You read that right – OEC is now

 

 

Why change our name? We wanted something that quickly conveys that we are the Smithsonian’s full service exhibit planning, design, and production shop. The new name is clean and simple. It shows that we can work with you from the earliest stages of your project straight through to installation.

To celebrate our new name we’re hosting an open house on October 29. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on here at our facility in Landover, this is your chance to find out! You can talk with our staff and even check out some of our works in progress. We hope to see you then!

Earlier this summer we installed Spark!Lab, a new exhibit by the Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. The exhibit opened on July 1^st in the National Museum of American History, and is an interactive space where children ages six through twelve can become inventors through creative experimentation and invention.

In order to spark the imaginations of these young inventors, the walls of the exhibit are stacked with almost 100 boxes, cases, and drawers full of building materials and inspirational objects from the museum’s collections. Our fabricators put their own creative talents to work as they installed these boxes throughout May and June. It was no easy feat: each individual box was first built and painted in our facility, then transported to the museum where the boxes were carefully arranged and mounted to the wall one at a time. Then our team wired up lights and attached graphic panels, while curators from the museum helped place the objects into the cases. Before we knew it, the completely blank walls had turned into this:

Check out the photos below to see what our installation process looked like!

 

 

 

 

 

Spark!Lab is open from 10am to 4pm every day, except Tuesdays and December 25th.

 

 

The National Portrait Gallery opened One Life: Dolores Huerta on July 3. Huerta was a founder of the United Farm Workers and served as the organization’s lobbyist and contracts negotiator.

OEC printed and installed the large mural featured at the entrance to the exhibit, using LexJet Print-N-Stick Fabric. To accommodate the size of the graphic, OEC printed it in three pieces and installed it on-site.

 

 

 

 

 

One Life: Dolores Huerta is open through May 15, 2016.

Fantastic Worlds: Science and Fiction, 1780-1910, a Smithsonian Libraries exhibit, opened in the National Museum of American History on July 1^st. It is the first exhibit to open in the recently renovated Smithsonian Libraries Gallery in the museum’s west wing.

OEC designed, built, and installed the exhibit, which focuses on early works of science fiction and fantasy. At this time, new scientific discoveries and technologies inspired writers and artists to create fantastical tales about everything from traveling to other planets to resurrecting the dead. The exhibit is divided into seven sections ranging from Terra Incognita to the Rise of the Machines. Each section features books and artifacts from the Smithsonian Libraries collection, as well as objects on loan from the National Museum of American History and other collections.

To bring these fantastic worlds to life, we designed and fabricated section panels, reader rails, graphics for the backs of cases, object mounts, in-case pedestals, and custom made acrylic mounts. We also made the two acrylic frank cases in the center of the exhibit.

Working with historical books presents unique challenges. Because the books are very delicate and easily damaged, there are limits on how they can displayed and for how long. As a result, there will be five object rotations over the course of the exhibit. Our designers worked closely with curators and conservators to plan the five different layouts for each case. Each design needed to account for books of different sizes in a variety of display positions. In some cases, this means that a page may be turned or the position of the mount may be changed. If there is more than one available, an entire book may with swapped out for a different copy.

Another challenge presented by this exhibit came in the form of a 700-pound machine. In order to display the heavy 1963 model of Babbage’s Difference Engine, OEC custom made a frank acrylic case and built extra support systems into the base.

After nearly a year of planning and fabrication, Fantastic Worlds began installation in May. Conservators from Smithsonian Libraries were on hand throughout the installation to handle all of the rare, and often fragile, books.

While they handled the books, we handled the cases, mounts, reader rails, number plaques, and graphic panels.

 

 

 

Soon enough, it all came together! Come take a journey to these fantastic worlds yourself the next time you visit the National Museum of American History. Fantastic Worlds: Science and Fiction, 1780-1910 is open until October 2016.

OEC produced the graphics for Freedom Just Around the Corner, a graphic show in the prestigious Postmaster’s Suite at the National Postal Museum. The 57 graphics included small object labels, reader rails, in-case graphics, and large-scale signage. Freedom Just Around the Corner is the National Postal Museum’s first exhibit “devoted entirely to African American history.”

For OEC, one notable aspect of the graphic production was the use of large sign blank. The sheer size of the graphics required tiling the files and piecing them together. After determining the best way to tile the graphics, the images were printed directly to the sign blank and then assembled into the final image at the National Postal Museum.

This exhibit also offered OEC a chance to work with new equipment. This was the first show that required the use of our new automated mat cutter. Mat cutting previously involved placing the object, marking its corners with pinholes, and then cutting the mat to size using the pinholes as a “connect the dots” frame. With the automated mat cutter, the mat cuts were programmed into an Illustrator file. The file is then uploaded to the mat cutter, which makes precision cuts from the layout provided.

One of the signature images in the exhibition had unique challenges. This graphic, consisting of a reproduced Civil War era photograph and quote, is placed directly on an arch-topped mirror. The first challenge was simply a matter of materials. In general, working on a reflective surface can be an exacting task. Further complicating things, the mirror is a permanent fixture within the Postmaster’s Suite. This meant that the graphic had to be applied on-site, not at OEC. Evan worked around these obstacles by creating a template of the mirror out of Sintra. He used the template to examine the proportions and color of the graphic, and determine how to best apply it to the mirror. After experimenting on the template at OEC, Evan finalized the graphic. This ensured that the application of the graphic would go – literally – smoothly.

Installation did go smoothly, and Freedom Just Around the Corner will remain on display through February 16, 2016.

OEC’s 3D studio isn’t just for model making. We can create original sculptures, too. Sculptor Lora Collins, who is also the 3D Studio supervisor, designed and sculpted the sea lion statues that were recently installed at the National Zoo.

Lora created the sea lion mom and pup using a combination of traditional art techniques and high tech innovations.

First, Lora met with animal keepers Rebecca Sturniolo and Chelsea Grubb at the National Zoo to discuss the project, scout out the location for the statues, and meet her model.

 

Next, Lora sculpted 3-inch-high maquettes to present to the Zoo. The mini-sea lions were placed on scale model replicas of their future rock bases. To accomplish this, Megan Dattoria and Carolyn Thome scanned the rocks at the Zoo, and Chris Hollshwander cut the scale models using the CNC router. By digitally capturing the surface of the rocks and importing that information into the CNC router, OEC ensured that the statues and the bases would fit together like puzzle pieces. The maquettes gave the Zoo a chance to see what the statues would look like, and also how they would be placed on the rocks.

 

To give an even better idea of how the completed statues would look, the maquettes were scanned and the images were placed into a digital model of the Zoo.

 

After the Zoo approved the maquettes, Lora created the full-size sculptures. Carolyn used the scans from the digital model to create a file for the CNC router. This time, Chris used the router to cut out sections of foam to build the internal structure, called armature, of the statues.

 

After assembling the armature, Lora and exhibit designer Kristen Orr covered the foam in roughly half an inch of oil-based clay. While it might seem like this would get the sculpture most of the way to complete, that is not the case. In fact, they aren’t even at the halfway point. Now that the sculptures are larger, there is more room for lifelike detail. And details take a lot of time.

 

What exactly does “lifelike detail” mean? In this case, it means that Lora worked with animal keepers Rebecca and Chelsea to ensure accurate representations of all the things that make sea lions so adorable: chubby cheeks, fat rolls, whiskers, and – in an interesting twist – no eyes.

 

No eyes?

Lora left an open socket instead of inserting an eye, because the shadows created by the socket would look like a sea lion’s inky eye.

 

 

And then of course, they had to add the toenails.

Sea lions have toenails?

 

Sculpting a sea lion’s coat is very time-consuming. Our sea lions are sitting on rocks as if they have just leapt out of the water. Sea lions, while furry, have a sleek, smooth appearance when they emerge from the water. Achieving this level of smoothness takes weeks – yes, weeks – to remove the bumps and imperfections on the surface. So our sea lions got a blowout. Well, not exactly, but Lora and Kristen did use a hair dryer to warm the clay to make it more malleable. They also applied denatured alcohol to smooth it.

After the Zoo approved the life-sized clay models, they were cast in fiberglass. To do this, both clay sea lions had to be split into three sections with brass sheets, or shims.

 

Once the shims were in place, Lora sprayed the clay sculpture with silicone rubber. Then, working in sections, Lora applied several layers of fiberglass and polyester resin on top of the rubber to create a hard shell. She repeated this step for each section of the sculptures. Each section required a full day of work, meaning it took six days to make the molds.

 

When this step is completed, the negative space inside the rubber mold serves as the form for the final fiberglass sculpture.

 

After creating the mold, Lora trimmed away the edges, called flange by sculptors. Then she drilled holes into the mold so that she could bolt the molds shut.

After the mold was completed, the three sections were pulled apart and cleaned for casting. Lora, with help from Megan, Daniel Fielding, and Brad Ruprecht cast the sea lion in vinyl ester resin. Then additional resin and fiberglass were layered into the mold to add thickness and strength. Finally, they bolted together the mold and sealed its seams with fiberglass.

Then they repeated the casting process for the other mold. Each casting took one day.

 

The next day Lora opened the molds and removed the sculptures. After grinding off excess fiberglass and resin, filling in thinner spots, and adding reinforcing layers along the edges and flippers, Lora fiberglassed three stainless steel brackets, custom-made by Chris, into the castings. The brackets allowed for a secure yet non-permanent attachment to the rock.

 

At this point, Lora applied polyester resin fillers as needed, sanded the sculptures smooth, and primed them for painting. Erin Mahoney and Carolyn Thome painted the sea lions with automotive paint and sprayed the finished sculptures with a protective clear coat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, after all of those steps, the sea lions – and a team from OEC – arrived at the Zoo for installation on April 15.

 

 

You can see the new sea lion statues along the American Trail at the National Zoo.

 

 

We love our exhibitions and we want people to come and see them in person. Unfortunately, a trip to Washington just isn’t in the cards for everyone. Luckily, sometimes the Smithsonian is able to come to you. Today, a traveling version of the National Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Human Origins begins a journey to libraries across the United States. (If you can’t visit Exploring Human Origins in person, you can still view the digitized Human Origins 3D collection online.)

At OEC we’re particularly excited about the traveling Exploring Human Origins exhibition. To get this show on the road, our model shop had the remarkable task of making 95 skulls. Additionally, the model shop oversaw the creation of five nylon skulls that were printed off-site from OEC files, and then painted at OEC.

 

In addition to the five skulls used in the exhibition, each of the nineteen hosting libraries will receive copies of the five skulls. OEC is printing those skulls in-house.

The obvious question is: how do you go about making a few dozen skulls?

OEC’s Carolyn Thome, Megan Dattoria, and Erin Mahoney were willing to explain.

 

It all starts with a scan – and then more scans. Scanning is how the model makers gather their data – the density, cracks, seams, ridges – any and all details that need to be copied.

 

Once the data is collected, it’s processed to create a file. That file is used to 3D print the skull.

 

The skull is printed out of gypsum powder. Depending on the final size of the 3D replica, it could be printed in several pieces and assembled later.

 

Gypsum powder is messy, and the completed prints need to be cleaned. Model makers use a vacuum to remove the residue from the skull.

 

Freshly printed skulls (or 3D printed anything for that matter) are very fragile. Infiltrating them with an epoxy makes them more durable. After infiltration, the skull needs 24 hours to dry.

 

Each printed skull needs to be sanded by hand to remove build lines. Build lines are the thin layers that accumulate as the gypsum powder forms the replica.

 

The skulls come out of the printer the color of the gypsum powder. While that’s still amazing – these are 3D printed skulls after all – it’s a bit like looking at a black and white copy of a color photo. The skulls have to be hand-painted to truly look like the original.

 

The final product then gets a clear coat of automotive sealer to protect the paint.

 

 

 

It should be no surprise that OEC is filled with creative and talented people. Our work has helped show off many great works of art. For Artists At Work, not only did we design, edit, and produce the graphics for the exhibition, but we also had a chance to celebrate three of our own artists and the artwork they make on their own time.

Model maker Megan Dattoria, graphics specialist Kate Fleming, and sculptor and model shop supervisor Lora Moran-Collins were among the 56 artists featured in the Smithsonian Community Committee’s fourth juried staff art show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artists At Work is open through May 1, 2015 at the S. Dillon Ripley Center.

 

 

Smithsonian Gardens recently opened The 20^th annual orchid exhibition, Interlocking Science and Beauty, at the National Museum of Natural History. The exhibit explores “where botany, horticulture, and technology connect.”  OEC’s approach to the exhibit components mirrored this interlocking theme.

Staff from Smithsonian Gardens installing a tree behind OEC’s puzzle piece graphic panels.

OEC created detail drawings from Natural History’s design and produced all of the built elements in the exhibition. The team produced the structural components using traditional fabrication methods, but the interlocking puzzle piece panels were machined using the Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) panel router.

Fabrication shared their CNC files with Graphics, so they were able to create graphics that matched the profile of the panels. After the panels were sent to the paint department for finishing, Graphics direct printed the images and text onto the panels using a flatbed printer.

Orchids: Interlocking Science and Beauty will be on display through April 26, 2015 at the National Museum of Natural History.

The Hirshhorn celebrated its 40^th anniversary by renovating the third floor galleries. The first exhibition in the new space, At the Hub of Things: New Views of the Collection brings together pieces from the museum’s collection spanning themes, generations, and media.

A new iteration of Lawrence Weiner’s A Rubber Ball Thrown on the Sea, produced and installed by OEC, graces the curved walls of the space. Kate Fleming, one of the Exhibits Specialists who worked on the project, explained how the seven words in Weiner’s conceptual piece were applied to the gallery wall.

After testing different painting techniques at our facility in Landover, the team decided to use two different vinyl friskets to paint the blue letters with black outlines. (For those of you who don’t work in art or exhibitions, this is your vocabulary word of the day. A frisket is basically a sticky stencil. It is applied directly to a surface, and because it is adhesive, there is no paint bleed underneath the ‘mask’ like you usually have with a regular stencil, even if you are painting on a vertical surface like a gallery wall.)

 

 

The bowed walls of the Hirshhorn created an optical allusion – skewing the way the words appeared as they wrapped around the curves. To combat this issue, the team used a digital level to place the friskets at a 22.5° angle. This precise placement ensured that the words could be viewed the same way from multiple locations in the room.

The first step was to back paint the frisket with the wall color. This helped adhere the frisket to the wall and prevented color bleed. Then the first frisket was used to paint the outline in a highly pigmented, high gloss black paint. (As seen in the letter E above.) To achieve a streak-free lustrous finish the OEC team used a minimum of three coats of black.

A second frisket was cut out and placed over the letters, protecting the edges to create the black border. This time the frisket was back painted with black. Then OEC painted the blue inside the outline. (This is the masking over the letter A above.)

 

After the vinyl was removed, the team made few touch ups to the paint and the finished work was complete. The crisp, clean lines of this piece are on view in the Abram Lerner Room on the third floor of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden.