Two Special Exhibitions Opening at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery this Fall

Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity and The Bias Inside Us to Create
Community Conversation

Did you know that about 16% of a human’s body weight is made up of skin? In many organisms, skin is the largest organ. Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity, will be on display at Fort Collins Museum of Discovery starting October 12^th until January 26^th, 2025. The exhibit, presented in English and Spanish, invites you to learn about skin across the animal kingdom and its impact on shaping physical and social interactions with the world around us. Featuring a range of engaging experiences, visitors will explore the shape-shifting, color-changing, and adaptable nature of skin and the technological innovations it inspires. Visitors to Skin will explore a variety of skin across the animal kingdom: you’ll see a life-size rhinoceros model that shows the largeness of its skin; examine keratin-based feathers, furs, and quills; and touch different specimens, like snakeskin and otter fur.

“This exhibit walks us through the fascinating biology and adaptability of skin and then shifts frame to the social and cultural implications of race and bias,” said FCMoD Co-Executive Director, Shannon Quist. “It partners perfectly with The Bias Inside Us which is a traveling Smithsonian exhibit opening on Nov 27^th at the museum and running concurrently with Skin through December 31^st. So, we’ll have two powerful and highly engaging special exhibitions running through the remainder of the year.”

On November 27th, The Bias Inside Us will take its place alongside Skin, exploring how the human mind’s chemistry can lead us to a place of inherent bias. This community engagement project from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) will raise awareness about the social science and psychology of implicit bias, the impact of this bias, and what people can do about it. During the run of exhibitions, FCMoD will be offering a Tuesday Night Live series of events on a Pay-What-You-Can model to create access for all.

“The Tuesday Night Live series is where we really get to highlight the work of our community partners,” said Quist. “From poetry workshops to panels on neurodiversity and even an Owl walk, we’ve got some amazing engagements for people to connect with this fall and winter.”

To learn more about both these exhibits and the Tuesday Night Live series, please visit: https://fcmod.org/skin-bias/

The Bias Inside Us is brought to you in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES).

Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity was created by the California Academy of Sciences, modified for travel, and distributed by the Science Museum of Minnesota.

Both of these exhibits are free for members and included in the price of daily admission.