The National Corvette Museum opened its fully reimagined, 2,500-square-foot dedicated education gallery on April 28. This new space allows the NCM to provide a state-of-the-art educational experience geared directly to the next generation of Corvette enthusiasts, engineers, designers, and more.
“This state-of-the-art education gallery serves as a space to engage families, students, and kids of all ages with standards-based STREAM education, group tours, school field trips, and curriculum-based learning opportunities,” said Brian Baker, Director of Collections & Education for the NCM.
One special feature of the new education gallery is a space called Studio X. When Bill Mitchell became the second head of GM Styling in 1959, he needed a way to step out of the shadow of the legendary Harley Earl. Mitchell found a small room in the basement of the GM Technical Center – a simple, 15’ x 42’ cinderblock room with keys for only one sculptor, a designer, one studio engineer, and Mitchell. This small room – which generated the XP-87 Stingray Racer Special – began a series of private studios known as “Studio X” that continues to this day. The Mako Shark, the Manta Ray, and dozens more of the greatest Corvettes were born in these studios. The spirit of this legendary studio is captured in a small garage within the new gallery. It is used to inspire students of all ages, displaying design and engineering prototypes and serving as a small projection theater to share stories of innovation.
