DAVENPORT, IOWA (November 16, 2022) — The Putnam Museum and Science Center’s is thrilled to bring back KEVA planks, this time with a fun, winter-time twist! The exhibit, which initially ran throughout the summer, introduces visitors of all ages to problem-solving and abstract-thinking, using mathematics, physics, and design with fun, simple building materials. Build! Create! Innovate! Winter Edition includes 3,600-square feet of building space and over 15,000 KEVA planks, along with a pre-built castle, snowflakes, a sled, and more!
Equally appealing to children and adults, KEVA planks require very little instruction and allow users to unleash their creativity. Children will discover the joy of physics, engineering, and design. Adults will build alongside kids, testing their own abilities at a higher level and taller heights. Teachers will be empowered and equipped to challenge students to imagine, design, and build their own structures — all within the Smithsonian-affiliated Putnam Museum and Science Center.
Precision-cut, identical construction blocks, KEVA planks are about ¼-inch thick, ¾-inch wide, and 4 ½-inches long, and stack with surprising stability, without glue or connectors. Using only gravity, visitors of all ages will engage with physics to achieve balance, optimum proportion, and a steady structure. Visitors will be encouraged to create everything from sleds to snowflakes to full winter scenes.
“Back by popular demand, this exhibit will be a crowd pleaser. We’ve taken original elements and given it a wintertime twist. We know that museumgoers will be thrilled to see Build! Create! Innovate! Winter Edition and the KEVA planks available once again for all those budding engineers, architects, and artists to set their imaginations free,” says Christine Chandler, Curator of Natural History.
This exhibit is made possible with support from IMPACT Illowa Construction Labor and Management Council, Tri-City Building Trades Council, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of the Quad Cities, Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois, Finishing Contractors Association Quad Cities, NECA Quad Cities, and SMACNA Quad Cities.
“We had such an incredible response to Build! Create! Innovate! and the innovative KEVA Planks over the summer that we were happy to bring it back for the winter season,” says Rachael Mullins, President and CEO of the Putnam. “We’re excited to see the new creations that visitors will come up with as they explore the exhibit and the rest of our treasured museum over the holiday season.” Exhibit admission is included in the price of general admission — $9 for adults, $8 for youth (ages 3-18), seniors, college students, and military. Through the Putnam’s Museums for All program, admission is $1 per person for households with the presentation of an EBT card. Admission is free for members.
For more information, visit putnam.org/exhibits/BuildCreateInnovate. For groups, or to plan your visit, call 563-324-1933.
About the Putnam
The Putnam Museum brings to life a sense of place, time, and purpose to ignite human potential and inspire our diverse community to learn about and care for our world and all its people. For more than 150 years, guests have experienced the Putnam’s permanent exhibits, ranging from Unearthing Ancient Egypt to our family-favorite science galleries, as well as an array of programs and internationally-recognized traveling exhibits. The Putnam is dedicated to helping guests discover and explore in a friendly and engaging atmosphere.
For more information about events and exhibits, visit putnam.org.
