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Curator's Corner by Sue Celestian
The Museum has recently displayed minerals at the Wickenburg Show, Rockfest, Tucson Show, Apache Junction Show, Phoenix Gem & Mineral Show, and the Foothills Public Library. We will be exhibiting for the first time at the White Mountain Gem & Mineral Show in May.
New and upgraded in-house exhibits have been created. Sam Nasser has been dedicated to displaying some of the exceptional specimens that have been hiding in storage, and several beautiful "new" specimens adorn the main exhibit area. The Quartz case, spotlighting specimens from the collection of Ann Baker, has been updated. The Meteorites case has also been expanded and lots of new information has been added. Volcanic Bombs of all shapes are explained in an exhibit created by Stan Celestian. Shirley Cote has nearly finished an exhibit that addresses the Causes of Color in Minerals. And as adjunct, I have written several handouts that expand on information presented in exhibits: Fulgurites, Birthstones, Turquoise, The Sky is Falling, and Petrified Wood.
We have gratefully received several important donations, and these will be catalogued soon. But three deserve special note. With monetary donations received when my father died in May 2004, I purchased a beautiful Spessartine & Smoky Quartz from China. A very recent and exciting discovery of fulgurites in Queen Creek has resulted in the ad
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dition of a fabulous specimen of local origin to the collection. Lastly, remember those 'wonderful' pear wood crystal models in mineralogy class? Well, we have been given 254 of them from an Ohioan, who discovered us when he ran past the Museum in a recent marathon. And they are wonderful!
Arizona Prospectors Association (APA) members have donated many hours of hard work. Saturday, January 29th was a Clean-up Day at the Museum. Literally tons of trash, un-useable wood, rock debris, and other material were hauled off - either to off-site storage or to the dump.
Then on February 19th, the Museum and APA co-hosted Prospectors' Family Day. Other crucial participants included Leaverites, Maricopa Lapidary Society, and Mineralogical Society of Arizona. Visitors poured in - 633 in all! I remember when we were busy if we had 200 attendees?
My last bit of very exciting news is that the Friends of the Mining & Mineral Museum has recently been awarded three grants for Museum projects. Qwest awarded us $5000 to upgrade and re-publish the Teacher Pacs (grade appropriate classroom activities and ideas offered free to teachers). Phelps Dodge Foundation awarded $10,000 toward the Copper Corner (the southwest gallery will be re-designed to present copper minerals, processing, products and related information). And APS Foundation has awarded $3000 to support the Outreach Program.
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