What's New

Check here periodically for news from Strong National Museum of Play. For what’s happening this week, visit our Events Calendar and Things to See & Do pages.

Biome Mural and Poetry Display Now on View

Posted on March 15

A biome mural and earth-friendly poems by Holley Central School District’s third grade students will be on display at Strong from March 15 to April 9. The project was completed in partnership with Empire State Partnership with Young Audiences of Western New York.

The students spent many weeks working with teaching artist Kyoko Roszmann to create the mural representing four of the earth’s biomes or ecosystems: mountains, ocean, rainforest, and desert. Using traditional origami techniques, students made animals, plants, and people, which were then arranged on the mural. Also as part of the project, the students wrote poems with artist-in-residence Sherry Robbins.

How Do They Do That?

Posted on March 8

It’s true. Good things do come in small packages! In the latest Play Stuff blog, curator Patricia Hogan writes about one of the museum’s latest acquisitions—miniature rooms donated by the family of Ruth Rosenfeld.

International Center for the History of Electronic Games Assumes New Name

Posted on March 8

The International Center for the History of Electronic Games began in March 2009 as a “national” center for the history of electronic games. Recognizing that the development, production, and use of electronic games cuts broadly across cultural, political, and geographic boundaries, Strong recently took the center “international.” At more than 20,000 items and growing, the ICHEG collection is the largest and most comprehensive public collection of electronic games and game-related materials anywhere.

In addition to ongoing collection activities, the ICHEG team is also developing eGameRevolution, an interactive, artifact-rich exhibit where museum guests will be able to explore the history and future of electronic games and their impact on people’s lives. The exhibit is set to open at Strong this fall.

Follow the exhibit process at www.twitter.com/icheg. Bookmark www.icheg.org/blog for insightful commentary on the past, present, and future of electronic games.

Video-Game Industry Pioneer Consults for Strong’s ICHEG

Posted on March 1

Don Daglow, one of the best known and respected producers in the history of the video-game industry, has been engaged as a Collections Development Consultant at the International Center for the History of Electronic Games (ICHEG). Along with his work as an independent game designer and producer, Daglow will assist ICHEG in the acquisition of key objects and records to document the early and ongoing history of the development of electronic games.

Daglow, a game designer, programmer, and producer with a 40-year career in game development, is widely recognized for designing a series of ground-breaking simulation and role-playing games, as well as the first-ever computer baseball game.

Have a Horrid Valentine’s Day?

Posted on February 8

Think Valentine’s are just for kind words and pledges of undying love? Think again. In the latest Play Stuff blog, Chris Bensch, Vice President for Collections, explores the history of the valentine and shares some insulting and downright nasty ones from the museum’s collection.

Literary Quilts on Display

Posted on February 8

Four Literary Quilts created by retired librarian Muriel Feldshuh will be on display at the museum through April 5. Created over a 13-year period, these quilts feature handwritten comments and popular children’s book characters drawn by award-winning authors and illustrators, such as Linda Sue Park, Kate DiCamillo, Jan Brett, Tomie dePaola, Kevin Henkes, Pat Huchins, Tana Hoban, Eric Carle, Ruth Heller, and may more.

Best of the Brick Contest Winners Announced

Posted on February 1

Strong recently challenged children and adults to build interlocking brick sculptures—and the call was overwhelmingly answered. The museum received more than 127 creative entries. Congratulations to the four winners:

Nick Sweetland, age 10, for Mia’s LEGO^® Dog House
Benjamin Kabot, age 10, for Lincoln “Circle”
Shane Urban and Nolan Walters, age 8, for Move Theater with Concession Stand,
Bathrooms and Arcade Ride
Greg Shubert, age 47, for Alpine Village

View the winning sculptures and see other creations in the Best of the Brick Gallery.

Learn the Story of Lincoln Logs

Posted on January 21

Ah, the popular Lincoln Log, designed to capture the American pioneer spirit and pay homage to President Lincoln’s iconic cabin. Right? Well, that’s not the whole story. In the latest Play Stuff blog, Scott Eberle, Vice President for Interpretation, explores the history and inspiration behind this popular toy.

University of Rochester Students to Perform at Strong

Posted on January 21

Enjoy Pure A Capella with the University of Rochester’s all-male YellowJackets and all-female Vocal Point on Wednesday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. in Strong’s theater. Tickets are $14 for museum members and $17 for nonmembers. This concert is part of the museum’s Making American Music Series. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 585-263-2700.

LEGO^® Castle Adventure Exhibit to Open January 23

Posted on January 11

Enter a LEGO^® kingdom and test your castle-building skills at LEGO Castle Adventure, a new exhibit opening Saturday, January 23. Meet LEGO^® artist Nathan Sawaya and watch him create colorful LEGO art on Saturday, January 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, January 24 from 1 to 4 p.m.

Strong’s Scott Eberle on National Public Radio

Posted on January 11

Scott Eberle, Strong’s Vice President for Interpretation, was recently interviewed on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show. Eberle talked about the importance of play and his new book, Classic Toys of the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Latest Issue of American Journal of Play Publishes

Posted on January 4

Hot off the presses! The museum recently published Vol. 2, No. 2 of the American Journal of Play, its interdisciplinary journal dedicated solely to the study of play. In this volume, researchers examine a wide-range of topics, from the importance of fantasy play in the kindergarten classroom to the preservation of digital games. Visit americanjournalofplay.org to learn more.

Two New Displays Unveiled on the Museum’s Second Floor

Posted December 21
The museum recently unveiled two new second-floor displays. The first features Raggedy Ann & Andy and the second miniature rooms, created by Rochester native Ruth Rosenfeld. The Raggedy Ann display contains more than one hundred dolls and trinkets, including a dramatic six-foot tall version of the iconic mop-head. At the Rosenfeld miniature rooms display, guests can marvel at more than a dozen elaborate, miniature rooms, ranging from a meticulously detailed replica of a Shaker living room to the interior of a Buddhist monastery and Victorian-style parlor.

Strong Wins Best of Rochester and Rochester’s Choice Awards

Posted December 14
Again this year, City Newspaper readers awarded Strong their Best of Rochester 2009 citation for Best Kids Entertainment. The museum also won the Democrat and Chronicle’s Rochester’s Choice Award for Best Museum for the eighth year in a row. The winners were revealed in a special supplement in the Sunday, November 22 edition of the newspaper.

Sesame Street Celebrates 40th Anniversary

Posted November 19
Sesame Street marked its 40th season this month airing episode 4,187. The show premiered in November 1969 on PBS, and despite an increase in children’s shows on television through the years, it remains as popular as ever. Strong National Museum of Play was privileged to collaborate with Sesame Workshop, producers of the television series, to develop a hands-on exhibit that opened in 1997 and continues to delight museum guests of all ages.

In celebration of Sesame Street’s anniversary, a congratulatory banner hangs in the exhibit gallery and Sesame Street readings have been selected for Toddler Book Club events on November 16, 23, and 30. Parents are encouraged to check out Sesame Street books that are featured at the Sesame-themed Grada Hopeman Gelser Library Desk, a mini-branch of the Monroe County Library System.

 

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