Have you ever wondered about the weird assemblage of stuff at the entrance to the Museum’s Habitats exhibit? You might have even asked “What would possess museum curators to jumble Mastodon bones, giant clam shells, stuffed birds, and a suit of armor together in the same gallery?” The answer lies not in some scientific theory of evolution, but in our own evolving relationship with nature.

Leonardo’s The Last Supper is one of the most recognizable images in all of Western art history. This depiction of Jesus’ final meal with his twelve disciples has become both a sacred and pop icon, and has been reproduced in many ways throughout the world.

While the Leonardo Da Vinci: Machines in Motion exhibit looks at the “inventor side” of Leonardo, a smaller temporary exhibit on the second floor of the Museum entitled The Last Supper: A West Michigan Perspective, examines his enduring impact as an artist. The exhibit features a variety of “Last Suppers” made in or brought to the region that will surprise, amaze and maybe even amuse you. The biggest is a loom beaded tapestry. With over 1.7 million beads and ten miles of thread, it is thought to be the largest piece of Native American beadwork in the world. An eight foot, wooden hand carving of the Last Supper, made at American Seating’s Church Division for Grand Rapids’ Trinity Lutheran Church is no less spectacular. Other media represented include paint-by numbers, 3-D, and light-up, as well as works on paper, glass and bronze.

You can make your own mark on this exhibit, by helping the Museum complete a 13,224-piece jigsaw puzzle of Leonardo’s The Last Supper. Everyone who helps gets to sign the scroll that will display their names with the completed work in this exhibit. On November 14, local balloonist Tim Thurmond will create a remarkable Last Supper using balloons! Don’t miss it!

- Christian G. Carron, Director of Education Interpretation, and Research

Collection: Transportation
Accession #: 2009.14.1
Source: Gift of the Grand Rapids Police Department

This 1988 Harley-Davidson motorcycle is one of the most impressive recent additions to the Public Museum’s collection. Harley-Davidson has been manufacturing police motorcycles like this model with powerful V-Twin engines, sturdy frames, heavy-duty shocks, and of course sirens and flashing lights, for over 100 years.  In fact, “the first Harley-Davidson police motorcycle was delivered to the Detroit Police Department in 1908.” Grand Rapids put police officers on Harleys by 1917.

Police Motorcycles and Harley-Davidson: A Short History

The 1988 bike’s flashing blue lights guided thousands of visitors into the Memory Diner during the 2008 WHODUNIT! exhibit run.  After the murder mystery exhibit closed, the Public Museum asked the Police Department if they would be willing to turn the temporary loan of the Harley into a permanent gift, as the motorcycle had been such a hit with Museum visitors.  The Police Department agreed, and the rest is, literally, history!

Now, as part of the Public Museum’s Permanent Collection, the Harley-Davidson Police Motorcycle will be accessible to future generations of visitors as a tangible object which tells the story of law enforcement in Grand Rapids.  Motorcycles offer law enforcement personnel numerous advantages over traditional police cars because of their small size, high speed, and excellent maneuverability.  This particular motorcycle was used by the Grand Rapids Police Department for regular law enforcement duties during the 1990s and early 2000s.

Related Items at the Public Museum:
193968 – Motorbike, Indian, c. 1913
124293 – Photograph, Motorcycle Squad, Grand Rapids Police Department, 1917
1983.76.11 – Motorcycle Toy

Collection Tags: police, motorcycle, Grand Rapids, Harley-Davidson, permanent collection, new acquisitions, exhibit, WHODUNIT
- Alex Forist, Associate Curator of Collections

DINOSAURS: Just Imagine! opened February 21 – as we are almost a month into the exhibit run I think it is safe to say that the exhibit is a success! A HUGE Thank You to everyone who has helped spread the word.  If you haven’t been able to make it-don’t worry, there’s still time! The exhibit is open through May 25 with special evening hours March 16-20, April 6-10 and May 4-7.

Exhibit admission is $2 in addition to general admission (Members are free!) If you choose to visit on one of our special DINOSAUR Discovery Nights, sponsored by the GR Jaycees Foundation, you can purchase an all-inclusive pass for Museum admission, a pizza meal, exhibit admission, planetarium show and carousel rides – all for $10! ($5 for Members).

Enjoy!

McKenzie (6) and Isabella (2) of Greenville get up close to a dinosaur during the installation of DINOSAURS: Just Imagine! at The Public Museum. The exhibit opens to the public February 21.

Isabella (2) and her father, Jarrod, watch the installation process for DINOSAURS: Just Imagine! which opens February 21 at The Public Museum.