In the Heart of the Home was organized by the Bay Area Discovery Museum in Sausalito, California. Jill Vexler, the curator, and I, the developer and designer, were brought in by the Director, Diane Frankel, to work with the staff. Our goal was to produce an interactive exhibition for children that would give them an appreciation of different ethics groups through the preparation of food.

As you enter the exhibition you are invited to take a passport and in a video are introduced to three children who are dressed in ethnic costumes who invite you to their respective countries, Thailand, Greece and Mexico. We created three environments in the architectural style of the respective countries. Everything was hands-on. At each home your video guide greeted you and you could stamp your passport before you entered. Once inside you could pretend to prepare food, use utensils from the country, dress up, and meet real teenagers who would tell how things are done in each country.

At the end of the exhibition there were several interactive activities. In one visitors could find out the names of foods in different languages. This exhibtion attracted older children who were hightly engaged for long periods of time.