Explore the creative genius of da Vinci

Building da Vinci; Oct. 1-Nov. 13, on the first floor of the Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Submitted by Arlington Heights Memorial Library

Leonardo lives! We're taking a page from Leonardo da Vinci's famous notebook and bringing one of his most innovative ideas and inventions to life - his ingenious catapult.

No records exist of this more refined catapult actually being built during Leonardo's lifetime, and only a handful of contemporary enthusiasts have attempted to reconstruct it. Local artists and engineers Matthew McKee and Jonathan Boley have conquered the challenge. Visit our custom model for a glimpse into the world of da Vinci.

This exhibit is part of the library's third annual One Book, One Village community read and this year's selection, "The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World's Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley" by Eric Weiner. The book explores why creative genius happened at a certain time and at a certain place and celebrates the creative genius in all of us.

Drop in from 3:30-5 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 2, for "Try It Yourself". Take a turn launching things in the library and try out da Vinci's design for yourself. Launch rubber duckies, marshmallows, Ping-Pong balls, foam pigs, foam light bulbs - the possibilities are endless!

More "Try It Yourself" sessions will be held from 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8; and 6:30-8 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17.

"Meet the Makers" from 2-3 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 8. Come meet the people who created the catapult, ask questions, critique it for yourself and of course, launch things!

For information, visit www.ahml.info/onebook.