April 9, 2009 —Visitors enter Once Upon a Time… by stepping through a giant book of fairy tales featuring classic illustrations, wherein a child-sized gateway frames a view of the exhibition and banners discussing the origins and importance of fairy tales herald the adventure to come: a themed, interactive exploration of fairy tales from around the world. Pasadena-based Hunt Design, a leading graphic designer for buildings, spaces and places, created the bi-lingual exhibit.
“The new Once Upon a Time… exhibit is so much more than a traditional exhibition. It’s an imaginary world of meandering streams, paths, bridges and an enchanted forest of oversized fairy tale books with stories spilling out of them,” says Jennifer Bressler, principal and project director at Hunt Design. “Interactive destinations within this fantasy world bring these classic tales to life as visitors explore some of the world’s most powerful and enduring tales.”
As visitors wander this world of seven different storybook environments, surprises greet them at every turn: a wolf pops out from underneath some covers, elves hammer away on a pair of shoes, a giant illustrated book provides background to the castle and visitors can climb to the castle balcony and enjoy an overlook of the entire exhibition.
“The graphics and displays actually place visitors inside these incredible stories,” added Wayne Hunt, founding principal of Hunt Design. “As visitors experience the various tales, their knowledge grows and they find themselves living the characters and events.”
Opening in the St. Louis Public Library, the 2,400 sq, ft. exhibit includes hands-on interactive components, video presentations and artifacts of such famed childhood classics as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Jack and the Beanstalk and Thumbelina. Produced and commissioned by Stacy King LLC, the show is presented for an audience of ages 4 and up.
Visuals are available upon request.
Contact:
Todd Hays
TODD Public Relations
626.345.0255
[email protected]