Amazeum sets sweet night in

The Scott Family Amazeum’s first Adult Night of the year will take place online on Feb. 11. The children’s museum in Bentonville has partnered with local chocolatier Markham & Fitz for “an exploration of the sensational, sweet science of chocolate.”

Organizers say the sweet evening will include an in-home tasting kit for four featuring full-sized Markham & Fitz chocolate bars — including a limited edition Valentine’s Day bar — and palate cleansers. “Hosts Lauren Blanco, co-founder and CEO of Markham & Fitz, and Meg Benedetti, Amazeum educator and chocolate connoisseur, guide your sensory exploration of some of the world’s finest chocolate.”

Tickets are $60 and limited. Ticketholders may pick up their tasting kits at locations in Benton and Washington counties.

Paul Stolt, marketing manager, tells me plans are in the works for the museum’s UnGala FUNdraiser set for April 24. The play-clothes attire event for grown-ups promises to be a blended event (virtual and in-person) and include “signature Amazeum-style experiences and the debut of ‘Impulse,’ an interactive art experience consisting of large-scale LED and sound enabled see-saws.”

Impulse will debut for the Un-Gala audience, then be open to the public until the middle of May.

The “Creativity Cubed: Think Outside the Blocks” exhibit, which was curated by the Amazeum’s curatorial team and debuted Jan. 23, “explores the infinite possibilities for imaginative play with a uniform shape. Opening with 16,000 Keva planks and various platforms to build on, ‘Creativity Cubed’ takes the simple act of block building to new heights (and lengths) as a means to explore advanced concepts of physics, engineering, art, math and materials.”

Organizers say block play has been shown to be important in developing fine and gross motor skills, problem solving and creativity, and the exhibit “raises block play to an art form accessible to all ages and abilities.” “Creativity Cubed” will remain in the museum’s Traveling Exhibits Gallery through the summer.

Other offerings at the museum include ongoing Priceless Nights from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays when admission is pay-as-you-wish with donations going to support “accessibility initiatives that support providing access to amazing learning experiences for children of all ages.”

Upcoming programs include Developing a Maker Pedagogy: Textiles virtual event, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 13; Little Tinkers: Lights, Camera, PLAY! for 3- to 6-year-olds, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 13 in the 3M Tinkering Hub at the museum; and Escape Room Builder spring break camp for 6- to 11-year-olds, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. March 22-26.

The museum is open at reduced capacity. To promote physical distancing, the museum opens for two-hour sessions with an hour in between for cleaning. Ticket reservations are required for families to experience the Amazeum’s collection of interactive experiences in science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). “Creativity Cubed: Think Outside the Blocks” is included in admission or membership. For hours and ticket reservation information, visit amazeum.org.

Online

For more photographs from these and other events, go to nwaonline.com/society/photos

At a Glance

Adult Night

Who: Scott Family Amazeum

What: The sweet-filled virtual evening, in partnership with local chocolatier Markham & Fitz, will be “an exploration of the sensational, sweet science of chocolate.”

When: 6-6:45 Feb. 11

Where: Zoom

Next: Ungala, April 24

Information: (479) 696-9280 or amazeum.org

Participants in charity events choose whether or not to remove their masks to be photographed, and the NWADG respects those decisions. We are all doing our best to follow guidelines.

Columnist Carin Schoppmeyer can be reached by email at cschoppmeyer@nwadg.com .