DPEA Showcase Opens at MOXI

The DPEA Showcase, open now through April 14 at MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation® , is the result of an innovative and creative partnership between DPEA and MOXI. Over the course of the last 18 months, the two like-minded organizations have worked together to formalize a vision to offer students in the DPEA the opportunity to design, manufacture, produce and install interactive exhibits at MOXI. These new exhibits have been installed in the second floor Simms/Mann Family Foundation Bridge gallery space at MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation

MOXI’s director of exhibits, Sean O’Brien, and DPEA’s founder and executive director, Amir Abo-Shaeer have spent significant time collaborating to make this experience as meaningful as possible for DPEA students and MOXI guests alike. O’Brien has invested time with the students in their workshop space at the DPEA campus as well as on the museum floor, helping them to understand the opportunities, challenges and constraints associated with designing and producing exhibits for interactive science museums.

“We place a high priority on real-world experiences in our approach to learning, and in the world of exhibit design, there’s nothing more real world than thousands of visitors engaging with your design, pushing it to its limits. We’re grateful to MOXI for the opportunity this partnership provides our students,” said Abo-Shaeer.

“DPEA is such a trailblazer in their approach to STEAM education, so this partnership is a natural fit. I hope it can serve as a model to our museum peers across the country that teens can pull off some pretty amazing things if you give them the tools, the space and the freedom to try. They bring a unique point of view and fearlessness that we sometimes stifle as we get older or more entrenched in our careers,” said Robin Gose, president and CEO of MOXI. “This partnership is such a meaningful way for MOXI to collaborate with local students to leverage the homegrown talent and innovation in our own community.”  

The DPEA Showcase is now open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Sunday, April 14 and is included with general admission to MOXI. It is generously funded in part by a gift from Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin.

About MOXI
MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation® is dedicated to igniting learning through interactive experiences in science and creativity. Located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s redeveloped tourist area at 125 State Street, the museum is LEED-certified Gold and serves guests of all ages through its hands-on exhibits and education programs. For more information, visit moxi.org.