| The
Museum of the Red River... |
| 1 |
is
a non-profit organization established by the Herron Research Foundation
in 1974, and opened to the public in 1975 in Idabel, Oklahoma. |
| 2 |
is
a major cultural resource serving people from southeast Oklahoma,
northeast Texas, southwest Arkansas, and visitors from across
the country. |
| 3 |
welcomes
over 3,000 school children each year on organized
field trips. |
| 4 |
charges
no admission. |
| 5 |
has
an annual operating budget of approximately $300,000.00 derived
from earned income, investment returns, and gifts from individuals,
corporations and foundations. |
| 6 |
enjoys
volunteer and financial support from the separately
incorporated Idabel Museum Society. |
| 7 |
neither
solicits nor accepts direct funding from any government agency. |
| 8 |
is
an active member of the Oklahoma Museums Association (OMA) and
the American Association of Museums (AAM). |
| 9 |
provides
cultural
programs for the community in partnership
with local organizations. |
| 10 |
sponsors
study trips abroad, most recently to Brazil,
China, Mexico, and Peru. |
| 11 |
displays the reconstructed skeleton of the dinosaur, Acrocanthosaurus
atokensis discovered in McCurtain
County. |
| 12 |
supports
ongoing archaeological research projects. |
| 13 |
houses
a research library of over 4,000 volumes. |
| The
Museum’s Collections... |
| 14 |
comprise
over 15,000 objects, primarily from the Americas,
with representative material from various cultures of Africa,
East Asia and the Pacific Islands. |
| 15 |
continue
to grow through donations and the Museum’s judicious
use of diverse acquisition funds. |
| 16 |
are
stored in closely monitored climate-controlled facilities. |
| 17 |
emphasize
objects from North American cultures:
regional archaeological material, modern and contemporary southeastern
beadwork and basketry, and historic and modern ceramics from the
Southwest. |
| 18 |
boast
significant holdings of Precolumbian objects
from Middle and South American cultures, as well as contemporary
works from the Huichol and Tarahumara peoples of western Mexico,
the Kuna of Panama, the Aymara of the central and southern Andes,
and tribal groups of the Amazon and other river basins of South
America. |
| 19 |
contain
many contemporary works that draw their inspiration
from traditional artifacts. |
| 20 |
include
the mural LAST HOME OF THE CHOCTAW NATION by the Arkansas
artist H. Louis Freund (1912–1999). |
| 21 |
and
the large sculpture SO MANY FRIENDS by the
Choctaw / Pottawatomie-American artist George Cramer (1940–2004). |
| Exhibits
at the Museum of the Red River... |
| 22 |
provide
unique opportunities for learning and the development of aesthetic
appreciation through long-term and temporary displays. |
| 23 |
are
usually organized by the Museum’s staff, utilizing objects
from the Museum’s collections, as well as works borrowed
from outside artists, collectors, and institutions. |
| 24 |
include
public study collections of regional and national
archaeological materials. |
| 25 |
are
installed in five designated galleries, among
which are named spaces honoring civic arts leader Mary Bratton
Curtis, and the Museum’s first director, Gregory Perino. |
| The
Programs at the Museum... |
| 26 |
feature
gallery tours, lectures, classes
for adults, and organized children’s programs such as KIDS
KREATE!, SUMMER EXPLORERS, and PALEO PALS. |
| 27 |
are
offered free of charge, except for craft projects
requiring a fee for materials. |
| 28 |
take
place in the Holland and Sallie Webb Learning Center
or in the M.J. “Jack” Bell Classroom,
named for outstanding Museum supporters, or in the large, multi-purpose
Activity Room, |
| 29 |
include
the development and circulation of teaching and learning kits
for schools, in addition to the specialized displays set up in
area schools, libraries, and businesses. |
| 30 |
can
be looked up on the Museum’s informative website at www.museumoftheredriver.org
|
| |
|
