SCI to host Midwest premiere of Gunther Von Hagens' BODY WORLDS Vital

For Immediate Release — Tuesday, April 12, 2011

SCIENCE CENTER OF IOWA TO HOST MIDWEST PREMIERE OF
GUNTHER VON HAGENS’ BODY WORLDS VITAL TRAVELING EXHIBITION

DES MOINES, IA: BODY WORLDS Vital presented by Iowa Health System and Kemin Industries, Inc., will open at the Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater (SCI) on May 7, 2011 for a limited engagement. BODY WORLDS Vital is the latest exhibition in the BODY WORLDS saga from physician and anatomist Dr. Gunther von Hagens, focusing on educating visitors about the inner workings of the human body and how to defeat life-threatening diseases through informed choices and lifestyle changes.

BODY WORLDS is the original anatomical exhibition series displaying authentic human bodies, willed by donors through the Institute for Plastination’s Body Donor Program, and preserved using a process called plastination. Invented by Dr. von Hagens, plastination is a groundbreaking process in which real human specimens are preserved through the science of plastination. The specimens resulting from the revolutionary process are called plastinates. Plastinates show the inner workings of the body and the striking whole-body specimens show the human body in real-life poses, like never seen before.

BODY WORLDS Vital makes its Midwest premiere at SCI as only the second venue anywhere to host this extraordinary exhibition. Since 1995, more than 32 million visitors worldwide have experienced the BODY WORLDS exhibitions; Central Iowa will be the smallest market in the U.S. to present this internationally-renowned educational series.

“The BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition paints a vivid picture of the human body in health, distress, and disease through the presentation of full-body plastination,” says SCI President & CEO Dr. Paul Jennings. “Our hope is that this exhibition can provide a platform from which audiences can make better informed lifestyle choices.”

The purpose of BODY WORLDS Vital is to educate Americans on common diseases and preventive care and to encourage them toward living a healthy lifestyle. The exhibition is comprised of whole body plastinates as well as individual organs and translucent body slices that give a complete illustration of how the human body functions.

“There are some recurring diseases that afflict Americans regardless of gender: the obesity pandemic, heart disease and stroke, cancer, diabetes and kidney disease, respiratory disease and Alzheimer’s. The remarkable thing is that people can begin to protect themselves against these diseases by making certain dietary and lifestyle choices,” said von Hagens. “We hope for the message of vitality, fitness and health to be contagious and relayed by visitors to their social networks.”

“Iowa Health is committed to improving the health of our communities. We invested in BODY WORLDS Vital to give Iowans a rare glimpse into how the human body works,” said Eric Crowell, President and CEO of Iowa Health – Des Moines. “We hope this world-class exhibition educates and inspires you to take better care of your family's health.”

"The BODY WORLDS Vital exhibit is a testament to the complexities of the human body and human health,” said Chris Nelson, President of Kemin Industries. “There is still much scientific research and breakthroughs yet to be discovered in the biochemistry of the human body. I hope the exhibit inspires young people to work in bio-science and be part of these amazing future discoveries.”

Supplementary Programming

The Science Center of Iowa will enhance the BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition with a monthly educational and interactive series of events called Healthy Minds, Healthy Bodies. These events are designed to engage the public in the education of health of both the mind and body. SCI will also be open extended hours Thursday and Friday evenings during the run of this exhibition.

Complementary IMAX Film

The Human Body (45-minute documentary film) sponsored by Grand View University and Iowa Health - Des Moines.

The Human Body reveals the incredible story of life with a look at the biological processes in astonishing detail through the use of groundbreaking computer graphics and stunning real-life images. This is the story of what takes place beneath the skin and gives viewers the ability to see the extraordinary accomplishments of our everyday lives.

"In addition, we are proud to present The Human Body at the Science Center of Iowa's Blank IMAX Dome Theater,” says Crowell. “Our mission of healing, caring and teaching is fully demonstrated in this presentation as viewers are taken through an incredible journey through the human body."

Visiting Information

Timed tickets to BODY WORLDS Vital are $19.25 for adults, $13.50 for children ages 2 – 12 and $17.75 for seniors. Estimated visiting time inside the exhibition is 1-2 hours and audio tours will be available to SCI members for $3 and to non-members for $5. Tickets to BODY WORLDS Vital include all-day admission to the Science Center. SCI members receive discounted tickets to the exhibition, and tickets are exclusively on sale to SCI members for 24 hours. Sales open to the public at 10 a.m. Wednesday, April 13.

For more information on the BODY WORLDS Vital exhibition and to purchase tickets, visit www.sciowa.org/bodyworldsvital or call (515) 274-6868.

Previews of BODY WORLDS Vital will be available for members of the media on May 6. Email chris.beck@sciowa.org to make arrangements.

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About BODY WORLDS: Created by Dr. Gunther von Hagens, BODY WORLDS is the culmination of the German scientist and physician’s more than 35-year career in anatomy. More than 32 million people around the world have experienced the BODY WORLDS exhibitions. BODY WORLDS exhibitions are the only exhibitions that rely on an established body donation program. To date, more than 12,000 donors around the world have bequeathed their bodies to Dr. von Hagens’ Institute for Plastination.

About the Science Center of Iowa & Blank IMAX Dome Theater

The Science Center of Iowa is a 110,000-sq. ft facility devoted to lifelong learning, featuring dynamic experience platforms and daily interactive demonstrations with SCI staff for visitors to explore and experiment. By placing the power of learning in the hands of the visitor, the programmatic emphasis is not on "what" to learn, but "how" to learn. SCI also features the 175-seat John Deere Adventure Theater for live performances, the 50-foot domed Star Theater for planetarium shows and the 216-seat Blank IMAX Dome Theater for engaging films. SCI’s Iowa Learning Center cultivates ties to formal education through educational resources for educators and students, the NAEYC-accredited SCI Preschool, as well as a statewide outreach program.