By Omoro Collins
Recently, the Flint Sloan Museum of Science and Discovery revealed its Real Bodies Exhibition to a large crowd of organization members and healthcare professionals, as well as their families. Traveling from across Genesee County, they flocked to the museum’s Fun Gallery to be amazed
by the “thought provoking exhibition on human anatomy” and celebrate the official opening of
the 6000 square foot exhibition hall.
Constructing Real Bodies only required three weeks for Sloan’s experienced crew of technicians to complete. But the idea of hosting that public display was contrived nearly a decade ago according to Anne Mancour, marketing manager.
“The person who brought this was Director Todd Slisher our executive director” explained Mancour. “He has been wanting to bring this to the Sloan for about eight years, but the old Sloan building wasn’t large enough.”
Slisher continued to pursue the deal, recognizing the importance of bringing such an international exhibition to the new facility themed around science and discovery. Then, in 2020, with renovations underway at Sloan, Georgia based Imagine Exhibition invited the museum to present Bodies for the first time ever in Mid-Michigan.
And it was the pride of those accomplishments that staff members and visitors alike carried with them throughout the media preview event.
“I think it really elevates the museum to a different status” stated Mancour. “To showcase science in a way that maybe people who never knew they were interested in science can now relate to it.”
Speaking on behalf of the technicians, Mancour believes the crew has a “sense of pride of being
able to put something like this on for the region” and calls them the “true heroes” of the exhibits.
“It’s become a destination for people who are out of county to come here and spend the day in
the Flint Cultural Center!” beamed area resident Sarah Watson.
“There’s just a lot to see and do…” Watson added.
Watson is also a marketing strategist for one of Sloan’s advertising partners Spectrum Reach and was joined by her son Mitchell Kaplan, who echoed her opinions.
Local Pediatrician Dr. Susumu Inoue MD– Hurley Medical Center, was excited to bring his granddaughters to the opening and praised the new space and exhibition saying, “They really got it right.”
“I believe they are making a lot of progress, especially with this exhibit” said visitor Michelle Buzzell, who attended the event with her whole family.
“It’s going to bring a lot of people through the doors and hopefully bring more money into Flint” Buzzell went on to say about the impact of Bodies towards the growth of Sloan.
Although not a huge fan of science, Buzzell’s curiosity in the study of human structure stems from caring for her child who has type 1 diabetes.
“When my son got sick, that got me into learning more about the human body and what happens when certain things die in your body and cause you to be diabetic,” Buzzell explained.
All the attendees commented on the importance of experiencing Bodies, including Mancour, who said, “For me personally….it was the first time I really understood my own body” adding that on a “deeper meaning” the exhibition also shows “how we’re all the same.”
Dr. Inoue pointed out: “Anatomy is very important for everybody to know because that tells you how the body functions. And by looking at what anatomy really is, one may be able to understand what kind of disease occurs in what areas.”
Kaplan, a science enthusiast and recent graduate of Fenton High School, feels that “Anybody with even a baseline interest in the human body and how it works should absolutely give a look at Bodies.”
“It’s probably something that everyone should see” Kaplan suggested further.
He continued by saying that “having more hands-on stuff” like Bodies will inspire other youth to gain an interest in science.
“It’s just really cool to see the vascularity system, the lungs, the brain, in front of you in 3D, instead of only seeing it in a textbook,” Kaplan expounded. “I feel like it’s a great conversation starter and kind of humbling to see the human body exposed in that kind of way. It’s very educational and respectful at the same time.”
Real Bodies, which will run until January 2024, is expected to draw thousands of visitors from as far away as Canada and beyond. The museum will also incorporate the exhibition into its summer camps and outreach programs for classrooms in the fall. Additionally, University of Michigan – Flint nursing students will be welcomed into the space to answer the more medical-oriented questions as part of their curriculum.
More information about Real Bodies can be found on the Sloan Museum of Science and Discovery website at https://sloanlongway.org/real-bodies/.
