Volume 37, Issue 2 spr Ing 2012

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From the PresidentAlthough some of us battled snow and frozen roads to get to the “Engaging Community and Moving Towards

Relevance” workshop, it was well worth the trip. Dr. Candace Tangorra Matelic presented this day-long workshop that drew twenty-three registrants from across the state to explore how we, as museums, can strengthen our community rela-tionships. Participants learned about reframing their activities to make a difference within the community they serve by helping to facilitate positive change, creating meaning in peoples’ lives, and working in partnership with other organi-zations to address challenging issues. Defining community is one of the first steps in working towards engagement and,

according to Candace Matelic, “once you define it, you have a responsibility to serve it.” NMAM wishes to thank those that participated in this spring workshop, and Charles H. Walter, Director of the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science, for hosting our program.

Plans for our 2012 Annual Conference in Albuquerque are well underway. Dates are November 7-10, and the conference theme is “Beyond the Centennial: The Changing Face of Museums in the 21st Century.” In view of New Mexico’s Centennial, we have asked State Historian, Dr. Rick Hendricks, to present the keynote address. The beautiful

Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town will serve as our host hotel with lovely accommodations; elegant dining at Cristobal’s; casual southwestern fare at Café Plazuela and Cantina; and spacious meeting facilities. The call for proposals is out: (see page 2). I want to thank Mary Beth Hermans, Public Programs Manager at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, and Nancy Woodworth, Director of Friends of Tijeras Pueblo, for serving as co-chairs for local arrangements. I am serving as sessions chair and await your proposals.

Happy spring everyone.

— Laurie J. Rufe, NMAM President

Above: The Hotel Albuquerque, on the edge of Old Town,

will host the 2012 NMAM Annual Conference.

Below: Dr. Candace Tangorra Matelic presents a

workshop on “Engaging Community and Moving Towards

Relevance.” Photo by Caroline Brooks.

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NMAM 2012 Annual Conference

Museums are constantly evolving to keep pace with their local and global communities, their interests, and needs. The 2012 Annual Conference Committee seeks sessions that will be infor-mative, relevant, and engaging to a wide audience of professionals and volunteers from museums and cultural organizations. We encourage proposals that look at the changing face of museums and trends in such areas as audience development and engage-ment, technology, sustainability, community partnerships, and emerging best practices. We also encourage sessions that address the practical side of museum practice and serve as opportunities

Call for Session Proposals

Museum of New Mexico Accreditation

American Association of MuseumsGrants State System Its Highest Accreditation Status

The Museum of New Mexico has been re-accredited by the American Association of Museums and granted its highest award. This national accreditation applies to the State Of New Mexico’s Museum system, comprised of 14 state-operated enti-ties under the DCA: the New Mexico History Museum/Palace of the Governors; Museum of International Folk Art; New Mexico Museum of Art; Museum of Indian Arts & Culture; Museum Resources Division; Office of Archaeological Studies; and the Coronado, Ft. Selden, Jemez, Lincoln, El Camino Real, Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner, Fort Stanton, and the Taylor-Barela-Reynolds-Mesilla state monuments.Bonnie Styles, chair of AAM’s Accreditation Commission and

director of the Illinois State Museum, noted that New Mexico state institutions share their prestigious status with renowned organi-zations such as the Smithsonian and the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. “The Museum of New Mexico is one of America’s finest, and an institution of which the people and leaders of New Mexico should be justifiably proud,” she said. “The Commission was particularly impressed with the museum system's statewide educational impact through its multiple facilities, the sharing of resources across the museum system, and the resourceful cross training of staff. The museum also exhibited excellent practices related to public trust and accountability and facilities and risk management.” As one of the 778 accredited museums in the United States, the Museum of New Mexico ranks among the top 4.5 percent of all museums in the nation.Recognized as the highest standard of excellence of the museum

world, AAM accreditation was first achieved by the Museum of New Mexico system in 1976 and has been sustained ever since, even through recent years of economic hardship. Accredited museums can more easily negotiate loans of objects from other museums, particularly internationally; obtain funding from philanthropies and foundations; and win support from local, municipal, and state governments.

The Museum of New Mexico began in 1909 in the Palace of the Governors. Just over a century later, the Department of Cultural Affairs now oversees one of the most well-respected and formidable museum systems in the country. New Mexico’s cultural treasures define a $3.3 billion industry, including nearly 60,000 jobs, $246 million in tax revenue, and a $1.35 billion impact on the tourism industry. Last year alone, 60,000 children visited DCA museums and monuments as part of their school groups; another 650,000 benefitted from DCA-sponsored programs throughout New Mexico. Add in adults, and a total of 1.2 million people visited these museums and monuments and participated in DCA programs. “Our museums and monuments are an important reminder of our state’s rich and diverse history and they provide wonderful educational opportunities to New Mexicans of all ages. I commend these institutions for their hard earned achieve-ment and their exemplary stewardship of public and private support,” said Governor Susana Martinez.Veronica Gonzales, Cabinet Secretary of DCA, emphasized

that achieving this accreditation was a rigorous process, resulting in the standing of New Mexico DCA alongside the most prestigious museum systems in the nation. “Our focus and commitment continue to be on high-quality services and programs, public trust, accountability, stability in operations, and expanding our capacity to creatively respond to opportu-nities and challenges.” Since 1906, the American Association of Museums has been

bringing museums together by developing standards and best practices, gathering and sharing knowledge, and providing advocacy on issues of concern to the entire museum commu-nity. With more than 15,000 individual, 3,000 institutional, and 300 corporate members, AAM is dedicated to ensuring that museums remain a vital part of the American landscape, connecting people with the greatest achievements of the human experience, past, present and future.

--Kate Nelson, New Mexico History Museum

for direct application. Sessions are 75 minutes in length and may be proposed as double sessions.

Please provide the following information when submit-ting a proposal: submitter’s name, title, institution, address, phone, fax, email, session title, session description, session chair, session presenters (name, title, institution), and A/V needs. The call for sessions can also be downloaded on the website (www.nmmuseums.org).

Send all session proposals to Laurie Rufe, Roswell Museum and Art Center, 100 West 11th Street, Roswell, NM 88201; rufe@roswellmuseum.org. Deadline: May 25, 2012.

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Centennial Letters Project

On January 6, the New Mexico History Museum celebrated statehood with a First-Day-of-Issue launch of the Centennial stamp, featuring a painting by Doug West, and of the Centennial Cancellation designed by DCA Creative Director David Rohr. That day, Dr. Frances Levine, director of the New Mexico History Museum, also launched the History Museum’s Centennial Letters Project in an op-ed that appeared in newspa-pers around the state. The project, devised by Levine and Kate Nelson, Marketing Manager at the History Museum, invites New Mexicans to write letters to the museum. “Each of us has a gift to leave for tomorrow’s historians: A written account of our lives today,” wrote Levine. “So all of us at the New Mexico History Museum have a radical proposal: Write us a letter. That’s it. Just a letter. Tell us a bit about what your life in the year 2012 is like. Describe your house, your neighborhood, the businesses you like to visit and why. What games do you play? Where do you go to enjoy the outdoors and what does it look like today? What kind of job do you have and what’s the status of that industry? What do you worry about? What gives you hope? What is it about New Mexico that makes it your home place and heart place?

“Fold it up, put it in an envelope, address it, and then mail it—maybe using one of those beautiful Centennial stamps. We’ll collect them and share them throughout the year but, most impor-tant, we’ll put them into a safe place to spend a few decades gaining perspective. When 2112 rolls around, New Mexico’s historians will delight in the treasure trove you helped create.”

The response has been thrilling: from schoolchildren to the elderly, New Mexicans have committed their thoughts and observations to actual paper and mailed them in. So can you. To see what others have written, follow Kate Nelson’s reports on her blog at http://www.nmhistorymuseum.org/blog/

Beautiful handwritten letters

have fluttered into the New

Mexico History Museum—the

ones at left are from Piñon

Elementary School in Santa Fe.

Typed letters are welcome too!

Send yours to: Centennial Letters

Project, New Mexico History

Museum, 113 Lincoln Avenue,

Santa Fe, NM 87501. Photos by

Kate Nelson.

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From Cavers to Carpenters: A Special Fort Stanton Restoration Project

From Fort Stanton State Monument comes an inspiring story of a cultural property getting a job done in tough times, as a team of volunteers helped repair and restore part of a building, in exchange for use of the facilities.

Beginning in February, and completing the project the end of March, cavers from the Southwest Region (SWR) of the internationally known National Speleological Society (NSS) arrived at Fort Stanton with hammers, saws, drills and a lot of know-how. As part of the SWR’s 50th Anniversary celebration (www.caves.org/region/swr/), several talented volunteers agreed to perform a service project in exchange for use of the cafeteria, other buildings, and the Parade Grounds for meetings, activities, and a banquet at the end of May. Their assignment was to repair the second floor balcony rails and supports on Building 9, which dates back to 1866 when it was first used as a guard house, later changing to the Adjutant’s Office. Major improvements came to the Adjutant’s Office in 1877, and a library was added. Toward the end of the 1890s it metamorphosed into a school reading room, post office and recreation hall. During the 1930s-50s it was also a movie hall. It currently serves as the facility manager’s office and work area.

Historian Lynda Sánchez, a Fort Stanton advocate and NMAM member, says, “I like to call this kind of project ‘saving Fort Stanton one nail, one balustrade at a time.’ Building 9, like many of the 1870s structures needed repair and just plain old TLC. The railing or balustrade along the second story was badly deteriorating and required painting and replacement of balusters and other parts that had totally rotted. Ultimately these volunteers saved the state thousands of dollars because restoration work is very expensive.”

The State Monuments Division furnished the materials for the project and the cavers provided the labor. Reconstruction and wood working experts discussed the process; materials were identified and ordered. Two weekends were planned to complete the project.

The team commuted from Arizona, Albuquerque, Las Cruces, and El Paso. A few of the volunteers live in Lincoln County, and each and every one believes restoring Fort Stanton is a worthy cause.

For more information on this creative partnership, visit www.caves.org/region/swr/, or contact Lynda Sánchez (Public Relations Liaison for the Fort Stanton Cave Study Project), 575-653-4821.

New Mexico’s Small Museums, A Links Series Fort Stanton Museum

Located within the vast and impressive Fort Stanton State Monument in Lincoln County is Fort Stanton’s museum. The museum building was built in 1855 and used as a Barracks, Post Hall and later served as an administration building during the fort’s hospital era. It has been recently restored with a Save America’s Treasure’s grant and state capital outlay monies. An introductory video and exhibits tell Stanton’s history from its military beginnings in 1855, through its service as a tuberculosis hospital for the Merchant Marines, and its use as a CCC camp in the

Depression and as an internment camp for German prisoners and Japanese internees during World War II. The museum is open April through November on Thursday through Saturday 10-4, Sunday 12-4, and Monday 10-4. December through March it is open Saturday 10-4 and Sunday 12-4. For the latest information on tours and special events visit www.fort-stanton.org. A trip to Fort Stanton State Monument is easily combined with a trip to nearby Lincoln State Monument, open seven days a week, 8:30am. to 4:30pm (closed some holidays). For more details, visit nmmonuments.org or call 575-653-4372. The Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner also tells an important piece of the Fort Stanton story; see www.nmmonuments.org or call 575-355-2573.

Above: NMAM member Lynda Sánchez sweeps

while Wayne Walker works on the railing.

Below: Volunteers help to restore Building 9 at

Fort Stanton State Monument. Photos courtesy

of Pete Lindsley.

Building 9, the former Adjutant’s Office, at Fort Stanton, after recent

restoration. Photo courtesy of Pete Lindsley.

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Regional Reports

Southeast Here’s a sampling of what’s going on at NMAM member museums in the southeast region. If your museum isn’t listed here, remember to get your info to me for future newsletters (the next deadline is June 15). Nancy Dunn: Artesia Historical Museum & Art Center, 505 W. Richardson Ave., Artesia 88210; artesiamuseum@artesianm.gov

Roswell Museum and Art Center

(575) 624-6744 (www.roswellmuseum.org)

Roswell-Artist-In-Residence Sarah Bostwick will open an exhibition of her three-dimensional works with a lecture and reception on April 27 at 5:30 pm.

This year’s Slow Art Day event will take place 11:00 am-1:00 pm on April 28. The event is free, but pre-registration is required.

The ever-popular Second Saturday programs for students continue. Upcoming topics: “Painting” on May 12 and “Enameling” on June 9. The programs take place 10 am-noon and are free, but pre-registration is required since space is limited.

Carlsbad Museum and Art Center

575-887-0276. (www.cityofcarlsbadnm.com)

The Carlsbad Area Art Association Membership Show will be on display during the month of March, and the Carlsbad Municipal Schools Annual Art Show will be on display during the month of April.

100 Years of Art in New Mexico will be on display May 5-August 11.

Walker Aviation Museum

575-347-2464 (www.wafbmuseum.org)

The Museum will host a Golf Tournament fund-raiser on May 12, with tee-off at 8:00 am. Check out their website for registration information—it’s a great way to have fun for a great cause!

Western Heritage Museum

575-392-6730 (http://museumshobbsnm.org)

The District-Wide Elementary Student Art Show will be on display May 12-17, and the Community Photography Show will be on display May 20-June 9.

This year’s Festival of Quilts will be on display June 14-July 14.

The Brown Bag Lunch lecture series takes place twice a month—check the Museum’s website calendar for dates and topics—lectures start at 11:30am, and it’s a great chance to learn while you eat!

And finally, two very special Centennial events from the Western Heritage Museum and the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center, working with their community partners:

The Centennial Cattle Drive will take place May 9-12, reenacting a cattle drive of 1912. A herd of longhorn cattle will leave the Pitchfork Ranch in Lea County on May 9, and will end up at the Eddy County Sheriff’s Posse Arena in Carlsbad on May 12 where they will be auctioned off. The public is invited to participate as riders, join in the evening fun on the trail, or celebrate at the End of the Trail Cattle Drive Round-Up Festival on the 12th in Carlsbad. Besides the cattle auction, there will be vendors, children’s activities, a junior rodeo, and lots of food. Singer Michael Martin Murphy will be featured along with other notable entertainers.

The New Mexico Centennial Pony Express Ride will also kick off on May 12 at the End of the Trail Cattle Drive Round-Up Festival. During the month of April, the Carlsbad Museum and Art Center, the Artesia Historical Museum and Art Center, and the Western Heritage Museum (in Hobbs) will serve as “express offices”, collecting mail for a special Pony Express mailing. All Pony Express mail will be collected from the drop-off sites and delivered to the Pony Express Riders on May 12 during the End of the Trail Festival in time for their 14-day ride from Hobbs up to Santa Fe in late May. Each piece of mail will need to have regular USPS postage + a $5 commemorative stamp (that can be purchased at the mail drop-off site), and will be transported the old-fashioned way—by riders!

For more information on both events: http://museumshobbsnm.org under “Events.”

--Nancy Dunn, Southeast Regional RepresentativeAbove: Sarah Bostwick, Awning, 2012, hydrocal, 17" x 23" x 3",

courtesy of the artist. Bostwick’s exhibition opens at the Roswell

Museum and Art Center, April 27, with a lecture by the artist.

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Southwest

The Rift and the River: Geology of Southern New Mexico

The Las Cruces Museum of Natural History presents The Rift and the River: Geology of Southern New Mexico, May 11–July 23. Join us for a trip into the recent geological past as we explore the formation of the Rio Grande Rift and its relationship to the river that runs through our desert home. The exhibition leads you on an exploration of mountains, desert lakes, fiery volcanism, and the arrival of the river. This geological journey is accompanied by rock and mineral specimens formed over the past 36 million years, loaned by Dr. Greg Mack of NMSU. The journey culminates with a display of New Mexico’s glittering geological gifts loaned by local collectors Glenn & Lorena Hales. The Museum is open Monday–Thursday and Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Friday 10am to 8pm and Sunday 1pm to 5pm. Admission is free. The Las Cruces Museum of Natural History is located at 700 S. Telshor Blvd. inside the Mesilla Valley Mall. For more information, call 575-522-3120.

Railroad Days in Las Cruces Celebrates Heritage with Fun

Celebrate Las Cruces’ railroad heritage during the fifth annual Railroad Days at Las Cruces Railroad Museum April 20-21, 10am-4pm each day. All festivities celebrate Las Cruces’ railroading past, present, and future. The Doña Ana Modular Railroad Club will have its model train layouts running and staff will be on hand to answer questions relating to railroading’s rich history. New this year is the

Centennial Caboose, as restoration efforts begin on this historic piece of rolling stock. In addition to the caboose, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad and the Union Pacific Railroad are bringing equipment that will be available for viewing (no rides) on Saturday. All of the railroad’s rolling stock will only be available for viewing from 10am to 4pm on April 21.

Harvey Girl re-enactors from the Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso will be on hand, as will Model A automobiles, a barbershop quartet, vendors and education booths. April 20 is Students’ Day with special tours by appointment for groups and activities for the kids throughout the day.

The Las Cruces Railroad Museum is open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 9am to 4:30pm. The event is free and open to the public. The museum is located at 351 N. Mesilla Street (at Las Cruces Ave.). Phone 575-647-4480 for more information.

Girls Scouts & Bison at the Branigan Cultural Center

100 Years of Girl Scouts, May 4 through June 28, is a celebratory exhibit to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Girl Scouts of America, employing the collections of the Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest, featuring uniforms through the ages, camping, and the true meaning of being a Girl Scout.

The Bison: American Icon, June 22 through August 11, is a National Endowment for the Humanities exhibit exploring the meaning and significance of the iconic bison from the Plains Indian culture of the 1800s through the commercial and national symbol of the present.

The Branigan Cultural Center is located at 501 North Main Street in Las Cruces. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 9am-4:30 pm. Admission is free. Phone 575-541-2152.

—Michael Walczak, Southwest Regional Representative

Photo courtesy of Mike Walczak.

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Northwest Many museums in the region remain busy with new exhibit development, while others are preparing for their season opening or are wrapping up winter collections chores. Following are a few of the area events offered through May; please contact the sponsoring institution for more details.

Aztec Ruins National Monument will offer Full Moon Walks, Pueblo Dance Group, Earth Day Activities, Solar Eclipse Observation, and multiple East Ruin Tours throughout May. 505-334-6140.

On the third Tuesday of each month, the Farmington Museum will present guided tours of Apples to Stars: New Mexico’s Bite at Statehood. Numerous kids’ programs will be offered over Spring Break, while preparations are underway for the 2012 Gateway to Imagination National Juried Art Competition opening on May 12. 505-599-1179.

Aztec Museum and Pioneer Village reopened on April 3rd. Guidebooks for the Aztec Walking Tour may be purchased while visiting the museum. 505-334-9829.

Salmon Ruins Museum offers The Language of Rock Art:

A Collaboration Honoring the Work of Dr. Hugh Chilton Rogers, 1936-2009 through the summer of 2012. Visitors will also be interested to see the new gift shop expansion and new exhibit area as it develops over the coming weeks. 505-632-2013.

There is still plenty to see and do throughout the region if a short drive from Farmington is on your mind. In the Durango area (40 minutes), the Ft. Lewis College Center for Southwest Studies Museum, Durango Arts, and Durango Discovery Museum are available, while the Southern Ute Museum and Cultural Center is open next to the Sky Ute Casino in Ignacio (40 minutes). Chama and Dulce offer the Jicarilla Apache Cultural Center and artsy, fun shops to visit while waiting for your ride on the Cumbres and Toltec Railroad. Utah and Arizona are close by, too: Utah’s Edge of the Cedars State Park & Museum and Anasazi Heritage Center (2½ hours) are well worth the trip. The Diné College Hatathlé Museum in Chinle (1½ hours) makes an excellent addition to a day trip to the Navajo Nation’s Canyon de Chelley. Finally, southwestern Colorado’s Gateway Canyons Automobile Museum (3 hours) and Telluride Historical Museum (3½ hours) both make great day trips worth every beautiful, passing, mountain mile.

—Nancy Sweet Espinosa, Northwest Regional Representative

President Laurie J. RufeDirectorRoswell Museum and Art Center rufe@roswellmuseum.org

First Vice PresidentPatsy Jackson-ChristopherDirectorCarlsbad Museum and Art

Centerpatsy.jackson@cityofcarlsbadnm.com

Second Vice President Caroline BrooksAssistant DirectorRoswell Museum and Art Center brooks@roswellmuseum.org

Treasurer Linda DeckDirectorBradbury Science Museumldeck@lanl.gov

Secretary Melanie LaBorwitMuseum Enrichment

CoordinatorNational Museum of Nuclear

Science and Historymlaborwit@nuclearmuseum.org

Membership OfficerAdrienne T. BoggsEducation CoordinatorFarmington Museum at

Gateway Parkaboggs@fmtn.org

Newsletter EditorCynthia BaughmanManaging Editor, El PalacioCenter for Museum ResourcesNM Department of

Cultural Affairscynthia.baughman@state.nm.us

Mountain-Plains Museums Association RepresentativeDaniel GoodmanCurator of CollectionsEl Rancho de las Golondrinasdaniel.goodman@golondrinas.org

Northwest Regional RepresentativeNancy Sweet EspinosaCurator and Education

CoordinatorSalmon Ruins Museum and

Research Librarysrcuration@msn.com

NMAM Governing Board Northeast Regional RepresentativeLauren AddarioAmeriCorps Cultural

Technology CoordinatorMedia Arts WestNew Mexico Highlands Universitylaurenadd@gmail.com

Southwest Regional RepresentativeMichael WalczakMuseum ManagerLas Cruces Museum of

Natural Historymwalczak@las-cruces.org

Southeast Regional RepresentativeNancy DunnMuseum ManagerArtesia Historical Museum and Art

Centerndunn@artesianm.gov

Past PresidentLouise Stiverstiver@cybermesa.com

Listserve ManagerBonnie VerardoCollections ManagerUniversity of New Mexico Art

Museumbverardo@unm.edu

Website Manager Doug PatinkaWebmasterNM Department of Cultural Affairsdoug.patinka@state.nm.us

AmeriCorps Website InternRianne Trujillortruji89@gmail.com

Education Committee RepresentativeVacant

ArchivistVacant

Annual Meeting, AlbuquerqueLocal Arrangements

Co-Chairs: Mary Beth Hermans, Public Programs Manager at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology, and Nancy Woodworth, Director of Friends of Tijeras Pueblo

Session Chairs: Laurie J. Rufe

Links welcomes submissions and queries from NMAM members. Please contact Links editor Cynthia Baughman at Cynthia.baughman@state.nm.us, phone: 505-476-1146.

Graphic design by Autumn DeHosse