Schenectady, New York, January 12, 2022 – The Museum of Innovation and Science (miSci) announces today that a 5,000-square-foot gallery space located in the Museum’s main exhibit hall has been renamed in honor of iconic business leader, philanthropist, and longtime Museum Trustee Jane Golub who passed away in 2019.
The Jane Golub Gallery will open to the public on February 5, 2022, with the inaugural exhibition Design Zone, a new major permanent interactive installation that highlights the importance of science and math.
“Jane Golub was the Museum’s greatest supporter and friend, said miSci President Gina C. Gould. “Her passion for assuring that children have access to immersive learning experiences has greatly enriched the educational landscape of our region. Her legacy continues to inspire us, and it is our honor to dedicate this permanent gallery space in her name."
The Museum will host a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, February 3. Elected officials, supporters, Museum board members, and staff will join together to cut the ribbon in celebration of the grand opening on February 5. Among the invited guests are Schenectady Mayor Gary McCarthy, Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, Congressman Paul Tonko, Metroplex Development Authority Chair Ray Gillen, Senator Jim Tedisco, and Downtown Schenectady Improvement Corp. Executive Director Jim Salengo. The ribbon cutting will be MC'd by President and CEO of the Capital Region Chamber Mark Eagan. Speakers will include Jane Golub's husband Neil Golub and daughter Mona Golub.
Opening February 5 at miSci
Design Zone––a new interactive permanent exhibition that highlights the importance of science and mathematical thinking in areas critical to building creativity and innovation: art, music, and engineering and presents the creative concepts behind the processes and tools needed to create a successful design. What does it take to create an addictive and fun videogame? How many beats per second does a DJ need to get bodies moving on the dance floor? What goes behind creating a roller coaster or a skate park that produces the most fun and biggest thrills? Discover the secrets behind how videogame developers, music producers, roller coaster designers, and other creative problem solvers do what they do.
Thematic Zones:
ART
Visitors design their own 2-D and 3-D art and explore visual creativity in the Videogame Design Lab, Architecture Studio, and the Digital Design Domain. Highlights include Drawing in Motion, where visitors use a digital pen to trace a line art masterpiece on a giant screen and create their own images and Jump On It—similar to many classic arcade games—where guests choose a character, adjust the jump power and gravity, and land on targets to collect points.
MUSIC
Visitors explore relationships between length and pitch in musical instruments, ratios and rhythms, and visual representations of sound in On Stage!, Dance Party, and the DJ Recording Studio. Highlights include Laser Light DJ where participants discover how laser light show technicians create mesmerizing patterns, and Turntables, where they can practice their DJ skills by trying to seamlessly match beats per minute to the tempo of a new song.
ENGINEERING
Visitors experience the Theme Park and the Action Sports Arena where they’ll discover the math and physics behind anything that moves. Area highlights include Bike Race, where they can climb into bike stations, test gear combinations, and compete in a virtual race, and Design a Skate Park where visitors manipulate slope to create essential skate park features, test their design with a virtual skater and ride the course!
About Jane Golub
An iconic business and philanthropic leader in the Capital Region, Jane Golub’s passion for education and her commitment to her adopted hometown of Schenectady was legendary. She championed efforts dedicated to improving the health and welfare of women and children in the region and served on boards, committees, and capital campaigns for numerous organizations. In 2019, miSci established the Jane Golub STEM Fund that increases access to the Museum’s educational programs for underserved youth, either through free or discounted admissions for school programming (virtual, outreach, and on-site programs) or reduced/waived tuition for school break and summer classes.
Supporters of the Jane Golub STEM Fund include:
