Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden Exhibit Page 4 Opening 8 New
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Spring 2017 • Volume 7 • Issue 3 News and Events for Members, Donors, and Friends P L AY Time Raceway Arcade Exhibit 3 Princess Palooza 6 Over the Rainbow 7 World Video Game Hall of Fame 7 Have a Ball Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden Exhibit Page 4 Opening 8 NEW O A New Era of Leadership: Raceway Arcade Now Open E Get to Know Steve Dubnik Through September 4 What can you tell us about What can you tell us about Play your way through the history inner-workings of Chicago Coin’s The Strong Neighborhood of Play? your family? of electronic driving games at Drive Master (1969). Explore the first E I’ve been working for nearly three Raceway Arcade, now open in the racing arcade video game, Atari’s D C My wife, Claire, and I have a museum’s Central Gallery, and learn Gran Trak 10 (1974), and the rare years with my predecessor, G. Rollie college-aged son and daughter, who XHIBIT about America’s long fascination and once controversial Adams, on The Strong Neighborhood have been coming to the museum Death Race N with the need for speed. Start your (1976)—inspired by the 1975 satirical of Play. Along with partners Konar since they were children. We became engine, zip through the evolution cult film and Properties and Indus Hospitality members of the museum in the late Death Race 2000 of driving games, and see rare criticized at the time for its Group, The Strong proposed a plan 1990s, and I have fond memories artifacts from The Strong’s depictions of violence. to the City of Rochester to make use of my daughter dressing up in the unparalleled collections. of the newly filled in Inner Loop land One History Place exhibit. I brought Test your skills at playable racing T A nearby to expand the museum and my children back recently to see all “Since the birth of the automobile games beginning with Lemans (1976) a build a hotel, market-rent housing, the changes at the museum, and they at the end of the 19th century, and Night Driver (1976), through N mixed-use retail, and a parking garage. enjoyed it just as much now as they Americans have been fascinated by arcade classic such as Turbo (1981), Extensive market research in 2015 did then—if not more! I couldn’t pry the mystique of car racing. Driving Pole Position 2 (1983), Hang On showed that by transforming the The Strong welcomed Steve them away from the pinball machines games provided players with a way (1985), Out Run (1987), Cruis’n USA entire neighborhood around us in Dubnik as president and CEO in Pinball Playfields. to imagine themselves speeding on (1994), and the brand-new Cruis’n such an inviting, playful way, that the in January. Prior to joining The treacherous cross-country tours and Blast (2017). Challenge friends to museum could double its attendance Do you have a favorite exhibit? Strong, Dubnik served on the winding race tracks in the safety of the two-player Daytona USA (1994), to nearly a million guests per year. museum’s Board of Trustees for I particularly like Reading the arcade or their living rooms,” says three-player Super Sprint (1986), 16 years and in leadership roles at The project would have $100 million Adventureland. I grew up being a Jeremy Saucier, assistant director of and the two-player favorite annual impact on the community and telecommunications and technology reader, and my wife and I read to our The Strong’s International Center for Mario Kart Arcade GP2 (2007). companies for more than 30 years. create positive change for Rochester, children daily in their younger years. the History of Electronic Games. Play Time interviewed Dubnik after making the area even more of a The classic books represented in the Raceway Arcade is produced his first 60 days on the job. tourist destination. exhibit played such a big role in our View pioneering games, such as by The Strong’s International lives, and in the lives of so many other the first electromechanical arcade Center for the History of What have the first days in your new The City of Rochester recommended PRESIDE families. Plus, it’s such a creative space, driving game, Drive-Mobile (1941), Electronic Games. Playable machines in Raceway Arcade require role been like? the project, which is a great first step, and there’s something wondrous in its and discover how the precursors to purchased tokens. Money collected from the sale but I have been spending much of Like starting any new job, I have design. The story really comes alive modern video games operated by of tokens helps maintain these original artifacts. my time recently working with city, spent much of my time learning. I’ve around you. There are so many activities examining the components and state, and federal partners on a path been involved with the museum at tucked away in the nooks and crannies, forward. There are still many moving the board level for many years but and its two levels, so it offers almost parts with approvals, fundraising, and not in its day-to-day operations. endless amounts of learning and fun. project planning, but I am optimistic From the outside, I could see that this that the result of these efforts will institution operates so well already. While on a recent walk through the Mark Your be an inclusive, connected, fun, After all, it’s a premier national museum, I stopped to watch a group walkable, green place to live, work, destination for guests of all ages. But of teenagers play a serious game play, and learn. Calendar for I wanted to better understand that of over-sized chess in Reading Adventureland, and I enjoyed seeing guest experience, so I’ve spent time Beyond The Strong Neighborhood of on the floor and with the museum’s that age-group interacting with June 24 Play, where would you like to see the the exhibit. I also happen to be a frontline staff. I’ve also met with and museum in the near future? observed many of the museum’s chess player. Bounce through the history teams to familiarize myself with their The Strong has so much to offer— of the ball and learn about the How else do you like to play? roles, processes, and procedures. rich collections, expertise in play and importance of ball play as a play-based education, and resources I enjoy playing golf socially, but I really universal social, cultural, and human There’s also so much rich history for a wide-range of people, such as love to fly. I grew up in north Georgia experience. Explore the history and in this building to absorb. I’ve families, scholars, and educators—so watching military planes return to their form of ball games—from baseball Kick Throw explored the museum’s diverse I’d like to see the museum engaged base and always dreamed of being a and bocce to ball-themed board Explore the world-wide popularity Explore throwing games, such as collections in-depth with staff, taken in the community even more. Just pilot. While I never made it into a fighter games and video games—from of soccer. Test your accuracy in a catch, juggling, and baseball and learn tours whenever possible with the as an example, we’re in preliminary jet, I did earn my pilot’s license several around the world in five zones: soccer cage and try to hit targets about how these games help develop museum’s various experts, and discussions with the Greater Rochester years ago, and I now fly single-engine Have a Ball Arcade with a swift kick of the ball. A case dexterity. Test your accuracy and earn examined the museum’s range Airport about collaborating on a play planes for enjoyment. They’re a toy to of historic soccer balls and women’s points by throwing balls at a range of educational and community space at the airport that would be me. I don’t fly them to get anywhere Test your skills at a variety of soccer uniforms explores gender of targets. programs. I’ve put the biggest part of their upcoming multi-million in particular, just for sight-seeing and redemption-style games such as inequality in sports and the tension focus and most of my energy into dollar renovation project. That stress relief. Being in the air, you’re Skee Ball, Hoop Fever, Fish Bowl, between organized sport and Have a Ball remains on view through an exciting project, though. It’s one would allow the museum to extend only focused on the here and the and Hungry, Hungry Hippos to collect free play. September 4, 2017. that will be transformational for the its important mission and message now. There’s something relaxing about tickets for prizes. beyond these walls. Some machines in require museum and for the community— that—not to mention that the scenery Roll Have a Ball The Strong Neighborhood of Play. is phenomenal. Bounce purchased tokens. Money collected from Examine the evolution of rolling the sale of tokens helps maintain these Step into the ball lab and explore how original artifacts. balls travel, float, and bounce through games—from bocce to bowling—and Dubnik can often be found within pipes and with the power of air. see artifacts ranging from marbles to Media sponsor the museum’s exhibit spaces where Challenge friends to a ball race! the electronic Wii Sports. Move a he enjoys interacting with guests robotic sphere through a course of of all ages.