Journey into your Imagination at IX Art Park
IX Art Park does not look like a regular park or an art museum. In fact, it’s a repurposed warehouse. The front of the building itself has a concrete patio that was formerly a loading dock.
Currently, local artists use the space to create their artwork, which is on display for the public to view and enjoy. Therefore, instead of a loading dock and a warehouse, there are a series of photographs of wild animals hung above the concrete patio, and the patio is a painted mosaic. The patio can be crowded with toddlers on riding toys with parents following close behind them, clutching their coffee mugs.
The current art exhibit is The Looking Glass, “a sensory journey into the imagination,” according to the information card at the entrance of the exhibit. The exhibit is a series of five rooms with different moods.
The beginning of the exhibit is behind a door marked “cleaning closet.” Inside, the mood immediately changes. The walls are covered with fake moss, paper mache, and repurposed materials, all to create forest animals. IX Art Park website describes the scene as, “This enchanted forest. . .” Guests are encouraged to use the swings and throne to further immerse themselves in the enchanted forest.
There is a dark tunnel that runs adjacent to the rainforest exhibit. The tunnel is lit on the inside with flashing neon lights and draws guests into the next room. Here, visitors find several blacklights that highlight neon mazes that are drawn from ceiling to floor. There is one portable laser that you can use to follow the mazes to the finish line.
The next center is a group of five life size human figures. As the figures move, different tones and sounds are created. The figures give way to an eccentric troll house inside a forest.
The troll house is a great place for children to interact. The floor is padded and gives a feeling of walking through a forest. The small bed, the miniature kitchen utensils, and the little rocking chairs create a whimsical environment that even adults can enjoy.
The final step is to walk through a light wall which can be manipulated by your arms and body. There are three comfortable chairs placed underneath crepe paper hung from the ceiling. The placement of the chairs allows guests to enjoy the light show on the wall.
The exhibit is whimsical and guests can appreciate the vast amount of work that went into creating the space. The five rooms are quite different and create a sensory journey, the price is $15/ adult and $12/ child.
The exhibit is available Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. at IX Art Park, 522 2nd St. SE.
