The State of Florida Department of State has awarded a $500,000 Cultural Facilities Grant to the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention in Gainesville to build the Creativity Live! labs in the new museum. Named in honor of the late Dr. J. Robert Cade, the lead inventor of Gatorade, the Cade Museum exists to inspire creative thinking, future inventors, and early entrepreneurs.
“We are incredibly excited to receive this grant from the state. It is a highly competitive process that requires an intense amount of work. Our team is grateful that the panel of expert judges recognized the impact The Cade has already made in our community and determined that our new facility in Depot Park is a worthy investment. We are also indebted to the legislators who continue to support and advocate for funding for these types of projects,” said Jennifer Denault, COO for the Cade Museum for Creativity and Invention.
The Cultural Facilities Grant program provides matching grants to support capital projects for cultural facilities in Florida. Each grant is awarded by the Department of State based on the recommendation of the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and funding by the Legislature. This grant will enable the Museum to finish the state-of–the-art Creativity and Fab Labs in the new facility. Classes and camps are currently held in the temporary labs on South Main Street across from the new museum’s future site in Depot Park. Since 2012, over 4500 students ages six and up have participated in Cade Museum curriculum and events. Construction of the new facility is set to be completed in late summer 2017 with a grand opening scheduled for mid-fall. Once open, the new Creativity and Fab Labs will host students of all ages in hands-on STEAM learning in a fun and interactive space that promotes creativity.
The Creativity Lab combines hands-on science teaching modules that demonstrate a result, an invention, with aspects of history, culture, and design. This engages students not just in the what and how, but the why, as well. The Fab Lab introduces students to the latest technologies (3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, coding) that can launch a passion to pursue what was once thought unattainable, while at the same time demonstrating the intrinsic value that comes with knowing how build a simple machine. These classes bring to life the maker-philosophy that has the roll-up-your-sleeves creative work ethic as its founding principle. As a result of the Cultural Facilities Grant, both spaces in the new museum will be filled with state-of-the-art equipment and increased space for expanded enrollment.
The Cade Museum broke ground on the new facility in May 2016. The 21,000 square foot museum will have interactive exhibits, programming, events, rental facilities, a gift shop and opportunities to work alongside successful inventors. To learn more, visit cademuseum.org.
