Guest Post by Melissa Crossman!
A fun and exciting exhibit is in place
across Bloomington, Ind. and the Indiana University campus. The
Brain Extravaganza, sponsored by Jill Bolte Taylor BRAINS Inc., IU Health Proton Therapy
and a host of other sponsors, aims to raise awareness and knowledge about the
brain while entertaining viewers with artistic presentations.
Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroscientist and the
exhibit's organizer, has a very personal reason for her interest in the brain: At
the age of 37, she suffered a devastating stroke that robbed her of the ability
to speak, walk, read, write, and even remember her own past. Over the course of
eight years of hard work, she regained all of her mental faculties and now
works to increase awareness and appreciation of the critical importance of the
brain.
For the Brain Extravaganza, 22 giant and anatomically-correct models of
brains were placed throughout the city and campus. Each model is 5' x5' x 4',
and they’re built to spark inspiration and conversation. The artistic styles painted
on each brain vary, thanks to the fact that a different local or regional
artist designed each one. Some of the brains were finished by individual
artists, while others were completed by university art classes under the
direction of an instructor. Themes are all centered on the power and the inner
workings of the brain, including music, art, languages, religions, sleep and
pain, psychology and more.
To make sure the Brain Extravaganza is
educational, the base of each attention-getting brain is inscribed with five
facts about real human brains, along with a special question attached to
encourage discussion. To maintain interest in brains after the exhibit is over,
a mobile app is also
available; this app allows users to paint their own brains and upload them to
sites like Facebook for comparison with other people's paintings. Users can
also put the answers to the special questions into the app to complete a quiz.
Those who see these brains may wonder why
they don't look quite like the drawings seen in textbooks. Specifically, they
stand on a long, thick stalk that is not usually shown in models claimed to be
anatomically correct. The reason for the difference is the fact that the models
include 12 pairs of cranial nerves and all of the gyri. Some of these
structures are associated with the brain stem, which is often shown separately
in texts.
The Brain Extravaganza opened in late April
and will run until mid-October. For a map of the brains' locations, go to www.jbtbrains.org/locations/. There,
visitors will find a list of the positions. A downloadable PDF file is also
available on the page.
Visitors to Bloomington will find a vibrant
city with plenty of places to eat, shop, and stay, and the Brain Extravaganza
is just one exhibit to see on a walking tour of the city. Thanks to the map,
visitors will be able to easily find each sculpture and enjoy the art as well as
learn about the organ that makes us who we are as humans.
Melissa Crossman is an avid writer who enjoys writing about health and education. She lives in Indianapolis with her two dogs.
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