Party at the Piers: Emergence

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Spring after unstoppable spring, nature unfurls new seasons of growth. Year after resilient year since 1969, the Exploratorium has germinated the seeds of inquiry and critical thinking in people everywhere. 

Science education has never been more vital, and our mission, purpose, and values grow stronger than ever. Let’s celebrate joyful lifelong learning together!

On May 7, our annual gala fundraiser will again inspire your curiosity and sense of wonder. Party at the Piers: Emergence will delight and surprise you, while raising crucial support to sustain the Exploratorium during our prolonged closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Program Highlights

You are sitting here with us,
but you are also out walking in a field at dawn
a world premiere from artist collective Facing West Shadows

Discover the fascinating lives of non-human species in the Bay Area. Merging shadow puppetry with silhouette and shadow animation, You are sitting here with us… traverses familiar urban landscapes to witness the interconnected ecosystems—often unobserved—that we live amongst. Facing West Shadows (artistic director Lydia Greer, theatrical director Caryl Kientz) is a collective of artists, puppeteers, filmmakers, and musicians hybridizing art forms to create magical acts of rebellion as experimental art. 

Supporting Our Teachers Statewide
with Jessica Parker, Director of Teaching and Learning

This past year has been an unprecedented time in K-12 education. As we renew our commitment to educators during the Exploratorium’s re-emergence, hear from Director of Teaching and Learning Jessica Parker how educators across California have relied upon us—for original COVID-19 science resources, networks of support, our focus on equity and anti-racism, and more—to help them get through it. Plus meet Eric Cross and Steffany Ellis, two amazing educators in our K-12 Science Leader Network. 

Learning and Sharing with Partners Worldwide
with Anne Richardson, PhD, Director of Global Collaborations

Through the Exploratorium’s Global Collaborations group, we share our deep knowledge of exhibit making, program creation, and professional development with partner organizations around the world. Like science itself, our work is vital, complex, and variegated, with rich and sometimes unexpected results. Hear about three of our projects: Middle Ground in San Francisco; the Kiewit Luminarium in Omaha (opens spring 2023); and SESI Lab in Brasilia (opens spring 2022).

Levels of Support

Your generous table and ticket purchases support our nonprofit mission to transform learning worldwide. Together, we’ll cultivate the Exploratorium’s resilient new season of growth. 

$25,000 Table (Sold out)

$15,000 Table (Sold out)

$5,000 Ticket (Sold out)

$750 Ticket (Sold out)

$200 Ticket (limited availability)

• Access to event livestream
• Exclusive event-themed gift

$40 Ticket

• Access to event livestream

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Questions?

Please email gala@exploratorium.edu or call Akemi Yamaguchi at (415) 528-4402.

The Exploratorium is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Our tax ID #: 94-1696494

Engage your brand

Consider activating your brand at this celebration. Email Estelle Davis for information on sponsorship and other marketing opportunities at Party at the Piers.

Thank you to all Party at the Piers: Emergence supporters

Media Partners

San Francisco Chronicle | SFGate | San Francisco Magazine

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