New owners of TWOSE body parts recall 'stiff competition amongst us freaks' and explain plans for exhibit pieces

Two Edmontonians have found themselves linked for life through a shared interest in owning an odd piece of the city's history.

Mikelie Johnston and Matt Sherman are the proud new guardians of two of the TELUS World of Science Edmonton's (TWOSE) decommissioned facial features from "The Body Fantastic" exhibition.

The exhibit was the longest-running permanent installation at TWOSE before it was closed in 2019. In October, some of the famous facial features were put up for auction and the nose, ear and tongue all sold for more than $500 each.

And while both Johnston and Sherman were inspired by their shared love of a good bit, the similarities in their motivations for wanting the TWOSE artifacts end there.

THE TONGUE

Mikelie Johnston said sliding on the tongue is a fond memory for many people who visited the TELUS World of Science Edmonton growing up. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton)For Johnston, it was personal.

"I saw that the tongue was for auction and I just knew," Johnston said. "I had a sacred mission; I had to own this tongue."

What started as a funny niche "Edmonton flex" grew to a genuine desire to own something that had touched so many Edmontonians who grew up going to the TWOSE — literally, Johnston said.

"I and so many people I know have such fond memories at the science centre, running around and jumping on this tongue specifically," Johnston said. "It's a really lovely memory, and it's nice to have it preserved because we're going to take very good care of this tongue for a very long time.

"We are the tongue's keepers now and we take our job very seriously."

Johnston owns the tongue with their roommates, with the group pitching in to win the bid at around $550.

"There was stiff competition amongst us freaks who wanted this," Johnston said. "Every bit I put in, there was someone who was right there following up."

"I really did not think that so many people would be interested in such a niche thing. It's been very surprising."

Now, Johnston said the sky's the limit with what they can do with the newest addition to their shared home.

"You can sit on it, you can use it as a table, we put a Christmas tree on it. It just seemed like the most functionally varied," Johnston said, adding that the piece will also feature prominently in future Halloween decorations.

"No offense to Matt with the nose, though. The nose was very good, too."

THE NOSE

Rapid Fire Theatre will be installing its new four-foot-tall nose alongside a pair of equally large glasses and moustache in an homage to Groucho Marx. (Brandon Lynch/CTV News Edmonton) Sherman, artistic director of Rapid Fire Theatre, said the acquisition of the nose was a matter of company business, and the group saw an opportunity when a performer stumbled across the online auction.

"Someone noticed there was a giant nose in the mix, and the Groucho Marx nose and glasses has been a part – a big part – of our iconography at Rapid Fire for, like, the last four decades or so," Sherman said.

"Our teen high school improv tournament is actually called the 'Nose Bowl,' so it was perfect."

Sherman said performers offered to pitch in and pool their resources to make a bid, celebrating together when the auction closed and the theatre became the official new owner of a $500 four-foot-tall nose.

The olfactory organ will be getting a pair of giant glasses and a large moustache to match and the trio will feature prominently in the Rapid Fire Theatre's new lobby, he said, in part because the giant appendage wouldn't fit anywhere else.

"There's only so many places a four-foot nose can go," Sherman said. "In fact, we know that we haven't been able to fit it through some of the doors in this building, so it basically has to go in our lobby."

The public can visit the nose when the Rapid Fire Theatre opens in its new Old Strathcona location in the spring.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Brandon Lynch