Traveling Exhibit

"All we need…is to set the creative mind to work." --George Washington Carver

THE CREATIVE MIND

THE CREATIVE MIND is a traveling exhibit that celebrates the contributions of African Americans to medicine, mathematics, engineering, and all branches of science. It features the careers and achievements of some of today’s outstanding black scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and medical professionals and highlights the work of notable figures from the past. A “Did You Know?” section brings in additional information about each field, pointing to future career possibilities for creative minds of the next generation. 

The exhibit consists of seven colorful, flexible panels—an introduction and separate panels devoted to medicine, mathematics, engineering, biological sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. Each panel is approximately seven and a half feet high and three feet wide. For shipping, the panels roll up into plastic tubes.

Exhibition on View!

Central Catholic High School, Lawrence, MA, Jan. 30 – Feb. 28, 2023

Covina Public Library, Covina, CA, Feb. 4 – 28, 2023

Florida Polytechnic University, Lakeland, FL, Feb. 1 – 28, 2023

Gaithersburg Activity Center at Bohrer Park, Gaithersburg, MD, Feb. 1 – 28, 2023

Ohlone College, Fremont, CA, Jan. 24 – April 24, 2023

Exhibition History

THE CREATIVE MIND made its debut in 2012 at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia and at the Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences, in Washington, D.C. Since then, it has been exhibited at the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems Information Center, Linthicum Heights, MD; the Madison Science Museum, Madison, WI; the Louisville Free Public Library, Louisville, KY; the Zion-Benton Public Library, Zion, IL; the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Medicine; the Mid-America Science Museum, Hot Springs, AR; the Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ; the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; the Northern Virginia Community College Libraries, Woodbridge, VA; the Family Heritage House Museum, Bradenton, FL; the Summerton Community Center, Summerton, S.C.; Collin College, Frisco, TX; Walsh University, North Canton, OH; Western New Mexico University, Silver City, NM; the Department of Physics, Washington University, Seattle; Buffalo State; the State University of New York, Cortland; the University of Maryland, College Park; the Frontiers of Flight Museum, Dallas, Texas; the Lynn University Library, Boca Raton, FL; the Center for the Humanities and Arts, University of Arkansas, Pulanski Technical College, Little Rock; the African American Museum of Nassau County, Hempstead, NY; the Mesa Community College Library, Mesa, AZ; Shape Up Mississippi, Vicksburg, MS; Nauticus, Norfolk, VA; Southview Middle School, Ankeny, IA; and Harrison Museum of African American Culture, Roanoke, VA.

Exhibition Availability

The exhibition is available for loan beginning on April 3, 2023. It is available for loan to schools, universities, libraries, and other qualified institutions. The standard loan period is three months, but it is negotiable. There is no rental fee for this traveling exhibit, but exhibitors must cover the costs of shipping and insurance. There are fees for loss or damage and for late return.

For more information and to request an application form, contact:

Alana Quinn 
Senior Program Associate
Cultural Programs of the National Academy of Sciences
500 Fifth St., N.W.
Room NAS 121
Washington, D.C. 20001
aquinn@nas.edu (emails are preferred)
Telephone: 202.334.2415