IT'S up, up and away at the City Art Centre, which is launching a new exhibition dedicated to outer space.
Space Age: Exploration, Design and Popular Culture examines how the human fascination with space has affected everyday life, popular culture, film, TV and design. It is designed to appeal particularly to children – and perhaps just a few adult sci-fi
fans as well.
Assistant curator Maeve Toal said: "The target audience is children and families but also adults who are really into space.
"There are household items that have been inspired by space, but there are also lots of toys.
"There are robots, Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who and tin toys going back in history – UFOs and flying saucers.
"It also looks at astronomy, with some old astrological tools, a meteorite that you can touch and a real cosmonaut suit."
The touring exhibition has already been a hit at the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood in London.
It includes interactive exhibits and the chance for visitors to raid the dressing up box and kit themselves out as Buzz Lightyear or an astronaut.
Ms Toal added: "It's been great to set up. We had a group of school kids coming in this morning and it was fantastic.
"From the moment they raced to the door they were running around madly looking at all the outfits and all the objects. It's been a real joy working on it."
Also lined up for the City Art Centre's winter programme is Treasured Places, an exhibition dedicated to images of Scotland's favourite places, as voted for by members of the public to mark the centenary of the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historic Monuments of Scotland.
Perhaps surprisingly, the winner in last year's public poll was Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange.
The colliery, now home to the Scottish Mining Museum, beat Glasgow School of Art into second place. Rosslyn Chapel was voted tenth most treasured place in Scotland.
The exhibition features about 190 photographs, paintings and original architects' drawings of favourite Scottish places.
Curator of fine art David Patterson said: "I think everybody was gobsmacked that the Victoria Colliery won.
"I think more people were expecting the Forth Bridge or Callanish, places that have an enduring appeal, but on the other hand, something like the Victoria Colliery dips into Scotland's industrial history.
"I think the exhibition will look a lot more interesting than people might imagine, just because of the variety of things that we've got to show.
"It's just fascinating to see some of the architects' original concepts that have perhaps changed by the time it was built."
The third exhibition of the series, Quick on the Draw, examines how people in all walks of life use drawing as part of their life and work, from architects to zoologists.
Space Age: Exploration, Design and Popular Culture and Quick on the Draw both open tomorrow; Treasured Places opens on October 25 at the City Art Centre in Market Street.
The full article contains 507 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
