The Arizona Historical Society website (http://www.arizonahistoricalsociety.org/) currently includes the following:
Passport to Geology: Minerals from Around the World
In this one-hour adventure, Curator of Mineralogy Dr. Madison Barkley will showcase some incredible mineral and rock specimens from all over the world, and you will be able to view them right here in Arizona.Free with $5 general museum admission.Saturday April 21, 201210:30 am – 12:00 pm 949 E. 2nd St. Tucson AZ 85719
Comments:
The Tucson area is already served by the mineral museum at the University of Arizona which is open to the public.
Metropolitan Phoenix now has no mineral museum.
Admission at the former Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum in Phoenix was only $2 rather than $5.
The AHS mineral program is currently costing taxpayers more than the mineral museum in Phoenix did when it closed. The mineral museum was operated by volunteers and self-supported staff. The AHS mineral program has a state paid employee.
Tens of thousands (per year) of metropolitan Phoenix students are now being deprived of free K-12 mineral museum education programs that supported the state mandated education curriculum.
Less for more!
This is in keeping with the defiance of AHS
ReplyDeletestatutes that contain the compromise passed by
the legislature requiring AHS to "house" the Mining and Mineral Museum and to develop the 5C's Centennial Museum. AHS was given the rent money for the building and the curator salary for the MMM. No money was saved in this simple transaction. It did give AHS control of the building the Gov. wanted, and sure enough, she and AHS slammed the doors on the MMM, failed to produce any museum, and AHS
kept the money for the curator of an empty building! Since they didn't care about the kids and adults who valued science education in Phoenix, why would we expect them to restore service? Nothing about this mess makes sense, and the collusion and corruption will continue.
The Centennial Museum appears to be as dead as the Mining and Mineral Museum, which should and
ReplyDeletecould still be in the empty building. Then the curator position would still be legitimate and make sense. AHS should be actively restoring the Mining and Mineral Museum in Phoenix. Why aren't they?
GOOD QUESTION!! Answer: They only wanted the building, and didn't care about the MMM, and even if forced couldn't restore it. The AHS/Brewer boondoggle destroyed an incredible and successful collaboration between the state, rock, gem, and mineral groups, giving adults and especially science classes a memorable educational experience. The groups and individuals who contributed grabbed their cases and specimens and fled! The only way the MMM could be truly restored would be if it were restarted by a respected scientific organization like AZGS. This would also unite the state mineral collection with the records.
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