A letter from the Curator: Curation Phase One Completed!

Sharon and Christian curating the last items
included in Phase I of the Inventory Project.

Today we curated the last artifacts that finish what we are calling Phase One of the inventory and re-curation of the IVC collections. 

I am constantly amazed by the efforts that this community has made and continues to make to preserve these collections. I get the feeling that individuals who have worked on this project feel like they aren't doing very much - just helping out. I can tell you as an outsider, the Museum's story doesn't sound like one or two people who do a little. It's a whole community doing a lot. Reaching this moment in time has taken a steady stream of individuals who have passed the torch over the years. You are all a part of that. It is a personal honor to work for a community dedicated to accomplishing what they know is right, and who gets the job done. 

Today is a day worth celebrating.

Congratulations to the whole museum community who worked so hard to get here. You did it. 

Sincerely,

Jessica

Head Curator

Curation resumes August 17th.

Madrecitas Exposicion de Pequeno Formato

On July 27, 2013 we will celebrate the first ever U.S. exhibition of Madrecitas: Exposicion de Pequeno Formato with an artist reception and a viewing of pequeno formato films.

The Madrecitas exhibition of small format art 
began five years ago in an effort to support Mexicali’s 
blossoming young artists. Based in a hallway of 
CETYS Universidad, the inaugural exhibit had 60 pieces. 
In 2013 the exhibit boasts 300 pieces from artists 
ranging from Southern California to Mexico City 
and includes 2D, 3D and video format. The exhibit represents 
the vibrant artistic community just across the border. 

Ocotillo Cool Center

The Imperial Valley Desert Museum is the designated Cool Center for Ocotillo effective immediately.
Information: Address: 11 Frontage Road, Ocotillo, CA 92259
Hours: Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-3pm, closed Sunday and Monday
Services: Chairs, A/C, water fountain.

Ocotillo Summer Youth Programming

We were using the summer to focus on finishing projects like the curation of the IVC collections, but we were asked about youth programming for Ocotillo youth, so we developed a list of weekly activities starting immediately and running until August 2nd. 

Here it is!

Curation Update: The End of the Beginning

by Jessica Brody, Head Curator

I've been told that at the start of the artifact re-housing project in 2009, there was no way to quantify the number of boxes in storage. It was too daunting task to attempt. Today, in the "cooler" weather I spent the morning checking corners of the now near-empty storage. 64 boxes of artifacts remain in the temporary storage area and about others 30 brought up to the museum this week.

Completing the re-housing the artifacts isn't the end of the Inventory Project, but it marks a huge milestone in the care of the collections. Massive, really. The next phase will involve the re-organization of the files and paperwork, also in temporary storage. Anne Morgan, our visiting archivist, developed a system very similar to the volunteer curation process that we will use to create searchable database records for the documentation. As we enter information into the database, we will be able to match the records to the artifacts.

The biggest challenge in caring for this collection is the divorce of the artifacts from the records. I'd like to personally invite the community, who has worked so hard to care for these records for so long, to help us create a full, informative, researchable archive. The information we work with over the coming months will form the basis for our first permanent exhibit and educational programming. This is a very exciting time to be part of the Inventory Project.