Miami Children's Museum
Graphic Image Flooring has had the good fortune to work with Remo Saraceni the inventor of the Big Piano. Our custom printed vinyl flooring provides the perfect top for his pianos and now for a new orchestra project.
With this orchestral project our flooring is back lit on top of the proprietary technology that makes everything go. Because we start with a clear vinyl and then digitally print on the back there is just enough opacity to be lit.
These are the special projects that make us feel good for years knowing that so many kids and families are able to laugh and enjoy.
Excerpt From Miami.com Article
DECEMBER 17, 2016 08:12 PM, UPDATED FEBRUARY 07, 2019 01:58 AM
Artist and inventor Remo Saraceni knows how to use music to bring people together. The trick is a tiny piece of technology he invented decades ago, a little switch that he created called the occupancy sensor, a motion detector that will turn electricity off or on. With that bit of tech, for which he holds the patent, he has created some of the most engaging and entertaining interactive musical installations, like the one opening in the Miami Children’s Museum.
The music starts on the staircase, with a motion-activated device that lines the stairs, chiming out scales with each passing step. At the top of the stairs, next door to the artists workshop, is the Music Maker’s Studio, where there’s going to be a whole lot of music getting made.
Saraceni’s most iconic invention, the Big Piano made infamous by Tom Hanks and Robert Loggia in “Big,” is the heart of the new attraction. This particular piano was created to allow kids of all needs to enjoy music making. There’s an added feature that allows children with hearing disabilities to feel the vibrations being created when notes are played. The piano also can be used to teach songs and kids can follow the notes on their own.
The Music Maker’s Studio also has a studio that is a digital symphony that plays an orchestral piece composed for the Museum while children stand in specific stations. The more kids participate, the more instruments are heard and the more layers of the song can be enjoyed. They can watch the instruments come together on a screen as each section of the orchestra is summoned.
“When I put the musical stairs in, people couldn’t stop going up and down.” Miami parents are about to experience this same phenomenon at the Children’s Museum.
“These things inspire social interaction. They bring people together. I have always been fascinated with how we interact with technology as well as how technology causes us to interact with each other.”
The Music Maker’s Studio is part of the Museum’s $20 million-dollar redesign that is focused on integrating technology into the interactive installations to engage a generation of digital natives. Saraceni is a believer in the ability of technology to engage and even unify.
“These things inspire social interaction. They bring people together. I have always been fascinated with how we interact with technology as well as how technology causes us to interact with each other.”
Amy Reyes is the Editor of Miami.com. (https://www.miamiherald.com/miami-com/things-to-do/article225700165.html)
SKOLNICK developed and designed 18,000 square feet of new exhibits for the Miami Children’s Museum that encouraged multicultural awareness and appreciation in visitors 0-10 and their families through the themes of Culture, Community, and Communication. Using a variety of exhibit techniques, such as immersive environments, hands-on interactives, multimedia, and creative and imaginative play, visitors could explore their homes, their neighborhoods, and the world beyond with a special emphasis on the rich diversity of South Florida. SKOLNICK was also responsible for development of the First Year Programming Plan for the new facility.
The Miami Children’s Museum invited SKOLNICK back in 2013 to create a new Interpretive Master Plan that would update the exhibit spaces and interactive experiences. Our firm provided planning for new interactive and program opportunities in 14 galleries. The new exhibit experiences are infused with greater opportunities for group interaction; additional exhibit areas have been developed specifically for toddlers and younger children; and STE(A)M-based interactive experiences and the use of Reggio Emilia-inspired educational principles have been incorporated throughout the exhibits. These new spaces, most of which were completed in 2017, cover topics such as physical science, the natural world, health and wellness, art, and music.
“SKOLNICK demonstrated its creativity, professionalism, and willingness to make things possible at every juncture of our project. The staff was responsible, responsive, and amiable.”
Deborah Spiegelman, Executive Director - Miami Children’s Museum
