New Museum Blog - Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science

Museum Receives $1 Million Gift from FPL

Posted on January 21st, 2015

By: MiaSci

Sun Deck

Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) and its philanthropic organization NextEra Energy Foundation has donated $1 million to The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science to support the Innovation Center, which is currently under construction as part of the new museum facility at Museum Park. In addition, FPL is also giving the Museum an in-kind donation of photovoltaic solar panels, valued at $80,000. The panels will be located on the roof’s solar farm, a valuable addition to the Museum’s Sky Garden rooftop, and will generate power for the LEED certified facility.

“As the first utility to make the smart grid and large scale solar realities in Florida, we are excited to partner with the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science as a founding member of the Innovation Center,” said Eric Silagy, President and CEO of FPL. “This is a great opportunity to support a pillar in our community and promote energy education. We share the Museum’s commitment to inspire hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to think innovatively.”

The Innovation Center, which is the first wing seen by visitors upon entering Museum Park, provides an opportunity to explore the future city, with project-based classes, encounters, new exhibitions and programs celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship while displaying the latest global developments. Opportunities for careers, volunteering, and in-depth learning will abound within the five-story wing.

“FPL has a long history of leading innovation in Florida and is touted as one of the most innovative companies in the U.S.,” said Gillian Thomas, President and CEO of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. “We are honored to partner with FPL to bring the Innovation Center to life, and their generous gift will work toward enhancing science and education for people of all ages.”

FPL is committed to being a responsible corporate citizen and a good neighbor. FPL’s investments, community partnerships and employee giving help to improve the quality of life in the communities it serves. The company’s history of embracing innovation is reflected in its support of programs directly related to its business objectives, including energy-related projects or curriculum, preserving wildlife and natural resources and providing environmental education, supporting health and human services and improving the quality of life.

Tags: Florida Power & Light Company, FPL, Innovation Center, NextEra Energy Foundation

RFP: Feathers to the Stars Exhibition

Posted on January 6th, 2015

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By: MiaSci

The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is seeking to identify and select a partner to design and implement the “Feathers to the Stars: The Past, Present, and Future of Flight” exhibition for the new $275 million Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, to be located in Museum Park in Miami, Florida. This new highly sustainable facility will include a planetarium, aquarium, both indoor and outdoor flexible space for science exhibits as well as educational facilities.

The Museum is seeking a design firm, or consortium of firms, who individually or collectively possess the experience, skills, and knowledge to design, develop and install a state-of-the-art exhibition. The Museum intends to contract with a single entity, and encourages interested parties to assemble teams as needed in order to respond to all aspects of the requested scope, including all software development and hardware procurement. The selected design firm will be required to work with the Museum project team and the Museum’s appointed accessibility and exhibition evaluation consultant.

To obtain a copy of the RFP, contact Dr. Jorge Perez-Gallego at jgallego@frostscience.org.

RFP requests will be accepted until January 16, 2015.

All responses are due to by 5:00 pm EST on January 26th, 2015.

Let it Pour: Gulf Stream Tank Concrete Pour

Posted on December 18th, 2014

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By: MiaSci

Beginning Friday, December 12, crews worked non-stop for 24 hours, 48 minutes and 59 straight seconds, to place over 1,200 cubic yards (120 trucks) of concrete, making up more than 9,000 square feet of tank surface area, filling the walls of the massive cone-shaped Gulf Stream tank aquarium and marking the Museum’s biggest milestone in construction to date. The 500,000 gallon tank, open to the sun and sky, will serve as the centerpiece of the new Museum. Not only will this be the city’s newest iconic landmark, but also one of the most complex projects currently being undertaken in the United States. In addition to the erection of monumental amounts of shoring and formwork, impressive in and of itself, the laborious groundwork included the installation of over 370 tons of epoxy coated steel reinforcement intertwined by a web of 57 pipes containing over 700 high strength post tensioning cables that generate over 14,000 tons of compression force into the concrete to prevent cracking once poured. Stepping onto the outdoor top level of the Living Core once the Museum opens in 2016, visitors will encounter the 100-foot open surface of the tank vessel to catch glimpses of marine creatures such as hammerhead sharks and tunas.

One of the most significant achievements in architectural design and one whose shape alone has never been done before, the form will come to life later this week as the wet blanket is removed, and the dried and settled concrete is revealed. The tank is now prepared to support over 4 million pounds of sea water and… SHARKS! Complex in its conical shape, inclination and suspension, as well as a 30-foot diameter oculus at the bottom of the basin, the shape is energy-efficient and ideal for sharks as there are no sharp corners, maximizing the cruising surface while reducing the amount of water – it’s not just the view that’s great.

This milestone means the Museum is officially more than half-way through construction and on track to open its doors in the summer of 2016. In a city where construction cranes dominate the skyline, this Museum is undeniably the most elaborate project being built in Miami, and we’re excited to celebrate key milestones with you.

Tags: Baker Construction, Construction, Gulf Stream Tank, Hill International, Living Core, Skanska USA

Museum Receives $1 Million Gift from Dr. Ted Caplow

Posted on December 11th, 2014

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By: MiaSci

View of the Innovation Center from Museum Park

The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science has been gifted $1 million from Dr. Ted Caplow, CEO of Caplow Applied Science (CappSci), to support the Innovation Center, currently under construction as part of the new museum facility at Museum Park. Dr. Caplow’s gift serves as the first for the Museum’s Innovation Center, the five-floor north building, designed to serve as a destination and inventors’ space for bold ideas and new products. Dr. Caplow, an engineer and entrepreneur who serves on the Museum’s Board of Trustees, also designed the Vertically Integrated Greenhouse (VIG) hydroponics system currently on display in the current Museum’s Sea Lab.

“We are honored to continue our partnership with Dr. Ted Caplow to help bring the Innovation Center to life,” said Gillian Thomas, President and CEO of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. “This generous gift will work toward enhancing science education for people of all ages who are current and future innovators.”

The five-floor Innovation Center will provide an opportunity to collaboratively explore the future city, with project-based classes, maker’s activities, public demonstrations and workshops celebrating innovation and entrepreneurship while displaying the latest global developments. Opportunities for careers, volunteering, and in-depth learning will abound at the Center, which will include an Innovation Café, focused on innovation in garden and kitchen, waste management, and the role of food in healthy lifestyles. The top floor will host a conference center, offering a wonderful space for partners and staff members to meet overlooking Greater Miami and Biscayne Bay.

“The Innovation Center is a place for learning and a place for doing” said Dr. Ted Caplow. “I am thrilled to help make possible a Center dedicated to changing the world together by drawing on the diverse talents of our community.”

A pioneer in the field of building-integrated agriculture, Dr. Caplow founded New York Sun Works in 2004, created the Science Barge sustainable urban farm in 2006, and founded urban farming enterprise BrightFarms in 2008 to pursue a range of opportunities in urban agriculture. He also founded Fish Navy Films in 2009 to produce intelligent, unbiased documentary features and shorts on environmental sustainability and human health. In 2013 he also created the $1 million Children’s Prize to apply a quantitative approach to reducing child mortality worldwide, ranking among the world’s largest humanitarian prizes. Dr. Caplow applied years of experience in the areas of sustainability and engineering to the development of CappSci. Founded by Dr. Caplow and Pascale van Kipnis Caplow, CappSci is focused on resolving a select set of major global challenges through crowdsourcing ideas, solutions, and support, choosing the intervention point carefully for each challenge, and measuring impact throughout the process.

Tags: CappSci, Innovation Center, Major Gifts, Ted Caplow

Baptist Health South Florida Partners with The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science

Posted on November 4th, 2014

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By: MiaSci

Conceptual Rendering of the Baptist Health People & Science Gallery at Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science

The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science is proud to announce a $5 million gift from Baptist Health South Florida for the newly named Baptist Health People & Science Gallery, in addition to educational health and wellness programming that will be offered in that exhibit space. The Gallery will encompass a 9,000-square-foot space on the main plaza level of the Museum aimed at providing a high-tech and personalized exploration of the benefits of science and technology to our daily lives. It will be located directly below our one-of-a-kind, 500,000-gallon Gulf Stream Tank and will be visible from all levels of the Museum. Through its gift, Baptist Health will support a series of dynamic exhibits in the Baptist Health People & Science Gallery, where students and visitors alike will learn and explore science, technology and health. In addition, the partnership will directly benefit students of Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), ensuring that the programming complements their curriculum and offers students a hands-on space for learning about science and wellness. A portion of the gift will be allocated to support transportation expenses for approximately 10,000 M-DCPS students to visit the Museum each year.

The gift was announced at a special press conference at Museum Park’s Knight Plaza, featuring remarks by Trish and Dan Bell, Museum Board of Trustees C0-chairs; Gillian Thomas, Museum President & CEO; George Foyo, Baptist Health South Florida Executive Vice President & Chief Administrative Officer; and Alberto Carvalho, Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) Superintendent. The event’s special guests were students of M-DCPS’ iPrep Academy, located in downtown Miami close to Museum Park. Following the conference, the students were treated to a healthy cooking demonstration by Baptist Health South Florida Executive Chef Richard Plasencia and Chief Wellness Dietitian Natalie Castro. The duo shared their recipe for a Plantain & Quinoa Salad, representative of the kind of programming in store for the New Museum. Daniel Mannina, the Museum’s Public Programs Assistant Manager – Community Outreach, then presented a visual Fantastic Bodies live science demonstration with student assistance.

“We could not think of a better partner for the creation of a first-of-its-kind gallery that will teach people how to make better choices for a healthy life,” said Gillian Thomas, President and CEO of the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science. “The Baptist Health People & Science Gallery will leave a lasting impression on all of the visitors to the Museum, providing them with hands-on learning experiences that will help change their way of life for the better. We are grateful to Baptist Health South Florida for its support and hope that other organizations follow their lead in supporting science education.”

“Baptist Health South Florida is proud to partner with the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science to help children, families and visitors of all ages learn and explore the world of science and gain a greater understanding of how our bodies work and of the importance of making healthy choices,” said George Foyo, executive vice president and chief administrative officer for Baptist Health South Florida. “We know that with the People & Science Gallery, we will be able to provide fun and unique educational experiences that will help improve wellness in our community and beyond.”

“We know the new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science will greatly complement the science curriculum taught in schools and will offer students a hands-on approach,” said Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho. “The Baptist Health People & Science Gallery will be a great place for students to see how science affects their daily lives.”

Baptist Health South Florida partners with The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science from Baptist Health South Florida on Vimeo.

Tags: Baptist Health South Florida, education, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, New Museum, People & Science Gallery

2015 Big Bang Committee Kick-off Luncheon

Posted on November 4th, 2014

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By: MiaSci

On Thursday, October 30, the Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science hosted the official kickoff luncheon for the Big Bang, the after-party of the 13th Annual Galaxy Gala hosted by the Young Patrons. Big Bang co-chairs, Ali Lamadrid, Lena Lowell and Cristina Mas, welcomed over 20 committee members to the afternoon affair which took place in the Museum’s Space Gallery. Also in attendance were the Galaxy Gala co-chairs, Jennifer Montoya and Shelly Dimitrijevic, along with Museum President & CEO, Gillian Thomas. The Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science will host its stellar 13th Annual Galaxy Gala on Saturday, April 18, 2015 at Hilton Miami Downtown. The now famously dynamic evening celebrating science will play on the elements of light and water, with exciting technology and innovative features throughout the space. Coinciding with the Galaxy Gala is the Big Bang after-party, targeted at young professionals ages 21-40. The Big Bang evening begins with a cocktail reception before the doors open to the main event where attendees join Galaxy Gala guests and “crash” the party. The Gala then transforms into a nightlife-inspired event with DJ, dancing, special performances and cocktails. For more information on sponsorship and ticketing for the Galaxy Gala and Big Bang, contact Ruth Robinson at rrobinson@sciencegala.com.

Photo Credit: World Red Eye