Creating Curiosities at NYC’s Evolution Store and Fabrication Workshop
The shelves of The Evolution Store are stocked with articulated animal skeletons, ancient fossils, mesmerizing minerals, and more curious natural history collectibles! In this live virtual tour, we’ll see some of the most intriguing items from the shop’s inventory, and get a behind-the-scenes look at how these unique products are put together in their incredible Fabrication Department!
Fueled by his curiosity for the natural world, artist and collector Bill Stevens founded The Evolution Store in 1993. It was founded on his own personal collection, amassed over a lifetime of travel and exploration. Today, the store is owned by his daughter Julianna Stevens, and Michael da Cunha, who will be our guides for this experience!
We’ll start in Manhattan at The Evolution Store’s retail location. There you’ll see a massive selection of bones, preserved insects, and taxidermied specimens along with meteorites, colorful bird eggs, and other natural wonders. Next, we’ll take a virtual trip up to New York’s Catskills region for a behind-the-scenes look at the Fabrication Department. In this workshop space, talented artists and scientists are hard at work crafting curiosities. From posing toad skeletons to preparing entomological specimens, these artisans make the dead come to life.
Don't miss this exciting behind-the-scenes look at one of the most curious stores in the nation!
ZOOM!
Julianna Stevens and Michael da Cunha (pronounced "KOON-ya") are the owners of The Evolution Store in New York City. Julianna is the daughter of founder Bill Stevens. After a successful career as a commercial artist, Bill decided to pursue his true passion and established The Evolution Store in 1993 with five boxes of his own personal collection, amassed over his lifetime of traveling and exploration. Julianna was immersed in the operations of the store from an early age, learning how to give customers correct change while standing on a stool behind the cash register at the age of five. Michael, originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, has a background in engineering and is responsible for the many spreadsheets Evolution uses to keep track of its massive and ever-changing inventory. Julianna and Michael are high-school sweethearts and have an eight-year-old son, Dexter.
Once registered, you can access the Zoom room for this experience through your confirmation email or Eventbrite account. Atlas Obscura online experiences are recommended for attendees age 13+.
This Online Experience will be recorded. A temporary link to the recording will be provided in a follow-up email to all ticket holders within 72 hours after the event. Access to this recording will be available for seven days.
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This event is one of Atlas Obscura’s Online Experiences. At Atlas Obscura, our mission has always been to inspire wonder and curiosity about the incredible world we all share. Now, more than ever, there’s a need to stay connected—not only to our sense of wonder, but to each other.
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