Science Gallery facts for kids
The Science Gallery is a special type of museum. It's a group of public science centers around the world. These galleries were first thought of by people connected to Trinity College Dublin in Ireland. The very first Science Gallery opened in Dublin in 2008.
Each Science Gallery works with a big university. They also partner with Science Gallery International. These galleries don't have permanent collections like most museums. Instead, they host three or four new exhibitions each year. These shows mix art and science. They aim to get people, especially young people, excited about science. By the end of 2020, five galleries were open, and more were planned.
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Science Gallery Locations Around the World
| City, Country | Partner University | Opened |
|---|---|---|
| Dublin, Ireland | Trinity College Dublin | 2008–2022 |
| Detroit, United States | Michigan State University | 2018–2022 |
| London, United Kingdom | King's College London | 2018 |
| Melbourne, Australia | University of Melbourne | 2020 |
| Venice, Italy | Ca' Foscari University of Venice | 2020 |
| Bengaluru, India | Government of Karnataka | 2024 |
| Atlanta, United States | Emory University | Planned for 2022 |
| Rotterdam, Netherlands | Erasmus MC | Planned for 2023 |
| Berlin, Germany | TU Berlin | Planned for 2024 |
Science Gallery Dublin
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Science Gallery at night
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| Established | 1 February 2008 |
|---|---|
| Location | Naughton Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland |
| Type | Science centre |
| Visitors | >3.8 million visitors (2008-2020) |
| Public transit access | Dublin Pearse railway station |
What Was Its Goal?
The Science Gallery Dublin wanted to host cool and interactive shows. They also had workshops, events, and discussions. Their main goal was to mix science and art. They wanted to get people, especially those aged 15–25, interested in science and technology.
Where Was It Located?
Science Gallery Dublin was inside the Naughton Institute building. This building is part of Trinity College Dublin. It opened in early 2008. You could enter from Pearse Street. The gallery had big display windows facing the street. It was close to Westland Row and its DART train station.
How It Started
The idea for a public science place began in 2005. Professor Mike Coey was a big supporter of the idea. The Naughton Institute building was being built at the time. It was going to have a nanotechnology center and a research facility. The gallery space was planned to be about 1,200 square meters. It had glass windows facing Pearse Street. There were spaces for exhibitions and a lecture hall. A group led by Chris Horn helped raise money.
The gallery officially opened on February 2, 2008. The plan was for universities, businesses, and the government to work together. This would allow people to visit for free. This way, more young people could get involved.
Who Ran the Gallery?
The gallery had a special board that guided it. Chris Horn was the first chairperson. Later, Trinity's provost, Linda Doyle, led the board.
Michael John Gorman was the first director. Lynn Scarff was in charge of education. Lynn Scarff later became the director from 2014 to 2018. Ann Mulrooney became director in December 2018. In October 2021, Gerard McHugh was the acting director. The gallery had a staff of 16 people.
Advisory Groups
The gallery had an advisory group called the Leonardo Group. It included experts from science, technology, education, and art. Journalists and a senator were also members. There was also a group for younger advisors called the Young Leos. They helped with ideas for exhibitions, marketing, and learning opportunities.
How It Operated
People called mediators worked at the exhibitions. They helped visitors understand the displays. They also encouraged people to interact with the exhibits. The gallery had its own café and a shop.
Trinity College helped fund the gallery. Money also came from the shop and café. Sponsors supported specific exhibitions. The Department of Arts also gave a grant each year. Google also provided funding and support early on. In the year ending September 2020, the gallery's income was 552,000 euro.
In 2011, 242,000 people visited the gallery. By 2014, this number grew to 400,000. By 2020, over 3.8 million people had visited since it opened.
Exhibitions
Science Gallery Dublin hosted many different exhibitions each year. The first show, in February 2008, was called Lightwave. It was a festival with art and science displays. It featured work by scientists and artists. It included interactive clothing and games.
The gallery hosted 48 other shows. These included shows about fashion and science. One show was about how we see things, called Seeing. Another was about the future of work, called Humans Need Not Apply. During the time it was closed due to the Covid pandemic, some shows were online. One was even displayed in the gallery's windows.
Sometimes, visitors could help with ongoing research. For example, in the Home/Sick exhibition, people shared data about their showering habits.
Awards and Fundraising
In 2015, Science Gallery Dublin was featured on a special An Post stamp. This stamp celebrated Irish science achievements.
Until May 2022, Science Gallery Dublin was part of Trinity College's big fundraising campaign. This campaign aimed to raise 400 million euro. It also wanted to get 150,000 hours of volunteer help. This money and effort would support the university.
Closure of the Dublin Gallery
On October 28, 2021, staff learned the gallery would close. This news came just after a new exhibition opened. The gallery closed in February 2022. There was no public announcement at first. Many people were upset about the planned closure. This included professors and the gallery's first chairperson.
Trinity College later said that grants and donations had dropped. The gallery had also lost 1.65 million euro. The Taoiseach (Ireland's prime minister) said the university should find a new plan. He noted that two government departments offered money to help. Despite these talks and offers, the gallery closed as planned in February 2022.
Plans to Reopen
In November 2022, there were plans to reopen the gallery in 2023. They wanted to have new exhibitions from 2023 to 2028. Trinity College hired a company called Curiosity Studio to help. Reopening was expected in summer 2023, but it did not happen. In December 2024, Trinity announced that the Science Gallery would not reopen. The space will now be used for a student center instead.
Science Gallery International
Science Gallery International (SGI) started in 2012. Its goal was to create a network of Science Galleries around the world. They aimed for eight galleries by 2020. This was based on how successful the Dublin gallery was. Google and the Wellcome Trust supported SGI. SGI has a board and is led by Dr. Andrea Bandelli. The SGI team is based in Dublin.
SGI creates tools and resources for the Science Gallery Network. They help galleries share knowledge and support each other. These tools help universities run their Science Galleries. They also make sure each gallery helps its host university in a bigger way.
The first new gallery was planned for King's College London. It opened in September 2018. In 2014, plans for a Science Gallery in Bangalore, India, were announced. It was planned for 2018, but opened in 2024. Science Gallery Melbourne opened in 2020 with the University of Melbourne. SGI also planned galleries with the City College of New York and Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Venice.
Science Gallery London
How It Started and Where It Is
Plans for a permanent Science Gallery in London were announced in 2013. Before that, some temporary Science Gallery shows were held. Science Gallery London opened in September 2018. It is located in Boland House, at Guy's Campus of King's College London. This was part of a big project to redevelop the old entrance to Guy's Hospital.
Exhibitions in London
The first exhibition at Science Gallery London was called Hooked: When Want Becomes Need. It explored how strong desires can become needs. It ran from September 2018 to January 2019. The show included works by many artists.
