The KCCT Unveils Interactive Web Site Highlighting the Culinary Curiosity Exhibition at Kendall College
Online virtual museum features retrospective of nearly 300 culinary, baking and confectionary cooking tools
Chicago—November 4, 2010— The Kendall College Charitable Trust today announced a new, interactive Web site featuring The Culinary Curiosity Exhibition: The Mel and Janet Mickevic Collection—an exhibition of nearly 250 culinary, bakery and confectionery artifacts displayed throughout Kendall College. This unique “virtual museum exhibit” can also be found at www.culinarycuriosity.org.
The collection was donated by Chicago residents Melvin and Janet Mickevic to the Kendall College Charitable Trust. The late Melvin Mickevic, an MIT-educated food scientist and entrepreneur, engineered innovations in food-processing technologies and production methods. His interest in culinary arts led him to collect manually operated devices that represent technical ingenuity.
“Modern food science stands on the shoulders of the technology of the past, and Mel and Janet Mickevic’s hope was that this collection will offer today’s students a unique view into the evolution of problem solving in food processing,” says curator Vicki Matranga. “Artifacts in The Culinary Curiosity Exhibition embody the spirit of inquiry, technical knowledge and innovation that will enable culinary students to apply food science in creating products and services that meet tomorrow’s needs.”
The exhibition includes 12 themed displays throughout the college. The tools in the collection, ranging from agricultural implements and commercial equipment to items used by home cooks over many generations, demonstrate timeless food-preparation tasks that are executed today with modern, yet often strikingly similar, equipment. Displayed in themed sections—such as “Fire and Heat,” “Liquid Refreshments,” “Bakers’ Secrets” and “Farm to Fork”, the exhibition contributes to the learning that occurs wherever students and faculty gather, enhancing Kendall’s unique educational environment.
More than 130 items from the exhibition are featured on the Web site along with descriptions and videos about their manufacture, origin and use, as well as the solutions they provided in the era during which they were employed. A free tour of The Culinary Curiosity Exhibition at Kendall College can be arranged by contacting Patsy Caruso, Executive Director of the Kendall College Charitable Trust, at pcaruso@kendall.edu or 312-752-2352.
About Kendall College Charitable Trust
The Kendall College Charitable Trust is dedicated to providing financial support for students of need at Kendall College. Scholarships are provided to students who have completed their first year of study. The Kendall College Charitable Trust is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation. All donations to the Trust are tax deductible. For more information, visit www.kendallfoundation.org or contact Executive Director Patsy Caruso at pcaruso@kendall.edu or 312-752-2352.
About Kendall College
Kendall College, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2009, offers undergraduate degrees in early childhood education, business, culinary arts and hospitality management. Current enrollment is approximately 2,400 students. The school occupies a stunning “Riverworks” campus near downtown Chicago. Kendall College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), www.ncahlc.org, 312-263-0456. Kendall College is a member of the Laureate International Universities network.
Media Contacts:
Amber Cerda, 312-752-2472, acerda@kendall.edu
Maria Alexandra Velez, 443-627-7112, mvelez@kendall.edu
