Artists Reception and Film Forward

School Pilot Program - King Elementry

Today we had 45 honor students from the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classes at King Elementary participating in our new field trip program. These pilot programs are being very well received. The principal filled out our evaluation form saying "Perfect program for 4th grade history and science! All of the students kept repeating 'This is the best field trip ever!'"

Film Forward at the IVDM

This is the second year that the Film Commissioner's office has brought the Sundance Institute's Film Forward program to the Imperial Valley and we are proud to be participating again in creating dialogue through film. Below is our screening schedule. Light refreshments provided for Friday night's screening of the Beasts of the Southern Wild, starring the youngest actress every nominated for Best Actress. She is six years old. It is also nominated this year for Best Picture. 

FILM FORWARD is an international touring program designed to enhance greater cultural understanding, collaboration and dialogue around the globe by engaging audiences through the exhibition of films, workshops and conversations with filmmakers. FILM FORWARD promotes cultural dialogue through independent documentary and narrative film, using film’s unique ability to tell stories that explore universal themes to ignite meaningful conversations. A total of 8 films and filmmakers from the U.S. and abroad are selected by Sundance Institute and the partners each year to participate in this program, traveling to four domestic and four international locations. Filmmakers participate in screenings, extended Q&As, workshops, and master classes at universities, film and cultural centers, museums, libraries and other community, educational, and cultural venues, cultivating engaged dialogue, fostering appreciation of other viewpoints, and developing new audiences for independent film.

There is a full schedule of locations on the Imperial County Film Commissioner's website: http://www.filmimperialcounty.com/calendar/&/view/day/year/2013/month/02/day/26/

Olla Conservation Project Leader

Melanie Clifton-Harvey is a highly experienced conservator who has worked with institutions across the world. Over the next few weeks Melanie will produce a conservation assessment for the olla collection, which is the first step towards our visible storage exhibit. Each olla will be individually examined, verified, and digitally photographed. 

Melanie's recent projects include conservation work on Assyrian bronze vessels and ivory burial remains at the Diyarbakir Archaeological Museum, Turkey. Melanie received her Masters in the History of Decorative Arts, Design and Culture from the Bard Graduate Center in NYC and holds a BTEC National Diploma for Conservation and Restoration of Art Studies from DeMonfort University in London.

Piloting School Visits

In February we will have 120 students from McCabe Elementary School visit the museum. The 4th grade is visiting class by class on Wednesdays. This is our first time doing large group visits to the museum.

After a talk on how the Imperial Valley was once a lake and an ocean, there are 4 activities that the groups cycle through over the day:




- A Desert Walk
- Hands-on Geology 
- Discussion on Projectile Points
- Ceramic Art Program


Since we are piloting, we requested feedback from the parents and teachers. One said "I honestly thought it would be boring.. but I could not have been any more wrong. I had a lot of fun and it was very interesting and it motivated me to know more about our outdoors. All the rocks and arrows were amazing, really enjoyed the clay project. As a parent coming it opened up a new subject for me to talk about with my kids. It is amazing there is so much to see here in the valley just by driving a few miles."

Calling all Curation Volunteers

by Jessica Brody

In 2012 forty-one volunteers were trained in the curation process. They helped us bag, tag, and inventory 11,364 artifacts. In 2013, it's more important than ever that we continue this process. In fact, we have set a goal of finishing the inventory by May 2013.

Last year our volunteers contributed 1,900 hours to curation. Using this as a baseline, we calculate that with two people curating each day that the collections will be out of temporary storage in six months. We must complete this goal to show that we are a museum that works to the highest professional standards. It's already what we do (as our volunteers can attest) and in the next six months, with our volunteers help, we will prove it again. 

We need two people every day curating to complete our mid-year goals. Contact IVDM staff to schedule your curation days. Our motto is "if you are willing, we are open".