This coming fall and winter, FCMoD is excited to present two special exhibitions that explore a wide array of biological, historical and cultural perspectives.
Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity
October 12, 2024 – January 26, 2025
The Bias Inside Us
November 27, 2024 – December 31, 2024
Tuesday Night Live!
FCMoD will offer a series of Tuesday Night Live events throughout the run of Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity and The Bias Inside Us this fall. From poetry workshops to panel discussions, we’ll explore the many fascinating topics that tie into our two special exhibitions.
This series will be offered as part of our Pay-What-You Can program to create access for all.
See below for a full list of TNL events!
Join us for Nighttime Creatures, a program that dives into the fascinating world of nocturnal animals, featuring unique species like the black-footed ferret. This program is designed for animal enthusiasts, families, and anyone curious about the remarkable adaptations that allow these creatures to thrive in the darkness. After exploring Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity, join Bird Conservancy of the Rockies on an Owl Walk to try and find nocturnal birds near the museum.
A panel of neurodiverse individuals talk through what it’s like to have an invisible disability and the biases that surround them, followed by low sensory walkthough of exhibits. This session is geared towards youth.
Whose stories can we tell? How can we authentically and respectfully create characters who come from different ethnic, cultural, gender, or identities? Are there rules, or should we only write from our own lived experiences?
Join award-winning author and CSU professor Nina McConigley in a short reading and lecture, followed by a hands-on writing workshop on how artists and writers talk about the complications and the sometimes ethically sensitive process of writing about places/people we do not intimately know.
Hear from Odia-Wood Kreuger, Smithsonian Program Outreach Coordinator, about the goals of the Bias Inside Us Project, the research behind the exhibit, and the implementation of this nation wide project. Then get a first look at The Bias Inside Us exhibit that will open to the public the next day.
A panel of neurodiverse individuals talk through what it’s like to have an invisible disability and the biases that surround them, followed by low sensory walkthough of exhibits. This session is geared towards adults.
During this panel, the Managing Director at CSU’s Center for Public Deliberation (CPD) will have a discussion with current and former CPD student associates to ask how they’ve applied the skills learned in our program to their interpersonal conversations, especially about political topics. They’ll provide tips on how to foster spaces of belonging, how to disagree with curiosity, and how to validate the experiences and emotions of others in conversation. After the panel, there will be time for a brief Q&A.
Dean Hendrickson, equine surgeon with the CSU College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, will take attendees through the importance of skin as the largest organ of the body that is in constant contact with the environment. Dean will address the concepts of wound healing and the importance of training our medical students to best handle this important organ.
Hi there! This program is still in development. Please check back closer to the event date for more details.
Hi there! This program is still in development. Please check back closer to the event date for more details.
Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity
October 12, 2024 – January 26, 2025
Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s upcoming special exhibit, Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity, aims to inspire wonder and curiosity about this uniquely complex organ. The exhibit features dozens of scientific specimens that showcase the incredibly adaptive properties of skin in animals – including its ability to support and regenerate keratin-based structures like armored scales, aerodynamic feathers, and insulating fur.
Skin dives even deeper to explore how evolution has shaped diversity in human skin – and how much we have yet to discover about the underlying genetics of skin color. The exhibit presents the topics of racism, prejudice, and discrimination through the lenses of history and science. Visitors can explore the layers of meaning humans have associated with skin color throughout history and how our ever-evolving social and political climate has influenced shifting ideas of race and culture. FCMoD hopes you’ll take home a deeper understanding of our shared humanity and recognize that we – as humans – are more alike than we are different.
Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity was created by the California Academy of Sciences and modified for travel and distributed by the Science Museum of Minnesota. This installation is presented in English and Spanish.
The Bias Inside Us
November 27, 2024 – December 31, 2024
The Bias Inside Us is a Smithsonian traveling exhibition and community-engagement project that raises awareness about the social science and impact of implicit bias. The Bias Inside Us is an opportunity for people to learn about implicit bias and reflect on their own biases and how they impact their actions. Projects like this can expose us to other ideas and groups outside our own. This exposure can lead to meaningful dialogue, positive change, greater empathy, and increased inclusivity.
The goals of the exhibition are:
- to help people understand and recognize their implicit biases,
- to support communities in convening dialogue that will increase awareness,
- and to inspire more inclusive schools, communities, and workplaces.
This exhibit is brought to you in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES).
Thank you to our sponsors:
Fiona’s Deli, Bakery and Catering
