Mindport - Bellingham, Washington - A Science and Art Museum for All Ages

Mindport Museum and Exhibits is located in Bellingham, Washington at 210 West Holly. The museum is an eclectic mixture of art and interactive exhibits from the worlds of nature, science, art and machinery. It has been compared to the OMSI Museum in Portland Oregon as well as to the Exploratorium in San Francisco. At its roots Mindport is scientific but adds a touch of art.

Mindport specializes in Fine Art and Interactive Art. The Fine Art displays are traditional art pieces while the Interactive Art pieces are to be explored, touched and manipulated by the observer. The founders of Mindport have a deep belief that all forms of art and science have a profound impact on the physical senses as well as the spirit. The museum attempts to bring enjoyment and enlightenment to both realms body and spirit.

The pieces at the Fine Arts gallery at Mindport focus on the interests of the founders as well as pieces that are relevant to the political, social and financial happenings of society as a whole. The art pieces at Mindport attempt to evoke emotion and get the observer to think at a greater level about his or her surroundings. The Fine Arts gallery serves as a forum for discussion and ideas about ideology, philosophy and issues with the hope of broadening the minds of every visitor.

The Interactive Art gallery at Mindport is created mostly by the founders and employees. Occasionally they will invite in regional or other local talent to create pieces or take existing ideas from various artists and add their own Mindport twist to them. The main point of the Interactive Art gallery is to elicit a response that brings about curiosity, fascination, amusement and fun. With each interactive exhibit there is background information about the inspiration of the piece as well as instructions on how to properly use them.

New at Mindport is a library where visitors can check out books on a wide variety of subjects sure to create lasting conversation. The books are not for loan but can be purchased from a bookstore or borrowed from the Bellingham public library. Also within the library is an exhibit by photographer Kevin Jones.

Some of the current exhibits include themes centered on bone structures of natural organisms and creatures, as well as a music and light exhibit called Sonoluce, which displays the hypnotizing power of radiant light.

In the Interactive Art gallery there are primitive music instruments such as a washtub bass that people can use. Other exhibits include a Light-Writer developed for the Santa Fe Children's Museum that is powered by two pendulums and writes and writes green light trails on a phosphorescent screen. There is also an aquatic ecosystem where visitors can feed the inhabitants.

Mindport is open Wednesday through Friday from 12-6, Saturday 10-5 and Sunday 12-4. It is closed Monday and Tuesday. The admission price is $2 per person. Mindport welcomes groups of all ages and requires a reservation. Most of the displays are for adults, young adults and children over the age of 6. Groups are limited to 20 people.