Steve Gennrich

Steve grew up building skateboard ramps, doodling imaginary landscapes, and challenging teachers with unconventional homework. He earned a BS in mechanical engineering from UW Madison, where he also studied art and printmaking. After a stint working on autos and aerospace materials, he came to the Exploratorium in 1999. Here, he has designed and fabricated exhibits and managed projects that placed science exhibits in institutions around the world. Steve helped establish the Exploratorium’s Science of Skateboarding program and has continued to develop this topic in a series of exhibits and programs. On sabbatical in 2005–06, he worked at Pèndulum leading exhibit development and design for Jardi de les Percepcions, an outdoor exhibit area in Spain. On return to the Exploratorium, he managed a National Science Foundation project to build and study 20 outdoor exhibits at San Francisco’s Fort Mason. He enjoyed this effort so much that he has worked since for the Studio for Public Spaces, leading teams creating social learning environments in public spaces. He especially appreciates the potential of site-specific exhibits to reach a diverse group of people and ignite their interest in the world around them.