July 9, 2001
Build It!
Interactive Construction for Young People at

Zeum @ Yerba Buena Gardens
Reception, July 13th, 6 – 8pm, features Bryan Berg,
Guinness Book of World Records Holder for "World’s Tallest House of Cards"
and Spike & Jeff’s "Megalopolis 4000"

July 9, 2001 – SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Zeum, San Francisco’s interactive center for youth, presents a true playground of interactive creativity, Build It!, in which young people can explore the mechanics of building. In conjunction with the exhibition, Zeum will also present a special, Build It! workshop series in the Zeum theater (Details at the end of this release). A special reception will be held on July 13th, 6 – 8pm, featuring Bryan Berg – Guinness Book of World Records champion. Berg will demonstrate his technique, exampled by Build It!’s own card-building station.

(Members of the press wishing to attend the July 13th opening, please RSVP to David Perry at (415) 864-6397, or by email to news@davidperry.com).

"In Build It!, we're giving kids an opportunity to get their hands into a wide variety of three-dimensional creations," says Zeum Executive Director David Dial. "Everything in the gallery is designed to help kids dream up and make real stuff. Kids can come here to play, and to get new ideas that they can take into their daily lives."

In Zeum's main gallery, visitors "build it" in a wide variety of ways. Young people will learn to build robots and send them on ‘space missions’; create designs on the Lego Wall; design and fly innovative paper airplanes; construct paddle or sailboats and test them in the patio pool; and build a variety of innovative bridges. In addition, the popular team of ‘Spike and Jeff’ will be in residence at Zeum through Labor Day, overseeing youth participants in their construction / production of "Megalopolis 4000" – the sequel to Zeum’s popular "Megalopolis 3000" sci-fi film trailer and film set pieces. This year, young people can build a mini "take home" version of the "Megalopolis 3000" film set, free with admission to Zeum. Last year’s production of the youth-built "Megalopolis" can be seen on the Zeum website (www.zeum.org) with the previous futuristic set on display at Zeum. Assembly by kids is definitely required for Build It!, an interactive construction site that provides fun for visitors of all ages.

Continuing to delight young people and their families alike in Zeum’s landmark 3-story "Cone" are Hip Hop and Circle Maze -- two brand-new Jam-O-World games built by Bay Area artist Tina Blaine and her students at Carnegie Mellon University. Dubbed "the world's largest video games," Hip Hop and Circle Maze are large-scale, high-tech games that are played by four people at a time and require cooperation, as opposed to competition, to win. Complete with music that is made by the players’ efforts and a giant "robotic rock star rabbit" dancing on the walls of the Zeum "Cone", Hip Hop and Circle Maze have quickly become a popular feature at Zeum's 4th & Howard Street facility.

Build It! Performance Series
through September 3 in the Zeum Theater

Build a play, a dance, a piece of music, an animation, a giant metal Venus flytrap! In conjunction with the exhibit in the main gallery, artists will demonstrate how they create, with interactive performances, presentations, and hands-on workshops in the Zeum Theater. Artists from all genres, including but not limited to sculpture, architecture, dance, film, acrobatics, and other visual and performing arts will be available Wednesdays through Sundays, from 2pm to 3pm, to demonstrate and create for Zeum visitors, with each show followed by Q&A. (Shows are free with Zeum admission).

Build It! Workshop/Performance Series Schedule

NOTE: Each day features either two 1/2 hour or one full-hour show

July 15: Aaron Lazansky,
aka dj spaze crafte one: interactive workshop Build a Rhythm

July 11: Rob Rodgers:
hands-on workshop How to Juggle

July 14, 15: Raquel Coelho:
presentation/Q&A Making Animations Come to Life

July 11, 12, 13: Liss Fain:
performance/workshop How to Build a Modern Dance

July 12, 13, 14: Amy Denio:
performance/workshop How to Make a Vocal Piece

July 18, 19, 20: Seth Maxwell:
workshop How to Make a Comic Book

July 18, 19, 20: Chelsea Eng:
performance/workshop Interactive Tango Workshop

July 25, 26: Alex Potts:
hands-on workshop Create your Own Video Art

July 25, Aug 1, 8: RCH Theater Unlimited:
performance/workshop/Q&A Building Dances for Every Body

July 27, August 3: Lily Cai:
performance/workshop How to Do a Chinese Ribbon Dance

August 2, 5, 9: Kal Spelletich:
hands-on/demonstration/Q&A The Flower (robot sculpture)

August 2, 4, 5: Nancy Gold:
workshop Building a Physical Comedy Character

August 4, 10, 17: Fred Anderson:
performance/Q&A The Building Blocks of Comedy and Juggling

August 8, 9, 10: African-American Shakespeare Company:
interactive performance Shakespeare Rap

August 11 & 12: Adam Savage:
demonstration/Q&A Building Miniature Models for Film and TV

August 15, 16, 22: Erin Merrit/Women's Will:
workshop How to Build a Sonnet

August 18 & 19: Leon Kassapides:
performance/Q&A Greek Shadow Puppet Theater

August 23: Bart Hopkin:
interactive performance of his One-of-a-kind Instruments

August 24, 25 & 26: TBA

August 29, 30, 31: Anafaith Lublin:
performance & audience participation How to Build a Folk Song

September 1, 2, 3: ZaZa Dance Theatre
interactive performance Aerial Dance Construction