What is it?
A giant, interactive, semi-three-dimensional mural covers several interior walls of the Brandywine Zoo Education Center. Based around the theme of water, the mural transports kids to four different habitats – a tropical rainforest, a wetland, a deciduous forest and the Andes mountains, each displayed in careful detail on a different wall.
How did it happen?
Artist Dan Gotel painted the mural over a five-month period, though the zoo had been discussing and planning a mural for about the past dozen years, said Jill Karlson, curator of education. Painted one habitat at a time, the mural eventually spilled out into the reception area of the building, which now houses a three-dimensional tree and jungle habitat.
What makes it unique?
From floor to ceiling, the mural is a teaching tool, Karlson said. For example, kids can see what a tropical rain forest habitat looks like up close, she said, and removable pieces let educators show the children how the landscape might look after a logger has been through. Even the tiny water droplets on the leaves show how plants in the rain forest have developed specialized drip tips that prevent mold from forming, Karlson said. Dozens of potential lessons can be taught using each of the four walls, she said, from the dangers of invasive species in wetlands to the scope of the Andean Condor’s 10-foot wingspan.
What they’re saying.
“The whole point was really to bring home the lesson of the world we live in, the habitats that are near us and the habitats that are not near us, and how they are all connected,” said Karlson. “Students can feel immersed in it.”
See it for yourself:
The zoo is hosting a meet-the-artist event during the Wilmington Art Loop. On Aug. 7, Dan Gotel will be at the Education Center, which will be open between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m.
