Arts

John Todd thinks about his next move at Checkmate Rocky Mount as he plays against U.S. World Chess Master & Guinness World Book Record Holder Jude Acers at The Imperial Centre.

By LaMonique Hamilton Barnes

Summer visitors to the Imperial Centre for the Arts and Sciences are in for an adventurous time of prehistoric revolutions, sweet treats and wonders of the imagination.

“The Imperial Centre is great place to visit year-round,” said Alicyn Wiedrich, arts curator for the Arts Center housed in its building. “However, in the summer we have so much going on, from Downtown LIVE! every other Thursday and Lawn Chair Theater every other Friday. And the exhibits are extremely affordable.” Dinosaur Revolution, a temporary exhibit in the Science Center through Aug. 26, invites children to explore a maze of Mesozoic missions as junior paleontologists. They will learn about several types of dinosaurs and may even make a surprising discovery regarding the prehistoric creatures’ supposed demise.

“We’re finding that the parents are enjoying it as much as the kids because it’s a quiz,” said Sheila Long, supervisor of recreation services for the city of Rocky Mount. “There’s a miniature zipline and a fossil dig — so many fun things to do.”

Children also are encouraged to engage in interactive play in the Doctor’s Office and Farmer’s Market simulations as well as the museum’s Live Animal Gallery and Imagination Playground.

“We look to have exhibits that engage both children and parents,” Long said. “We’re aware that parents make the decisions about where to go, so we want them to have a good time as well.”

Families can beat the summer heat by perusing the eye-catching, mouth-watering Sweet Treat exhibit in the Children’s Museum. The exhibit, which features Margaret

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Morrison’s ‘Sweet Surrender’ photorealistic portraits of various candies and sundaes and Allison Pack’s ‘Metalicious’ sculptures of ice cream with a decidedly feminine flair, is a sugary marvel that will delight children and adults alike. The exhibit is on display through Sept. 9.

“These paintings are giant desserts. One of them is about five feet tall,” said Wiedrich. “The sculptures are delicate and dainty. So, it’s kind of the opposite of what people usually think about sculpture and paintings.”

Sketching stations are strategically placed throughout the museum, allowing the opportunity to try your hand at recreating or putting your own spin on some of the displayed artwork. Budding architects and civil engineers also will be drawn in by the KEVA blocks. The blocks’ simple design allows for the full use of the imagination to create artistic marvels.

“It’s so fun to watch the parents show their kids the basics of building a good base to get a great tower going, or sitting with their child and doing a craft with them, helping them put the glue on the page or put the buttons on,” said Wiedrich.

Other notable exhibits in the Children’s Museum are Robert Irwin’s ‘A Retrospective,’ which showcases Irwin’s work from the early 1960s through his diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s Disease; and the ‘Juried Art Show,’ juried by artist Annah Lee and featuring an eclectic mix of artists from around the world. ‘A Retrospective’ is on display through Sept. 2, and the ‘Juried Art Show’ is on display through Sept. 9.

The Imperial Centre has a variety of programs and events throughout the summer, including a theatrical production of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ on July 20-22. For more information, call 252-972-1266 or visit www. imperialcentre.org.

Khadijah Lineberger, left, looks at the partial solar eclipse through special glasses with Jovaniche Brinkley during the eclipse viewing event at the Imperial Centre.

Brandon Western, left, and his daughter Kaylee Western, 2, play in a tub of plastic balls at the The Imperial Centre.

Dechlan Piersol, 3, struggles while removing one of the Imagination Playground blocks from its storage bin as he begins building at the Children’s Museum and Science Center at the Imperial Centre.

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