VSI Holdings To Produce Grossology Exhibition

Posted on March 18, 1999

VSI Holdings, Inc. has announced it has reached a licensing agreement with Penguin Putnam Inc. for the rights to design worldwide touring and permanent exhibitions based on the series of best-selling Grossology-themed books authored by science teacher Sylvia Branzei. The company expects that Grossology will expand worldwide as it appeals to a variety of venues including science centers, children's museums, theme parks, mall and zoos.

The initial 5,000-square-foot interactive exhibition, titled Grossology: (The Impolite) Science of the Human Body, will premiere at Science World British Columbia in Jan. 2000 and embark on a five-year tour of North American science centers. In addition to hosting the first event, Science World will collaborate with VSIH's entertainment subsidiary Advanced Animations and its touring group Advanced Exhibits on the design, educational content and scientific accuracy of the exhibition. The tour is expected to reach an estimated 4.5 million people.

The exhibition will allow the visitor to enter a 3-D interactive world patterned after the images shown in the book, utilizing sophisticated animatronics and 3-D hands-on interactives to actively engage visitors in games, challenges, role-playing, self-analysis and other activities.

"We're thrilled at the enthusiasm and interest we're receiving from leading museums and science centers around the country even before the property is produced," said Terry Sparks, chief operating officer of Advanced Animations. "While the concept is humorous, there truly is educational value in understanding how and why the body performs certain functions. We utilize 'edutainment' (educational entertainment) to communicate important biological processes to children. Revenue from the project will be generated from a share of ticket sales, merchandise and national sponsorships."

Update: Here's a clip of a Grossology exhibit: