of tickets is strongly suggested as the event sells out each year. Tickets are on now. The cost is $25 per person for the program. All proceeds from the event benefit the programs and exhibitions at the GRPM. For additional information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.grpm.org.

 

The Royal Dinner

Make your evening even more special by having dinner with the royals! The characters people love the most come to life in this exciting addition to the GRPM’s popular Night at Your Museum program. At this unique prequel to the night’s main event, you will learn about castle life and what it takes to be a Knight of the Realm. Tickets for this dinner are $45 and include admission to the Night at Your Museum program. Dinner begins at 4:45 p.m. Limited tickets available.

 

New this year, tickets to the GRPM’s traveling exhibit Dragons, Unicorns & Mermaids will be available during Night at Your Museum! A special additional for the entire family to learn about the myths and legends from around the world. Greeted by a larger-than-life dragon, see and learn about mythical creatures from the sea, land and air! Tickets are an additional $4 per person, $2 per member.

 

Museum members will have the advantage of early admittance at 5:30 p.m. with fast and easy check-in. For additional information on becoming a member of the GRPM please visit www.grpm.org/membership.

‘Let It Snow’ Holiday Show returns to the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium

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This holiday season relax and recline as the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s (GRPM) Chaffee Planetarium celebrates the holiday season with the holiday show, Let it Snow, beginning Friday, Nov. 24.

 

Let it Snow features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multi-media finale by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. The soundtrack is visually enhanced with thematic animation, and special effects, making it a must see this season for both adults and children.

 

The program is a fun and entertaining experience for all ages, especially families. Tickets are $4 each with general admission to the Museum, free to Museum members and $5 each for planetarium only tickets. For more information and show times, visit grpm.org/Planetarium.

 

The recently renovated Chaffee Planetarium offers brand new shows featuring the latest Digistar projection technology and immersive surround sound for an unbelievably rich and realistic experience. The Chaffee Planetarium reopened in March 2014 after a major renovation, including all new technology, sound system, full dome and seating. The renovation was made possible through the generosity of our donors, including the lead gift from The Wege Foundation.

 

The Chaffee Planetarium is named for Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, who died with fellow Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom and Ed White during a pre-launch test in 1967. The Planetarium was originally opened in 1994 and underwent a multi-million dollar renovation fall 2013 to spring 2014.

Music laser light shows once again take over the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium

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By Christie Bender

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

Back by popular demand, the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will host a second and final week of Laser Light Shows at the Chaffee Planetarium. For one week only, visitors to the Chaffee Planetarium can recline, relax, and rock out to dazzling laser light performances set to popular and classic music. From Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin to 1990s hits and today’s hottest pop, get ready for a timeless journey of light and sound.

 

Laser Light Shows have something for every music lover, including: Laser Beatles, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Laser Vinyl (the best of classic rock), Laser Zeppelin, Laserpolis (pop, rock, alternative and oldies), Laser Country, Electro Pop (today’s hottest hits), Lase Rock (classic rock), Laser Tribute (great artists whose music has inspired many), Electrolase (electronic dance music), Laser U2 and Metallica.

 

This special week of Laser Light Shows will take place during ArtPrize starting Monday, Sept. 25 and continuing through Sunday, Oct. 1. Shows begin at 3 p.m. each day.

 

Tickets to shows are $4 with Museum general admission, and $5 for planetarium-only tickets. Members receive free admission to planetarium shows. General admission to the Museum is half off during ArtPrize, Sept. 20 through Oct. 8. For a full schedule and to purchase tickets in advance, please visit grpm.org/Planetarium.

Grand Rapids Public Museum adds two new shows to the line up at the Chaffee Planetarium this fall

Entertainment, ,

By Kate Moore

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) will launch two brand new shows at the Chaffee Planetarium this month Sesame Street’s One World, One Sky and Friday Mediation.

 

One World, One Sky will thrill young audience members when they find themselves on Sesame Street with their famous friends, Big Bird and Elmo. The fun begins when Elmo’s friend, Hu Hu Zhu, visits from China and the three of them take the audience on an exciting journey of discovery to learn about the sun, stars, and Big Dipper. Elmo and Hu Hu Zhu blast off on an imaginary trip to the moon and when they return home to Earth everyone discovers that, no matter where we live, we all share the same sky.

 

One World, One Sky will begin showings on Saturday, Sept. 16. Tickets may be purchased at the Museum’s front desk. Show times can be found by visiting grpm.org.

 

 

Friday Meditation is a new experience being offered in the Chaffee Planetarium on Friday’s in conjunction with the Museum’s traveling exhibition, Brain: The World Inside Your Head. Visitors to Friday Mediation will first learn about the brain, what effects stress has on the brain and tools for mindfulness. Then, the experience will take visitors on a deep relaxation exercise where they marvel at beautiful scenery on the planetarium dome, while relaxing and mediating at the same time.

 

The experience will be offered during the lunch hour on Fridays starting on Friday, Sept. 22 and continuing through the exhibitions closing in early January 2018.

 

Planetarium Shows are $4 with general admission and $5 for planetarium only. Museum members receive free admission to planetarium shows.

 

For additional information on the Chaffee Planetarium or to view the full schedule, visit grpm.org/planetarium.

2017 Total Eclipse informational session at Public Museum set for March 1

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The Grand Rapids Public Museum. (Supplied)

By Kate Moore

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

The Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) and the Grand Rapids Amateur Astronomical Association (GRAAA) on Wednesday, March 1, for a special presentation on what people in West Michigan can do for the 2017 total solar eclipse.

 

On Aug, 21, the first significant total eclipse of the sun visible across a broad area of the continental United States since 1970 will take place midday. As the moon slips between the earth and sun, observers within the 70 mile wide band of the total eclipse, stretching from Oregon to South Carolina, will witness complete darkness for up to two minutes and forty seconds.

 

On March 1 at 7:30 p.m., Dave DeBruyn, Curator Emeritus of the GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium and current GRAAA President, along with WZZM Meteorologist George Lessons will give a presentation about this year’s eclipse including useful tips to potential eclipse chasers and answer questions. The duo will also share information about the GRPM’s eclipse event that will take place at the GRPM on August 21, 2017.

 

DeBruyn will discuss how the motions of the sun and moon produce eclipses, but rarely total solar eclipses over a given location. Participants will learn what to look for and concentrate on during the eclipse, as well as what not to do. DeBruyn has traveled the world to see five total solar eclipses.

 

Lessens will discuss prospects for clear weather at various places along the path of totality. A weather system at the place of observation at eclipse time or midday convective cloudiness in the air could ruin viewing opportunities. Lessens will suggest locations where that is least likely to happen.

 

The presentation on March 1 will take place in the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Meijer Theater and is free to attend for the general public.

Public Museum’s Under the Stars continues with local performer Janga

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Theo Ndawillie II (Janga)

Join the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM) Thursday, Feb. 9, for the next performance of Concerts Under the Stars – a new series in the Chaffee Planetarium. Visitors enjoy a live concert with a fully immersive audio and visual experience.

 

Following a sold out performance on Jan. 19, Janga will be performing funk music accompanied by a live full-dome light show, while visitors sit back and experience the wonder of the cosmos with the wonder of music.

 

This show will feature the music of Janga, the solo project of Grand Rapids-based composer, keyboardist, percussionist and cyclist Theo Ndawillie II, accompanied by musicians from Vox Vidorra and the Grand Rapids Symphony. Theo spends most of his time performing and writing with his band Vox Vidorra, teaching at Triumph Music Academy, and working on commissions. Theo has been commissioned by the Grand Rapids Symphony, Symmetry Films (shehimher), ADAPT Theatre Company and others. His hobbies include finding ways to combine musical endeavors with various forms of environmental and social activism. Theo has been a member of the Well House Board of Directors since January 2016.

 

The Concerts Under the Stars series features visuals by Nate Eizenga. For the past decade, Nate has been fascinated by performances that use visual imagery to enhance the experience of live music. Frustrated with preprocessed, press-play videos, he taught himself to mix and manipulate video in real-time, finally playing his first live show with musician Darkly in early November 2015. Since then he has continued to refine his craft, playing alongside Darkly as well as DJs from Rocksteady Disco, FourFour SoundSystem and Vinyl Fetish. Possessing both musical synchronization and artistic spontaneity, his work is guaranteed to mesmerize even the most reserved viewers.

 

Concerts will begin at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments, beer and other beverages will be available for purchase.

 

Tickets are $10 for GRPM members, $12 for non-members if purchased in advance, and $15 for non-members on the day of the concert. Tickets are currently on sale at grpm.org, by calling 616-929-1700 or at the Museum’s front desk.

 

The 2017 Concerts Under the Stars Series will continue on March 16 with jazz-inspired electronic by Mishigami, and on April 6 with folk music by Emma Loo and Sam.

 

The Chaffee Planetarium is located at the Grand Rapids Public Museum, 272 Pearl St. NW.

‘Let It Snow’ Holiday Show returns to GRPM’s Chaffee Planetarium

Entertainment, , , ,

promoshot_flatBy Kate Moore

Grand Rapids Public Museum

 

This holiday season relax and recline as the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s (GRPM) Chaffee Planetarium celebrates the holiday season with a holiday show, “Let it Snow.” This show features holiday music with visually enhanced animation making it a must see this season for both adults and children.

 

“Let it Snow” features a new variety of festive classics from Frank Sinatra and Chuck Berry to Burl Ives and Brenda Lee, and includes a stunning multi-media finale by the Trans Siberian Orchestra. The soundtrack is visually enhanced with thematic animation, and special effects.

 

The program is a fun and entertaining experience for all ages, especially families. Tickets are $4 each with general admission to the Museum, free to Museum members and $5 each for planetarium only tickets. For more information and show times, visit grpm.org/Planetarium.

 

The recently renovated Chaffee Planetarium offers brand new shows featuring the latest Digistar projection technology and immersive surround sound for an unbelievably rich and realistic experience. The Chaffee Planetarium reopened in March 2014 after a major renovation, including all new technology, sound system, full dome and seating. The renovation was made possible through the generosity of our donors, including the lead gift from The Wege Foundation.

‘Dark Beer, Dark Side’ premieres at Grand Rapids Public Museum Nov. 25

Beer, Citizen Journalism, Entertainment, Upcoming Events, , ,

darksideSpend an evening on the dark side at the Grand Rapids Public Museum (GRPM), 272 Pearl Street NW in Grand Rapids. GRPM, in partnership with Brewery Vivant, is hosting a new event, Dark Beer, Dark Side on Friday, Nov. 25, which coincidentally is this year’s Black Friday.

 

Beginning at 6:30 pm, Ryan Engemann, the Wandering Monk from Brewery Vivant, will wax eloquently on the differences between various dark beers including Brewery Vivant’s highly anticipated ‘Tart Side of the Moon’. Between 7:15 pm and 7:45 pm visitors have the chance to explore more of the Museum, have further Q&A with Engemann, and grab another beer to enter the Chaffee Planetarium for the Museum’s original production, Dark Side: The Light Show.

 

Dark Side: The Light Show is a one-of-a-kind light show featuring music from Pink Floyd’s album The Dark Side of the Moon. The show features stunning 4k visuals, brilliant LED sequences and incredibly clear 5.1 surround sound. Dark Side: The Light Show is the GRPM’s first original production since the planetarium underwent major renovations in 2013/2014.

 

Tickets include three beer samples, general admission to the Museum and admission to the evening’s planetarium show. Get tickets here.

New Show “From Earth to the Universe” begins in October at Chaffee Planetarium

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grpm_lego_planetarium_0055Starting Saturday, Oct. 1, there will be a new show in the lineup at the Grand Rapids Public Museum’s Chaffee Planetarium. From Earth to the Universe will allow visitors to revel in the splendor of the various worlds within the solar system.

 

Leaving Earth, viewers of this new show will travel to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars found beyond the Milky Way and learn about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope and today’s giant telescopes that allow us to continue to probe deeper into the universe. Directed by the young Greek filmmaker Theofanis N. Matsopoulos, and featuring a soundtrack from Norwegian composer Johan B. Monell, viewers will explore the majesty of the solar system and the ferocity of the scorching sun.

 

For a schedule of show times, please visit grpm.org/planetarium. Tickets for planetarium shows are $4 with general admission, or $5 for planetarium only. Planetarium shows are free to GRPM members.

 

The Planetarium is named for Grand Rapids native, Roger B. Chaffee, who died with fellow Apollo 1 astronauts Gus Grissom and Ed White during a pre-launch test in 1967. The Planetarium was originally opened in 1994 and underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation fall 2013 to spring 2014. The Chaffee Planetarium features the latest Digistar projection technology and immersive surround sound for an unbelievably rich and realistic experience. The renovation was made possible through the generosity of the Museum’s donors, including the lead gift from The Wege Foundation.