Meanwhile... at the Museum

Chef Meagan Aylward, Manager of the Cr(eat)e Culinary Studio Featuring the Kroger Food Lab

The Cr(eat)e Culinary Studio Featuring the Kroger Food Lab is a space that brings together some of our favorite things about Museum Center - science, history, culture, community - through food. People of all ages and abilities can learn how to cook some awesome dishes, as well as the science of how and why they work and the history and culture behind them. Leading many of these programs is Chef Megan Aylward. In this episode, we'll chat with Chef Megan about some of her favorite recipes, ingredients and kitchen tools, as well as how she's making the jump from chef to teacher. 

Barbie: A Cultural Icon Exhibition Producer Tim Clothier, Illusion Projects, Inc.

In Barbie: A Cultural Icon, you can explore over 65 years of toys, fashion, and culture through the lens of the best selling doll of all time, Barbie. Today, we're talking to the man who made it happen, Exhibition Producer Tim Clothier. Tim is the founder of Illusion Projects Inc., an exhibition and theatrical fabrication company operating out of Las Vegas. We'll dig into what the exhibition is all about, how it came together and what it's like to take the original Barbie through airport security. Don't miss Barbie: A Cultural Icon, open April 4 - September 1, 2025 at Cincinnati Museum Center.  https://www.cincymuseum.org/barbie/

Meteorologist Cam Hardin of WCPO

Cam Hardin is many things, including an Applebee's superfan, deviled eggs connoisseur and Mountain Dew sommelier. But he's also a meteorologist, or a scientist who studies weather. You may recognize him as a TV weatherman at WCPO in Cincinnati. We'll dig into what it's like to be a meteorologist, Cam's varied culinary curiosities and his experiences bringing his kids here to Cincinnati Museum Center.

Scott Schuster, Vice President, Philanthropy at Cincinnati Museum Center

As a nonprofit institution, our mission and our goals would not be possible without our generous donors. But finding those donors, helping them to see how their money can make an impact and managing those relationships takes the work of a whole team of people. That's why we have a Philanthropy team here at CMC. The leader of that team is our VP of Philanthropy, Scott Schuster. In this episode, we talk to Scott about the work of philanthropy and insights he's learned in a career focused on fundraising for educational institutions. 

Lt. Commander Monica Borza, Former Blue Angels Flight Surgeon

The Blue Angels are the U.S. Navy's incredible flight demonstration team, and right now their Super Hornet jets are roaring across our OMNIMAX screen at Cincinnati Museum Center. The skills of the pilots are incredible, but it takes a whole team to put on the shows, to do them safely and to keep the pilots in top physical form. As the flight surgeon, Lt. Commander Dr. Monica Borza was the ground safety coordinator and doctor for the Blue Angels. Lt. Commander Borza joined us from San Diego to chat about her time with the Blue Angels and her role in the film. 

Talking Julia Child with Todd Schulkin, Executive Director of the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts

Julia Child is an icon of American cooking. With her cookbook "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and her TV show "The French Chef," Julia made French cooking accessible to millions. In our latest featured exhibition, "Julia Child: A Recipe For Life" you can explore the life of Julia Child, from her time in the OSS during World War II to her star turn on TV and beyond. Today, we're talking to Todd Schulkin, the Executive Director of the Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts. We'll talk all things Julia, but also dig into Todd's background and his work with the Foundation.

Dave Duszynski, Vice President of Featured Experiences

Dave Duszynski has been part of our organization since before it was Cincinnati Museum Center. While he originally worked at the planetarium in the Museum of Natural History & Science's old Gilbert Avenue location, has been in charge of our OMNIMAX theater since it opened in 1990. He's also been a key player in bringing in our Featured Exhibitions like Pompeii, Maya and Bricktionary. We'll dig into how Dave's fascination with astronomy as a child led to a degree in astrophysics and eventually a distinguished career at Cincinnati Museum Center, as well as some of his favorite OMNIMAX films and exhibits.

T. REX Writer, Director and Producer Andy Wood

Our latest OMNIMAX film features one of the biggest stars to ever grace our domed screen - Tyrannosaurus Rex! We sat down with Andy Wood, the writer, producer, and co-director of T. REX to talk about the process of making a movie this big, what it takes to get dinosaurs into the movie, and what it was like to be there with cameras rolling as the dinosaur bones that had been discovered by three young boys in North Dakota turned out to be a T. rex! 

Dan Hurley, Author and Public Historian

Dan Hurley has been a public historian in Cincinnati for a long time. You may have seen him on TV, heard him on the radio or read his essays in local newspapers. He also worked in our History Library and Archives for years. Now, in his new book Four Cincinnatis and Other Essays, Dan has collected 88 of his essays written over the last 25 years that explore Cincinnati's history from a wide variety of angles and topics. We sat down with Dan to discuss his personal history, his new book and the work of a historian. 
 
Make sure to keep an eye out for Four Cincinnatis and Other Essays, available in our CMC gift shop and on Amazon. Proceeds from the sale of the book go to our History Library and Archives!

Santa Claus, Legendary Holiday Figure

Every year from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve, you can visit with Santa Claus here at Cincinnati Museum Center. So for Christmas this year, we asked Santa himself to come be on the podcast. We'll get the inside scoop on Santa's cookie and milk preferences, how to end up on the naughty or nice list, and why he comes back to CMC year after year.