DAVID MACAULAY’S "THE WAY WE WORK" ART EXHIBITION OPENS

DAVID MACAULAY’S "THE WAY WE WORK" ART EXHIBITION OPENS AT NATIONAL MUSEUM OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

April 13, 2009, Washington, D.C. – The National Museum of Health and Medicine/AFIP will host a six-month installation of "David Macaulay Presents: The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body," a new exhibition based on of the acclaimed author’s most recent book of the same title. The exhibition was organized by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature of Abilene, Texas and opens on April 20, 2009. Admission is free. NMHM is open to the public and is located on the campus at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"The real beauty of the human body, as it turns out, had little to do with outward appearance. It is displayed in and beneath the skin in a remarkable demonstration of economy and efficiency," said Macaulay in a NCCIL publication about the book. On why he began "The Way We Work": "What began as a simple desire to better understand my own inner workings has become an opportunity to display both my wonder and gratitude."

Over the course of six years, Macaulay delved into the inner workings of the human body, approaching the material with the same vigor to which he previous applied to examinations of architecture and machines. The exhibit takes the visitor on an immersive journey through the human body system-by-system, from the most basic details about cell structure to vivid descriptions of bodily functions. The original artwork will be displayed alongside one-of-a-kind anatomical specimens drawn from the Museum’s collections, so that visitors will be given the opportunity to see in three dimensions that which Macaulay so vividly conveys through his whimsical take on the human body.

"Where else but the nation’s medical museum to display these wonderful works of art?" said Adrianne Noe, Ph.D., Museum director. "Macaulay’s keen eye for detail is evident throughout the exhibition. We hope that the pairing of Macaulay’s sketches with anatomical specimens from our collection will engage the visitor to consider the wonder of the human body."

A series of public programs will be launched to coincide with the temporary exhibition, including a special hands-on program that will be offered on Wednesday mornings (starting in June). Interested parties are encouraged to monitor the Museum’s Events page on their Web site at http://nmhm.washingtondc.museum/events/event_2ed.html, or sign up for the Museum’s free e-newsletter.

The exhibit will close on September 20, 2009.

"The Way We Work: Getting to Know the Amazing Human Body" by David Macaulay (the book) was published in 2008 by Houghton Mifflin, Inc. of New York.

Reservations are not required to visit the Museum. Admission is free and parking is available. Adults seeking to visit the Museum are required to present valid government-issued photo identification to gain entry to Walter Reed, and will be asked to present ID again at the Museum.

For more information, contact Tim Clarke, Jr., the Museum’s Deputy Director for Communications, phone (202) 782-2672, email timothy.clarke@afip.osd.mil.