February 2012
At the Museum
See also: Southwest Art Scene
History Lessons
Menu of this month's listings, stories and columns
Centennial Museum — University at Wiggins, UTEP. Changing exhibits are on the second floor, Lea and Discovery Galleries. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4:30 Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. Information: 747-5565 or museum.utep.edu.
Showing Jan. 31-May 5: “Raramuri, The Foot Runners of the Sierra Madre,” photography by local artist Diana Molina. The Raramuri are an indigenous people of Chihuahua, who have become world-renown for their prowess as ultra-distance runners. Based on Molina’s nearly three decades of collaboration with the Raramuri, the exhibition examines their culture of running and includes 33 examples of Molina’s photography as well as Raramuri artifacts. Public reception is 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9.
Continuing exhibits are on the third floor of the Centennial and include archaeology, ethnology and paleontology of the Southwest. Around the museum building, the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens exhibit has more than 600 species of desert plants emphasizing the beauty and utility of Southwestern water-conserving native plants in landscaping. The gardens are open daily from daylight to dusk.
El Paso Holocaust Museum and Study Center — 715 N. Oregon. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed Monday. Admission is free. Information: 351-0048 or elpasoholocaustmuseum.org.
The El Paso museum depicts Jewish life in Europe before World War II, Hitler’s rise to power, the expulsion of Jews into ghettoes, life in concentration camps, prisoner resistance to the Nazis and liberation of the camps. Also featured is a local survivors exhibit. Docents available for guided tours.
Showing Feb. 7-March 30: “A Child Survivor’s Legacy” sculptural exhibit by Holocaust survivor Maria Jutasi Coleman. Coleman, 76, never spoke about her experiences until recently, when she enrolled in an art class at Cochise College in Arizona and, suddenly found decades of repressed memories and emotions manifested through her art. The result is a powerful collection of sculptures and tiles (bas relief), sometimes child-like in nature, sometimes gruesome, but always truthful and bold. Opening reception is 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 7; the artist will be present.
The EPHM Book Club’s theme for 2012 us “Life After the Holocaust.” The first discussion will feature “Day after Night” by Anita Diamant at 11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 26, moderated by Dr. Ezra Cappell, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Inter-American Jewish Studies Program at UTEP. Reservations are encouraged by Feb. 22; refreshments served.
El Paso Museum of Archaeology — 4301 Transmountain in Northeast El Paso (west of U.S. 54). Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays and city holidays. Admission is free. Information: 755-4332 or elpasotexas.gov/arch_museum/.
Extended through April 1: “Ancient Mexico,” collections from early Mesoamerica. Artifacts representing the Maya, Aztec, and lesser-known great civilizations from Mexico. Prints of ancient Maya murals and ruins and a map of ancient Maya territory will be added to the gallery to link the artifacts with the great artistic accomplishments and monumental architecture of these past civilizations.
Extended through June 3 in the auditorium gallery: “Watercolor Paintings of Rock Art at Hueco Tanks,” Forrest Kirkland’s images of rock art at Hueco Tanks. Kirkland was the first artist to systematically document prehistoric rock art in Texas.
A zip tour of the exhibit is 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 4, led by former Hueco Tanks ranger Alex Mares.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Archaeologist Tim Roberts will speak on “Removing Modern Graffiti from Ancient Rock Art at Hueco Tanks” at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28.
A museum member appreciation party is 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, for new and renewing members. Memberships start at $15.
A volunteer Transmountain Road clean-up is 8:55 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, starting at the pull-out just past the Adopt a Highway sign on the right-hand side of westbound lane on Transmountain Rd, west of the Gateway South intersection. Everyone is welcome.
A “Create a Hummingbird and Butterfly Habitat” Master Gardener’s and Master Naturalist’s class is 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11, with Virginia Morris. Morris led the effort of the Native Plant Society to develop a manual, specific to El Paso, for creation of habitats for hummingbirds and butterflies. Participants learn to restore habitats in their back yards, schools and other public areas. Admission is free.
A free tour of the museum’s Diorama Gallery is 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, led by Marilyn Guida. Reservations not needed but RSVP appreciated.
El Paso archaeologist Javi Vasquez will give an Interim Report on the Sierra Diablo Cave Excavation of 2011 at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 19, as part of the El Paso Archaeological Society’s monthly meeting. The public is welcome.
Retired NMSU University Museum Curator Terry Reynolds will give a free talk about her archival research on the Historic Guadalupe Mission Manso and Piro Communities of Ciudad Juárez at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. She will illustrate her talk with lithographs, drawings and maps.
The museum tells the 12,000-year-old story of prehistoric human habitation in the region, with five dioramas and exhibits of tools, pottery, rock art and other materials.
The Museum Gift Store offers ornaments, Southwestern turquoise jewelry, plush and sandbag animals, books, Mata Ortiz pottery, Kachinas, Tarahumara dolls, drums and baskets, Capstone Productions videos of El Paso history, and El Paso items for adults and children.
A nature trail takes visitors through 17 acres of Chihuahuan Desert with 200 varieties of desert plants. The trail also offers a local pithouse, pueblo ruin and an Apache brush hut.
The park also has a gazebo with picnic tables available for rent. Rental information: 755-4332.
El Paso Museum of Art — One Arts Festival Plaza, downtown El Paso. For exhibit information, see “Southwest Art Scene.”
El Paso Museum of History — 510 N. Santa Fe. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday (open until 9 p.m. Thursdays), and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed Mondays. Museum admission is free. Information: 351-3588 or elpasotexas.gov/history.
Free African American History Month events:
Nancy Lorenza Green presents the interactive “Music from the Heart” at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11. Green performs on traditional African percussion instruments, and people will be invited to engage in playful movement and create ensembles as they move to the beat of the African drums.
• The Young El Paso Singers, conducted by Cindy Jay, presents “African-Americans: The Songs that Made them Strong” at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, with ballads, spirituals and story songs.
Now showing:
• “El Paso: The Other Side of the Mexican Revolution,” an exhibit that looks at this conflict through the eyes and ears of contemporary writers and journalists, filmmakers, photographers, musicians, tourists and businessmen.
• “Man-Made Thunder: The History of Racing in the Borderland.”
• The third “Awaking Our Giants” year-long exhibit, “El Paso City Mayors.”
• “Freedom Shrine,” exhibit with reproductions of historic documents.
Free zip tours are 12:15 to 1 p.m. on selected Wednesdays.
A free talk on “Puebla: The city of the Angels” by Mario Rivera is 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, as part of the museum’s Spotlight on History Lecture Series.
Rod Linkous will portray Mayor Solomon Schutz, who served 1880-1881, at 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, as part of the “Awakening our Giants” lecture series. “Schutz” will answer questions about El Paso in the early 1880s. Admission is free.
Free hands-on workshops (early registration encouraged):
• “Write like a Maya” with El Paso artist Gabriel Gaytan is 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16. Learn how the ancient Maya communicated their ideas and words.
• “Make beads out of Roses” with artist Sherry White is 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25. Learn why a rosary is called a rosary and other rose-related trivia while using rose petals to make beads. All materials supplied.
Tai Chi I and II Saturday classes continue 10 a.m. to noon through Feb. 25 and lunch classes are 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays through Feb. 29. Cost: $20 ($10 members).
Fort Bliss Museums and Study Center — Building 1735, Marshall Road (old PX building), Fort Bliss. Exhibits range from Civil War artifacts to the Patriot Missile System. Admission is free. Open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Information: 568-3390 or 568-5412.
With the relocation of the 1st Armored Cavalry Division to Fort Bliss, the museum is adding 35 tanks and 10 other vehicles to its outdoor displays. The museum is also expanding its exhibit on the post’s history with Mexico, including the 1916 “Punitive Expedition” led by Gen. John “Blackjack” Pershing.
Also on Fort Bliss is Old Fort Bliss, Building 5051, corner of Pershing and Pleasanton, a reproduction of the Magoffinsville Post of 1854 to 1868. Information: 568-4518.
Insights El Paso Science Museum — 505 N. Santa Fe. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $6 ($5 seniors, students and military; $4 ages 4-11). Information: 534-0000 or insightselpaso.org.
Science Saturday event for parents and children are 10 to 11 a.m. the second Saturday of each month (Feb. 11), for ages 6 to 8, sponsored by the museum and Junior League of El Paso. Children learn about telling time by reading a story about time and participate in a “Veggie Clock” science experiment. Limited to the first 30 children; must be accompanied by parent. Cost: $2 per person; $5 family of four.
Now showing is El Paso Fire Department’s History and Science gallery with hands-on exhibits featuring safety in the home and in the environment. Also new are exhibits from Explora! a children’s museum in Albuquerque, and the Tornado Machine.
Also showing is “To the Ends of the Earth, UTEP at The Poles.” UTEP biology faculty and students, joined by high school teachers from El Paso and students from across the U.S., headed for Antarctica and the Arctic to carry out research projects. This exhibit highlights their work, what they learned about the impact of climate change, and explains the differences and similarities between the north and south poles. Guests can measure themselves against different types of penguins, create an origami penguin and learn how actions in El Paso effect climate change at the poles.
International Museum of Art — 1211 Montana. Information: 543-6747 or info@internationalmuseumofart.net. See “Southwest Art Scene.”
Los Portales Museum and Visitor Center — 1521 San Elizario Road. The museum is operated by the San Elizario Genealogy and Historical Society, and is housed in an 1850s Territorial-style building across from the San Elizario church. It offers gifts, family trees, historical artifacts as well as information on the “First Thanksgiving” and the Salt War of 1877. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information: 851-1682.
LYNX Exhibits — The exhibit space is at 300 W. San Antonio (just south of Convention Center). Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Closed Monday. Last admission is one hour before closing time. Information: 533-4330 or lynxexhibits.com.
Showing through May 28: “The Science of SuperCroc,” with the world’s largest crocodile, 40-foot-long. SuperCroc brings together “Sarcosuchus and Suchomimus,” two of the fiercest prehistoric predators that lived 110 million years ago, in an exciting, hands-on experience. Included are original fossil specimens, life-sized skeletons, a flesh reconstruction of SuperCroc, and field tents mimicking life on a field expedition. Visitors have opportunities to “measure up” against the SuperCroc, “weigh in” as potential bait, mechanically move a dinosaur and more.
Also with SuperCroc are live animal displays by Dennis Breyer, of Noah’s Ark Pets and Supplies, including dwarf caimans and a Nile crocodile. Other local partners include the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department, displaying illegal and counterfeit reptile skins and products, and the El Paso Public Library and Historic Preservation Department, providing information on San Jacinto Plaza’s famous alligator pond.
Supercroc admission: $10; $8 for seniors, students and military with ID and $6 for children 4 to 11; free for ages 3 and younger.
Magoffin Home State Historic Site — 1120 Magoffin. The historic building is closed for restorations and repairs to ensure the continued preservation of the building. Staff is available for school outreach programs and community presentations. During this time, staff may be reached at 533-5147. Restoration project updates at visitmagoffinhome.com.
Motorcycle exhibit artifacts needed — El Paso Museum of History is seeking unique motorcycles and artifacts for loan for its upcoming exhibit “Motorcycles and Museums” about one of El Paso’s favorite forms of transportation, showing April through August. This project will reach out to all motorcycle aficionados in the West Texas, New Mexico region and beyond who would like to loan unique motorcycles and artifacts to the museum for the six-month exhibition. Information: Jim Murphy or Barbara Angus, 351-3588.
National Border Patrol Museum and Memorial Library — 4315 Transmountain Drive. The museum, in Northeast El Paso just west of U.S. 54, features the history of the Border Patrol with uniforms, equipment, photographs, guns, motor vehicles, airplanes, boats and other items, including hands-on exhibits for kids. The Border Patrol was founded in 1924 in El Paso. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday, Monday and major holidays. Admission is free. Information: 759-6060 or borderpatrolmuseum.com.
Railroad and Transportation Museum of El Paso — More than 150 years of El Paso railroad history are on display at Union Depot Transit Terminal, 400 W. San Antonio, at Durango. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information: 422-3420, 256-4409 or elpasorails.org.
The museum is home of El Paso’s “Old No. 1” engine, the oldest Standard American locomotive in the West built in 1857 and designated a “National Treasure.” Other exhibits illustrate how railroads were used and destroyed during the Mexican Revolution, as well as cover the history or urban transportation from mule cars through trolleys to streamlined streetcars of the mid-20th Century.
The museum hosts a Downtown Walking Tour of sites related to railroad history is 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18, starting at Cleveland Square, near the Museum of History and Downtown library branch. Learn about two stage station sites, the Transcontinental rail line built by Chinese workers in 1881 for the Southern Pacific, El Paso & Southwestern Depot in the 1881 train yard, 1880s buildings and a Victorian neighborhood, Mule Car and Streetcar lines and more. The tour consists for two hour-long walks with lunch break in between. Registration begins at 10:15 a.m. Cost: $5 (discounts for students, teachers and military; free for children).
San Elizario Veterans Museum and Memorial Walk — 1501-B Main Street in San Elizario. Hours are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information: Ann Lara, 345-3741 or Ray Borrego, 383-8529.
U.S. Army Museum of the NCO — Building 11331, Staff Sergeant Simms St., Biggs Army Airfield. Equipment and uniforms used by sergeants and other NCO’s through the years are displayed. Admission: free. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information: 568-8646.
War Eagles Air Museum — 8012 Airport Road, Doña Ana County Airport, Santa Teresa. Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission: $5; $4 senior citizens and military; free for children under 12. Information: (575) 589-2000 or war-eagles-air-museum.com.
The warbirds of World War II and Korea, and other historic military aircraft, are displayed in a 54,000-square-foot building and surrounding area. The collection of more than 30 aircraft and 40 automobiles includes the P-51 Mustang, P-38 Lightning, A-26 Invader and the German Fieseler-Storch. Among later aircraft are the F-86 Sabre and MiG-15s.
To get there: Take the Artcraft exit off Interstate 10, head west past the Rio Grande to Santa Teresa and follow signs to the airport and museum.
Las Cruces area
Branigan Cultural Center — Branigan Building, 501 N. Main, (Downtown Mall) Las Cruces. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and Monday. Admission is free. Information: (575) 541-2154 or las-cruces.org/museums.
Showing through Jan. 28: is NASA’s “From Earth to the Solar System” and Las Colcheras Quilt Guild’s “Enchanted Visions of New Mexico.”
Showing Feb. 3-25:
• ArtForms Artists Association annual “For The Love of Art” month exhibit with paintings, drawings, sculptures, jewelry, paper, fiber arts and wood.
• Works from a Doña Ana County Sculpture Class.
Opening reception for both exhibits is 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, during the monthly Ramble. Also featured is a free concert by American Indian flutist Randy Granger.
In celebration of “For the Love of Art Month, the museum will host several free programs 1 to 2 p.m. Saturdays in February:
• Feb. 4 — Voz Vaqueros, “The Singing Men of Las Cruces.”
• Feb. 11 — Local Flamenco dancers and Lucilene de Geus.
• Feb. 18 — Ten Plus One percussionists.
• Feb. 25 — Sin Fronteras poetry reading.
Casasola Museum/Museo Casasola — 2251 Calle de Santiago in Old Mesilla, N.M. Open sunrise to sunset daily. Admission is free, but donations accepted. Information: casasolamuseum@gmail.com or casasolamuseum.com.
The museum is devoted to Mexico-U.S. history, with more than 120,000 archived images that portray the borderland relationship between the two countries. The images are from some of the museum’s various private collections captured by more than 600 professional photographic artists over four generations.
Las Cruces Museum of Natural History — Mesilla Valley Mall, Las Cruces (take Lohman exit east off I-25). Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Closed Feb. 20. All events are free unless otherwise noted. Information: (575) 522-3120 or las-cruces.org.
Showing through May 6: “To The Moon: Snoopy Soars with NASA,” examining the history of Apollo 10 and the Peanuts characters’ role in documenting that flight and in the NASA Manned Flight Awareness safety program, The Silver Snoopy Award.
On permanent exhibit is the Nature Center, highlighting the wildlife of Southern New Mexico with a broad collection of amphibians, reptiles, fish and arachnids native to the Chihuahuan Desert.
Upcoming events:
• Sky Safari 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, Tombaugh Observatory on the NMSU Campus.
• Saturday Science Class for elementary children is 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb 4. Registration required. Topic: Space Travel.
• Share Fair, noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11.
• Dinosaur Train for ages 3-5 is 9-9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 16.
• Museum Lecture is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21. Paolo Oemig, 8th grade science teacher at Zia Middle School and a volunteer for the NASA Solar System Educator Program in New Mexico, will discuss NASA telescope programs.
• Science Café is 5:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23.
• Sky Safari 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, Tombaugh Observatory on the NMSU Campus. The February session will give scouts an opportunity to earn a merit badge.
Las Cruces Railroad Museum — The museum is in the Santa Fe train depot, 351 N. Mesilla, (at Las Cruces avenue west of the Downtown Mall). Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Admission is free; donations encouraged. Information: (575) 647-4480 or museums.las-cruces.org//rrmuseum.shtm.
• Dinosaur Train for ages 3-5 is 9-9:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 2.
• Family Game Day is 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 11. Families can try out early 20th century games.
• The monthly Brown Bag Lecture series is noon to 1 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month. RSVP encouraged. Feb. 14 — “Sweethearts of the Santa Fe Rails: The Harvey Girls.”
• Rail Readers Book Club will discuss “The Railway Viaduct” by Edward Marston at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15.
• Story Time is 11 a.m. to noon the third Saturday of each month. Listen to a Thomas the Tank Engine book, and enjoy a Thomas video while completing a related free craft activity. Children of all ages welcome. RSVP requested.
NM Farm & Ranch Heritage Museum — 4100 Dripping Springs, Las Cruces. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission: $5 for adults, $3 seniors 60 and older, $2 for children 5-17; free for age 4 and under. Information: (575) 522-4100 or nmfarmandranchmuseum.org.
Author and historian John Taylor of Albuquerque will discuss “New Mexico in the Civil War” 7 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, as part of the museum’s lecture series. Taylor is the author or co-author of “New Mexico: Bloody Valverde,” “The Battle of Glorieta Pass” and “Dejad a Los Ninos.” The lecture coincides with the 150th anniversary of the Confederate Campaign across New Mexico in February-March 1862. Suggested donation: $2.
The 13th annual Cowboy Days is 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 17-18. This tribute to New Mexico’s ranching traditions includes demonstrations, a team roping competition, living history, cowboy music, gunfight re-enactments, stagecoach and horseback rides, children’s activities, arts and crafts vendors and food. Admission: $4.
Showing through April 1: “The World Around Us: The Artwork of Linda Hagen.” The 33 paintings in the exhibition are inspired by the openness and the light of the Southwest, as well as Hagen’s love of horses and the beauty of the outdoors. Her paintings range from realistic to impressionistic.
Showing through Sept. 16: “The Land of Enchantment: Commemorating the Centennial of New Mexico Statehood.” The exhibit is an eclectic look at the last 100 years of New Mexico through historical photographs and artifacts. The exhibit depicts the state’s important events and characters since 1912, and features the state’s largest collection of statehood celebration memorabilia of past events (40th, 50th, 60th and 75th). The exhibit also features 100 years of New Mexico license plates, and rare flags of the first years after statehood. Santa Fe artist Ron Kil will be at the opening reception to sign copies of the official New Mexico centennial calendar, which includes his artwork.
In conjunction with the exhibit in the North and Central corridors is “It’s all Symbolic: The State Symbols of New Mexico,” the icons, images and emblems that help make New Mexico stand out from all the other states. Among New Mexico’s 40 official state symbols adopted by the Legislature – the State Symbols of New Mexico are the state aircraft, fossil, butterfly, ballad, poem, cowboy song, guitar and cookie.
The museum also features domestic animals on site, including six different breeds of beef cattle, burros and occasionally horses. Milking demonstrations are at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily (3 p.m. only Sundays). Blacksmith shop open Tuesday through Sunday. Sewing and weaving demonstrations are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdays.
Cart rides to see livestock also offered (call for schedule).
Walking tours of the South 20 are 10:15 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Gallery talks are 2 p.m. Wednesdays in the Main Gallery.
A “Be My Cowboy Valentine” craft workshop for kids age 5 to 12 is 9:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 11. Kids will make Valentines, play games and learn a little about the history of the holiday. Space is limited, pre-registration is required. Cost: $10 ($7 museum members).
NMSU Art Gallery — D.W. Williams Art Center, 1390 E. University Ave, (Williams Hall) on the NMSU campus, Las Cruces (east of Solano). Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday, and 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays. Information: (575) 646-2545 or nmsu.edu/artgal.
Showing through Feb. 18: Meow Wolf Presents “Glitteropolis!” Art collective Meow Wolf travels south into Las Cruces presents a magical and visceral art experience filled with oddity, surreality, glam and glitz. Known for maximalist, experiential, interactive environments, Meow Wolf includes all art mediums to create explorable pieces through which audience members can walk. The collective recently presented the most attended 2011 exhibit in Santa Fe, “Due Return.”
A public gallery talk by Meow Wolf members is 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, in NMSU’s Health and Social Sciences Auditorium, Room 101. Admission is free.
NMSU Museum — Kent Hall, University at Solano, Las Cruces. Hours are noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Admission is free. Information: (575) 646-5161 or nmsu.edu/museum/.
The museum’s permanent exhibit is “Pottery from the Americas,” featuring nearly 600 pottery vessels representing Southwestern and Mesoamerican ceramics.
Free family workshops are 2 to 3:30 p.m. Saturdays in the museum courtyard (weather permitting). Activities are geared towards families with young children, although all ages are welcome to participate. Large groups should call ahead.
NMSU Zuhl Museum — NMSU Alumni Visitors’ Center, 775 College Dr. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Information: (575) 646-1884.
The center features a collection of more than 1,000 pieces of petrified wood, fossils and minerals donated to NMSU by retired Las Cruces residents Herb and Joan Zuhl from New York City. Pieces include ammonites, turtles, a dragonfly, a bat, and minerals such as amethyst, rhodochrosite, garnet, and malachite. The museum is also home to an Ichthyosaur, a highly specialized marine reptile from the time of the dinosaurs, five dinosaur leg bones, a portion of a backbone from a giant herbivore dinosaur, and the eggs of a duck-billed dinosaur.
The museum offers activities for children 2 to 5 p.m. the second Sunday of each month.
White Sands Missile Range Museum and Missile Park — Exhibits feature the history of the Trinity Site (site of the first atomic bomb test), the V-2 rocket, ranchers on the range and missile optics. An outdoor Missile Park displays rockets and missiles tested on the range. Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Closed on federal holidays. Free admission.
To get there: take U.S. 54, and after the freeway ends, keep going north on Martin Luther King, which leads directly to the range. Or enter from the north off U.S. 70 east of Las Cruces. Visitors must provide a current license, car registration and proof of insurance. Information: (575) 678-8824 (local call) or wsmr-history.org.
Also
Carlsbad Museum & Art Center — 418 W. Fox Street in Carlsbad, N.M. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Closed Sunday and major holidays. Admission is free. Information: (575) 887-0276 or cityofcarlsbadnm.com/museum.
Deming Luna Mimbres Museum — 301 S. Silver, Deming, N.M. An actual chuckwagon, gems and minerals, turn-of-the-century fashions, military mementos and Mimbres Indian art are among the exhibits at the museum. Other attractions in the former National Guard Armory include a doll room, transportation annex and quilt room. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 1:30 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free. Information: (575) 546-2382, 1-800-848-4955 or deminglunamimbresmuseum.com.
Geronimo Springs Museum — 211 Main in Truth or Consequences, N.M. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Features prehistoric, historic and military exhibits about the area. Museum admission: $5 ($2.50 students 6 to 18; free for ages 5 and younger). Family rates: $15. Information: (575) 894-6600 or geronimospringsmuseum.com.
Hubbard Museum of the American West — 841 U.S. Hwy 70 West, next to Ruidoso Downs (N.M.) Race Track. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. every day. Docent-led tours of permanent exhibits are 10 a.m. Fridays. Admission: $6 ($5 for seniors, military; $2 children 6-16; free for children 5 and younger). Information: (575) 378-4142 or hubbardmuseum.org.
The 20th annual Fall American Photography Competition and Exhibition runs through Feb. 12.
Coming in February is “Underground of Enchantment,” a 3-D photo exhibit of Lechuguilla Cave in southeastern New Mexico. Dates to be announced.
Videos on a variety of topics are featured at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays in the Cope Center.
Museum of the Big Bend — Located on the campus of Sul Ross State University (Entrance 3), Hwy 90 in Alpine, Texas. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Guided tours available. Admission is free, donations accepted. Information: (432) 837-8143 or museum@sulross.edu .
Permanent exhibits include fossil exhibits “Conquistador to Cowboy” exhibit with artifacts that tell the story of the settlement of the Big Bend, a Native American exhibit focusing on the Jumanos and Apache tribes, and a children’s Discovery Center play area with a replica of Tall Rock Shelter.
New Mexico Museum of Space History — The museum features the International Space Hall of Fame and the Tombaugh IMAX Dome Theater and Planetarium, and is located on the northeast side of Alamogordo (two miles east off Indian Wells and White Sand Blvd. intersection).
Visitors can explore New Mexico’s pivotal role in the history of space exploration. Exhibits include the John P. Stapp Air and Space Park, Daisy Track Exhibit, International Space Hall of Fame and Astronaut Memorial Garden.
Space center hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: $6 ($5 for seniors and military, $4 ages 4-12, children 3 and younger free). Call for school tours and group ticket arrangements. Information: (877) 333-6589, (575) 437-2840 or nmspacemuseum.org.
Showing at the IMAX Dome Theater are the films “Everest,” and the Planetarium Show, “Nine Planets and Counting.” Showtimes are on the hour, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets: $6 ($5.50 for seniors and military; $4.50 ages 4-12). Ages 3 and under free for all shows.
Combo tickets available (included museum entrance and one IMAX ticket): $10 ($9 seniors and military, $7 children).
Sacramento Mountains Historical Museum — U.S. 82 across from the Chamber of Commerce in Cloudcroft, N.M. Operated by the Sacramento Mountains Historical Society, the museum features historical buildings from the turn of the century, antique farming and ranching tools, other business and home antiques, historical exhibits and other artifacts. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Admission: $5 ($3 ages 6 to 12). Group rates and tours available with prior notice. Information: (575) 682-2932 or cloudcroftmuseum.com.
Silver City Museum — 312 W. Broadway, Silver City, in the historic H.B. Ailman House. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The museum covers the settlement of southwest New Mexico, the two centuries of mining in the region and early commerce in Silver City. Group tours offered with advance notice. Admission: $3 suggested donation. Information: (575) 538-5921, 1-877-777-7947 (out of town), or silvercitymuseum.org.
Currently showing is “The Flood Season: How Silver City’s Main Street Became the Big Ditch.”
Toy Train Depot — Alameda Park, 1991 N. White Sands Blvd., Alamogordo. An actual train depot built in 1898, the building now houses a gift shop and model shop, with more than 1,200 feet of model railroad track and hundreds of model and toy trains on display. Hours are noon to 4:40 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission: $4. Information: (575) 437-2855 or toytraindepot.homestead.com.
The 1/5 scale train track offers rides around Alameda Park 12:30 to 4 p.m. Cost: $4.
Tularosa Basin Historical Society Museum — The museum, featuring collections, photos and archives relating to the history of Otero County and the Tularosa Basin, is next door to the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce, 1301 White Sands Blvd. (U.S. 54/70). Open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Admission is free. Information: (575) 436-4438.
WNMU Museum — 1000 West College Ave., Silver City, N.M. (575) 538-6386. The museum features pottery, rugs and other artifacts of Southwestern Cultures; historic photographs of the Silver City area, and traveling exhibits. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 1 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Overland Trail Museum — Exhibits at the Fort Davis, Texas, museum include a replica of a barbershop that was once on the site, historic surveying equipment, early medical paraphernalia, a restored pioneer kitchen and early ranching tools. Hours are 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Information: (915) 426-3161.
El Paso Scene MONTHLY
This month's listings, stories and columnsFeature story
Roundup
Music
Dance
Here's the Ticket
Program Notes
On Stage
Sports
Southwest Art Scene
At the Museum
History Lessons
Nature
Film Scene
Keep on Bookin'
Becoming Bicultural
Liner Notes
Stage Talk
Gallery Talk
Better ParentingCopyright 2012 by Cristo Rey Communications.