Science and art will come to life when “The Science Behind Pixar” exhibition opens Oct. 15 at the California Science Center. In its West Coast debut, the traveling 12,000-square-foot, hands-on experience will showcase the science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts used by the artists and computer engineers who help bring Pixar Animation Studios’ award-winning films to the big screen.

“Pixar is a very popular brand, so this is a great way to get kids interested in science,” said Diane Perlov, the center’s senior vice president for exhibits. “The message behind this exhibit is not only that animation is an incredible mix of art and science, but to understand how the real world works: how gravity works, how waves move, how animals and people move. That informs how the images are made.”

Attendance at the South L.A. center has risen ever since space shuttle Endeavour landed there in 2012. Foot traffic jumped from 1.8 million the year before to about 2.5 million annually since, according to Perlov. Traveling exhibits such as Pixar’s are another way of attracting visitors.

The exhibition was developed by the Museum of Science, Boston in collaboration with Walt Disney Co.’s Pixar. However, the California Science Center also played a role through the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative, a group of seven science museums whose members jointly provide seed funding for traveling exhibitions.

While the center did not have to pay to host the Pixar exhibition, it has allocated $650,000 to market the attraction.

Tickets for the exhibit, which will run through April, cost between $10 and $15.

– Kristin Marguerite Doidge