KC Curiosity Passport -
Paper Birch Landing / New Element Gallery
The Paper Birch Landing / New Element Gallery box is #13 of 26 boxes in this series.
Thanks for joining the fun of The Curiosity Passport! We hope it inspires play and exploration of the KC area. If you haven't already viewed the wacky, wall-full of mini-mosaics, upcycled from used plastic gift cards, at Pawn & Pint & Buttonwood Art Space, these are excellent places to start your journey (not required, but definitely nifty!). Pick up a passport (if you don't already have a logbook) there and follow these clues to find the awesome letterboxes at the locations that inspired those mini-mosaics in real life.
Want to collect all of the Curiosity Passport letterboxes? Check out the KC Curiosity Passport Menu!
After you have asked for this event letterbox & stamped it in your Passport, make sure to record your find on atlasquest.com!
Don't forget to use #KCCuriosityPassport & #CuriosityPassport in your posts!
NOTE: Before you set out you must read and agree to the Waiver of Responsibility and Disclaimer. [from Atlas Quest]
Paper Birch Landing / New Element Gallery: clue link, AtlasQuest link
New Element Gallery (previously, Paper Birch Landing Gallery)
was the first ever Curiosity Passport host site!!!!!
Without Heather Collingsworth's support the Curiosity Passport would not have come to fruition. If you have the opportunity to meet her, please thank her for helping make my dream art/adventure project come true!
This letterbox is now categorized as an "event box." If you see the Curiosity Passport table at an event, simply as the person there for the Paper Birch letterbox & you can stamp it in your passport!
Below, check out some of the work that goes into creating the Curiosity Passport.
Thank you for joining in the fun of the Curiosity Passport!
Interested in bringing The Curiosity Passport to your community? Just email artist Alexis Webb Bechtold, of X37Adventures, at X37Adventures@gmail.com for more information.
The Curiosity Passport is more than just an art installation to be viewed in one location, more than just a scavenger hunt. It is interactive, exciting, exploratory, inspiring, open to all ages, and simply filled with fun! It fuses art with adventure. It encourages participants to join in a scavenger hunt for letterboxes hidden around the metro.
Audiences may start at the wall of eco-art mini-mosaics to find the catalyst of the project. Each mini-mosaic is created by the hands of eco-artist, Alexis Webb Bechtold, from upcycled used plastic gift cards (see the making of one of these unique creations in the video above), and references an awesome location in the area.
While enjoying the mini-mosaics, they may also view two short videos, produced by videographer, Brandon Smith, displayed on tablets that are integrated into the esthetics of the wall display. One video will showcase the behind-the-scenes of creating the entire Curiosity Passport: making the mini-mosaics, letterboxes, and planting (aka hiding) the letterboxes out in the world. The other video will serve as an introduction tutorial to letterboxing.
Letterboxing is like geocaching, but with an art twist. Each letterbox has a clue (usually found online), that leads to a small box in real life. Inside the box is a hand carved rubber stamp, and a logbook. The finders of the letterbox are encouraged to record their find in the box’s logbook by stamping their own signature stamp (usually also hand carved) or a thumbprint, then use the box’s stamp in their personal logbook of finds. The Curiosity Passport letterboxes’ stamps will look similar to the image on the mini-mosaic that led to this box. The clues for the boxes will be in the form of photo clues or video clues. This will lower the barrier to entry for participants. The clues will be accessible through the robust letterboxing community website, .
If participants do not already have a letterboxing logbook, they may purchase one designed exclusively for the Curiosity Passport, preferably at the location of the mini-mosaic wall. The logbooks would be available for $5, printed by www.Scoutbooks.com or a local eco-friendly printer.