ANAT initiated an Australian tour for Peter Richards during 1993.

Peter is the Director of the Arts Program at the San Francisco Exploratorium. The Exploratorium is the international founder of interactive Science Centres, which seek to explain science to a broad public audience through exhibits which can be touched; which usually require the audience’s participation to provide knowledge of the mechanics of natural phenomena.

Some years ago The Exploratorium began to use artists and scientists working together to design their exhibits. They have found it to be a rich collaboration that has allowed whole new perspectives to be brought to the craft of explaining science to audiences at large. With the help of ANAT Chair Linda Cooper, ANAT was able to organise

Peter Richards’ visit to Australia, which was funded by the Exploratorium in order for him to visit the Investigator Centre in Adelaide, and undertake a tour of other cities. ANAT organised Peter Richards to speak with staff at the Australian Museum in Sydney about artists working in science museums. Peter also spoke to a public meeting of approximately thirty artists at Artspace where he showed slide and video tape examples of the work of artists at the Exploratorium.

From Sydney, Peter went to Canberra where he spoke at the National Science and Technology Centre, Questacon to an audience comprised of science museum professionals and artists.

In Adelaide, Peter Richards again addressed an audience of both science interested people and artists with an audience of 45 people at the Investigator Science & Technology Centre.