Random Acts of Silliness invites the public to visit the Cabinets of Curiosity. This immersive art experience welcomes visitors into the world of the mysterious Raven’s Eye Society, a fictional club of individuals who collected fantastical and magical objects and displayed them in ornate cabinets. Guests can explore the Story Mansion, interacting with the cabinets, reading about the origins of the collections, and solving a riddle. They may even be inspired to create a collection of their own! 

“Rather than being told to keep their hands to themselves, visitors (we're anticipating over 10,000)  are encouraged to interact with the collections. They are also invited to pretend together that we live in a world where magic exists. That combination of active engagement and shared storytelling is, to me, as close as it gets to true magic.” said Anna Visscher, Chief Shenanigans officer at Random Acts of Silliness.

Cabinets of Curiosity are sometimes referred to as the world’s first museums. They were a real fad starting in the 16th century, when well traveled people would create ornate displays of unusual objects collected on their adventures. In trademark fashion, Random Acts of Silliness has taken this real historical artifact and given it a fantastical, whimsical twist. Rather than real collections, the objects in these cabinets of curiosity were created by talented Montana artists: Amy Ho, Christine Martin, Deva Gallagher, Marla Goodman & David DiGiacomo, Kelly Hartman, Sarah Washko, Kirsten Kainz, and Steve & Cedar Allison-Bunnell.

Artist Marla Goodman loves the opportunity for visitors to engage with art in a new way. “My dream in creating a piece of an immersive community experience like this is to provide a spark of imagination that visitors can play with. If we can induce a smile or a giggle I’m happy. And with a little luck we can surprise, delight, even amaze.” 

The collections will be on display from March 23rd - April 14th at the Story Mansion. Visitor hours are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 1pm - 5pm, and Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9am - 5pm, open until 7 on Saturdays. No reservations are required for the general public but group reservations are available on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday mornings via the RAS website. This installation is best suited for ages 5 - 105. Admission is free.

This installation is presented in partnership with Bozeman Parks and Recreation and the Friends of the Story Mansion. It is free for our community to enjoy thanks to generous support from sponsors Peace Design and an anonymous donor. For more information please visit our website.