Wayne LaBar, the new executive director of the Powerhouse Science Center, was drawn to the position by the potential of the facility and by Durango’s quality of life.
In 2011, LaBar founded Alchemy Studio, an independent design and development firm, which offered consulting and design services to museums nationally and internationally.
“I missed the sense of community that you get with a museum that serves its local constituents,” LaBar said.
Also, recent work at Alchemy Studio focused on developing and designing maker spaces and programs, where children and families explore and tinker with creating things. One of the most recent program additions at the Powerhouse is the addition of its MakerLab.
LaBar said he was looking for a leadership position in a town with lifestyle benefits, and combined with the museum’s potential and enthusiasm of its staff, he was lured to the Powerhouse.
The site at 1333 Camino del Rio is close to downtown and occupies a historic coal-fired power plant with height and character.
A strategic plan is under development guiding the next three to five years with a goal of enhancing the center’s educational offerings, exhibits and uses for visitors.
Efforts to reach out locally to regional users, especially Native American children, also will be pursued, he said.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better leader to guide the next phase of the Powerhouse Science Center’s development,” Jeff Susor, president of the board of directors, said in a news release. “Wayne brings an incredible level of experience and creativity in designing exhibit spaces and programs that invite community members of all ages into a new relationship with the world around them.”
The Powerhouse hosts parties, weddings and other events, and LaBar said he would likely boost that attribute. “We serve as a community gathering place, and we want to keep that going and expand it. We want to build on the idea that we are more than just a science museum. We’re the community gathering spot for a variety of things.”
He said the museum would offer an ideal venue for Snowdown events.
LaBar has more than 30 years of experience working at museums and science centers, including having been the director of exhibits for five years at the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California, and vice president of exhibitions and theaters for 11 years at the Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey.
LaBar has served for the past four years as the president of the National Association for Museum Exhibition, one of the professional networks of the American Alliance of Museums.
parmijo@durangoherald.com
