Plant Yourself in Sweet New Exhibit!
“Sugar from the Sun” Opens March 1, 2008, Garfield Park Conservatory
Release Date: 12/06/07
Immerse yourself in the world of plants as they take in and use air, water and sunlight to make energy inside every leaf at “Sugar from the Sun,” a ground-breaking permanent exhibit opening March 1, 2008 at Garfield Park Conservatory, 300 N. Central Park Ave., Chicago.
The unique, living exhibit shares the basic story of how plants make sugar – the energy source for all life on earth. Shaded by curtains of vanilla bean plants, then walking “on air” and through towers of gnarled roots, or inhaling the sweet scent of flowers, visitors of all ages will embark on a sensory experience that inspires them to learn more about the widely misunderstood process of photosynthesis.
“We hope ‘Sugar from the Sun’ will instill wonder in visitors of all ages and start conversations about this mysterious process, which happens at a level we cannot see,” said David Snyder, director of educational exhibits, Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance. “Using live plants, water features, tons of stone and innovative sound and lighting technologies, we have created a magical environment that mirrors how plants use air, water and sunlight as part of their everyday lives.”
“Sugar from the Sun” is a highlight of “Chicagoasis: The Greenest Show on Earth” – a year-long celebration of the Conservatory’s 100thbirthday in 2008. A series of centennial events and programs are planned to honor the world’s largest botanical collection under glass, designed on Chicago’s West Sideby renowned landscape architect Jens Jensen.
“Sugar from the Sun” will open in the Conservatory’s former Sweet House, a 6,240-square-foot greenhouse dramatically renovated with new pathways, updated lighting, and electrical and irrigation systems that support the exhibit’s living and fabricated elements. The $2.7 million exhibit and $2.2 million Sweet House rehabilitation project have been more than four years in the making and have involved dozens of Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance staff, Chicago Park District staff, horticulturists, museum educators, architects and exhibit designers.
The non-linear layout of “Sugar from the Sun” provides multiple navigational possibilities, echoing the experience of meandering through nature. Pathways bend and wind through each section of the exhibit, providing new “aha” moments around each corner. Sculptural highlights include a 38 foot long, 8 foot high water feature; 200 tons of stone; four 13-foot-tall planters; eight 14-foot-tall steel trees; and two ring planters that are 9 feet tall and 7 feet in diameter.
One of the four main areas of the exhibit is devoted to sugar – or energy, the product of photosynthesis. Here, visitors are surrounded by the Conservatory’s fruiting plants, including bananas, mangoes, papayas and oranges. Three additional areas feature the building blocks of photosynthesis – air, water and sunlight – and show how plants use these elements to produce energy within their leaves. Water falls, mist and reflective pools demonstrate the many forms of water. In the sunlight area, visitors go “underground” (beneath a plant dome) to experience first-hand how leaves absorb sunlight. Steel trees planted with hundreds of epiphytes sway slightly throughout the exhibit’s air section.
Interpretive highlights include sound that moves along pathways using a new technology, lighting that reacts to changing natural light conditions, illuminated signage integrated into exhibit features and plantings, and a decorative floor treatment that replicates natural environments.
The exhibit directly supports national science learning standards at the fifth through eighth grade levels, but also speaks to a much broader audience of families, students and teachers. Visitors are engaged on a basic human level through content that is accessible and meaningful for a diverse audience.
Families are invited to pick up exhibit guides and supplemental rental materials with information for deeper exploration into the exhibit’s educational features. Take-home materials encourage families to explore the air, water, sunlight, leaves and roots in their own back yards and on their window sills, and to connect the food production of plants to common
products they find in their refrigerators and on store shelves. Studies show that children remember and learn about nature better when they interact with a caring adult.
“Sugar from the Sun” is made possible in part by a $1.65 million grant from the National Science Foundation. Admission to the exhibit is free. For more information, visit the Garfield Park Conservatory Alliance online at www.garfieldconservatory.org.
- Contact Phone: 312 742 7529