Dallas Museum of Nature & Science Collaborates With Meadows Museum

Special exhibits explore the "Science of Art" and the "Art of Science" as represented by Fernando Gallego and his workshop: The Altarpiece from Ciudad Rodrigo.

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) April 23, 2008

The Museum of Nature and Science (MNS) today announced a special collaboration with the Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University.

In conjunction with the Meadow Museum's celebrated Fernando Gallego and His Workshop: The Altarpiece from Ciudad Rodrigo, Paintings from the Collection of the University of Arizona Museum of Art, MNS will host a display on the science of art at the Meadows, while simultaneously showing several panels in MNS' lobby on the art of science.

MNS' display at the Meadows focuses on the scientific technologies utilized in the research and preparation of the altarpieces for this exhibition, including infrared reflectography, ultraviolet light scans, x-ray probes, polarized light microscopy, and chemical analysis of the materials used by the artists in the 15th century, such as crushed stones, minerals, and other natural elements. At MNS, the display focuses on the art of science and recaps how these modern scientific techniques aid art historians and researchers to understand the inner workings of the artists' workshops of five centuries ago.

"Some of the greatest artists have inspired some of the greatest scientists, and vice versa," said Nicole Small, MNS CEO. "Our two displays bring a scientific component to the Meadows Museum's beautiful exhibit of the Ciudad Rodrigo altarpiece and we are delighted to contribute.

"Thanks to modern science, researchers, historians and artists are able to learn more about the creative process of 15th century Spanish master painters like Fernando Gallego and Master Bartolomé. Plus, people don't necessarily think about the science that is required for painting. Unlike today's painters who can buy their oils and colors in a store, 15th-century painters mixed their own from scratch - from rocks, plant dyes, oils and more."

The displays will be on view until July 27, 2008 at the Meadows Museum and at MNS.

About the Museum of Nature & Science
The Museum of Nature & Science - the result of a unique merger in 2006 between the Dallas Museum of Natural History, The Science Place and the Dallas Children's Museum - is a non-profit educational organization currently located in Dallas' Fair Park. In support of its mission to inspire minds through nature and science, the Museum delivers exciting, engaging and innovative visitor experiences through its education, exhibition, and research and collections programming for students, teachers, families and life-long learners. The facility also includes the TI Founders IMAX® Theater and a cutting-edge digital planetarium. The Museum of Nature & Science is supported in part by funds from the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, the Texas Commission on the Arts and EDS. To learn more about the Museum of Nature & Science, please visit http://www.natureandscience.org

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