RACE – Are We So Different? takes a multidisciplinary approach to a subject that resonates universally among humans. This highly interactive travelling exhibit, developed by the American Anthropology Association in collaboration with the Science Museum of Minnesota, appeals to all ages through a host of thought-provoking, imaginative displays.

“One of the main themes of the exhibit is that race obviously gets people passionate from lots of different perspectives,” explains Richard Conti, the museum’s Chief Wonder Officer. “But what really comes across is that race is a social construct. There’s no science behind race.”

Creative presentations of scientific evidence, historical context and evolving cultural interpretations challenge commonly held assumptions about race, including the validity of the classification itself. A brilliant video displayed at the exhibit’s front entrance features a series of male and female faces that gradually morph into faces with entirely different racial characteristics, illustrating the arbitrary nature of racial distinctions. Historical documents examine the social circumstances under which today’s racial categories first emerged.

Explorations of biases in health care, education and housing reveal obstacles to equality of opportunity, while analyses of census records call into question the purpose of racial classifications. Notebooks, placed throughout the exhibit halls, encourage visitors to share their reactions and their own experiences with regard to race, yielding some of the exhibit’s most illuminating and moving insights. "Providing a scientific perspective on race creates a ‘safe’ place for our guests to engage in the subject," Conti notes.

Bringing local focus to this broad subject, the Science Museum has created a number of companion exhibits. 35 Blocks is a tour of artifacts representing sites significant to Richmond’s considerable racial struggle, covering a 35-block stretch that begins with a blueprint of the racially segregated train station that now houses the Science Museum. Artistic expression of individual identity is found in additional exhibits, such as Through the Generations, African-American Art in the VMFA Collection, Family Portraits: Virginia Indians at the Turn of the 20th Century, and What Do You Stand For, a gallery of paintings by Art180 students.

The exhibit runs through April 29 and is complemented by a series of lectures, panel discussions and events. Visit www.smv.org for more details.