Discovery Playhouse celebrates new exhibits

Three new features -- a child-sized house, refurbished dental office and farm mural -- were unveiled Tuesday at Discovery Playhouse.

Donated in May, the two-story house, which Realty Executives is pretending to sell, is large enough for small children to roam through and features miniature appliances and a miniature kitchen, bathroom and furniture.

About 40 people attended; ribbons also were cut on the dental office, which sports a chandelier made from toothbrushes, dental information, a dental chair and educational video about a child's first dentist visit; and a mural by Rosetta Whitten of Cateye Glasses Art Studio, featuring magnetized fruits and vegetables for children to harvest or plant.

"The new additions are really great. They're going to open up more opportunity for the kids to play and have fun," executive director Pansy Glenn said.

John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce, said the ever-changing nature of Discovery Playhouse is "awesome" and gives people around the region more reasons to return and see what's new.

An 18-by-11-foot exhibit space also is available for someone who would like to host an exhibit -- the last space available on the first floor, Glenn said.

The upstairs part of the building at 502 Broadway is the future site of more displays. Glenn said the museum is having heating and air-conditioning systems installed there.

" ... We have a couple of ideas of what we want to go up there. We don't have anything secured. We will be contacting companies and people throughout the region [to] try to get sponsorships for exhibits there," Glenn said.

The playhouse has been granted $242,866 in Neighborhood Assistance Program credits from the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

NAP helps not-for-profit organizations raise private-sector funds by providing partial state tax credits to businesses that make contributions to approved community improvement projects, Amy Susan, director of marketing and communications, said in an email.

So far, 25 percent of the museum's credits have been sold since the beginning of the year, and it has through December 2015 to sell them all.

Examples of those who may buy the credits are corporations, limited liability corporations, partnerships and small businesses, individual partners in a partnership or shareholder in an S corporation.

"By purchasing our NAP credits, we can keep our hard-earned tax dollars in our community," Glenn said.

rcampbell@semissourian.com

388-3639