Forever Glacier 360: Introduction Part 1
It all begins with an idea. The spark to begin the ambitious “Forever Glacier 360” video project came from artist Nancy Dunlop Cawdrey (my mom), who around 2015 conceptualized a legacy art exhibition that could travel the country, and maybe the world. Her paintings would feature all the major mammals of Glacier National Park, and many of the tiny ones too. The goal of the project was to help remind visitors, particularly young people, to take ownership and stewardship of their national parks, and inspire creativity in their own lives. We would use colorful art, educational elements, and Blackfeet legends to tell that story. Above all, we would honor the park and its stewards, inhabitants, and history.
The author with his wife in Glacier
Having grown up with GNP in my backyard, I was inspired and excited by the prospect of sharing one of my favorite places in the world with people all over the country in a museum setting. I have hiked, biked, floated and driven through hundreds of miles of the park, and there are still many places I haven’t been. I took lead on building the educational elements. I thought about my own favorite art and educational exhibitions (Monterey Aquarium, Philadelphia Zoo, the Guggenheim, the MOMA in New York, the San Diego Zoo) and visited them when possible, taking copious photos and notes. It was fun research.
My own goal was to exceed exhibition visitors’ expectations, and to do that we would employ four of the five main senses to transport them into the park—sights, sounds, touch and smell. Some were simple; we could use replica animal pelts and skulls for people to touch, an aromatic diffuser of sub-alpine fir scent for smell, but how could we enhance the sight and sound experience? I had a feeling this might be a big project, and I was excited about the possibilities.
Panoramic view of the Loop on the Going to the Sun Road
In 2017, 360-degree video technology and the corresponding “VR” headsets to play the recorded video on had advanced and lowered in price enough to make it feasible to incorporate them into the exhibit. What better way to put visitors IN THE PARK than to provide a 2-4 minute, 180-degree recorded experience of each of the four main habitats of the exhibit (Alpine Meadow, Old Growth Forest, Prairie and Grasslands, and River Bottom)?
SIDE NOTE: VR stands for virtual reality, which implies that visuals are computer-generated. Since we are working with recorded video, I always try to use the term “360 video” rather than VR to be accurate, though they are often used interchangeably.
CONTINUED IN INTRODUCTION PART 2!