Reservations Available for Western New Mexico University Museum Black-on-White Gala

Category: Local Events Local Events
Published: 08 July 2019 08 July 2019

Public Invited To Celebrate Museum’s 45th Anniversary and Transformation of Fleming Hall on July 13

Silver City, NM – The Western New Mexico University Museum 45th Anniversary Black-on-White Gala will be Saturday, July 13, at 6 p.m.

“With the gala, we at the WNMU Museum celebrate 45 years of advancing the understanding of the diverse cultural and artistic heritages of southwest New Mexico. The gala also marks the completion of Fleming Hall’s stunning transformation into an open, light, secure, and climate-controlled environment that highlights the historic fabric of the building while enhancing the visitor experience,” WNMU Museum Director Dr. Cynthia Bettison said.  

As a way of recognizing the Mimbres people and the pottery collection she was instrumental in acquiring for the WNMU Museum, Dr. Bettison invites attendees to don Silver City-style Black Tie attire or dress up in Black-on-White attire. “That means almost anything goes — from jeans and a bolo tie or boots and a cocktail dress to tuxedos or evening gowns in black-on-white variations,” she said. 

Stations serving upscale hors d’oeuvres will be placed throughout the recently transformed Fleming Hall. Attendees can enjoy three courses while exploring the museum and learning more about its new features and future plans.

Reserved seating in tables of four will be scattered throughout the WNMU Museum Grand Exhibition Hall, the Fourth Floor Mezzanine and the Visible Collection Rooms.

Wine and beer will be served at the WNMU Museum Gala, which is open to people age 21 and over.

Harry J. Shafer, Ph.D., who was Principal Investigator at the NAN Ranch Ruin and is currently Curator of Archaeology at the Witte Museum in San Antonio, will attend the gala. He is the leading scholar on Mogollon Mimbres people who inhabited southwest New Mexico almost 1,000 years ago.

In conjunction with the Silver City CLAY Festival, Dr. Shafer will present “What the NAN Ranch Ruin Has Revealed About the Mimbres Culture and People” in the WNMU Light Hall Auditorium on Sunday, July 14, at 6 p.m. The lecture is free.

Reservations for the WNMU Museum 45th Anniversary Gala are required and cost $135 per person. Proceeds benefit WNMU museum operations, including the addition of new permanent exhibits and rotating special exhibits. To reserve a seat, call 575-538-6386 or email museum@wnmu.edu by Wednesday, June 10.

The WNMU Museum will be closed on Saturday, July 13, in preparation for the gala.

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