Moab Museum | Posts

“The People’s Tapestry”

June 13, 2023
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By: Tara Beresh, Museum Curatorial and Collections Manager This Q&A initially appeared in the Moab Sun News in June, 2023. Exhibition Significance The Moab Museum consults with regional tribal members to learn how to better serve a portion of our community that has been inaccurately represented, with regard to Museum environments. My primary question to our Native…

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Moab History: Lopez Arch is named for a Chicano cowboy

June 9, 2023
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If you’re driving south of town on Highway 191, you’ll have the opportunity to spot a very small arch on the left side of the road near mile marker 98. This tiny arch, which looks like a hole cutter mark through the rock, is called “Lopez Arch.”  Insignificant in stature—especially in comparison to the larger,…

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Moab History: Explore the historic Barnes photo collection

June 2, 2023
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In 2020, with a generous grant from the Utah State Historic Advisory Board, the Moab Museum began digitizing the Fran and Terby Barnes Photo Collection. The goals of the digitization process have been to share historic images with the public and to use images to enhance current and future exhibits. The museum, and the Barnes…

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“Not All Great Minds Are The Same”

June 1, 2023
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An evening with Dr. Temple Grandin. On Tuesday, May 30th the Moab Museum team had the opportunity to welcome Dr. Temple Grandin, an advocate for the humane treatment of livestock and distinguished professor at Colorado State University (CSU) Fort Collins, to Southeast Utah. Dr. Temple Grandin is a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. Facilities…

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Pacific Islanders in Utah and the 1851 Mission of Francis A. Hammond

May 26, 2023
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We celebrate the month of May as Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and the long history of native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders in the state of Utah. Utah currently ranks fifth in the United States for Pacific Islander population with roughly 50,000 Pacific Islanders calling this state home. Pacific Islanders,…

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Sam Cunningham speaks at the Moab Museum during international heritage breeds week 2023

Putting the Past to Work for Our Future: The Livestock Conservancy’s International Heritage Breeds Week at Moab Museum

May 22, 2023
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Celebrating the Livestock Conservancy’s efforts to protect America’s endangered livestock and poultry breeds from extinction May 15-21, 2023 was The Livestock Conservancy‘s International Heritage Breeds Week, a recognition and celebration the Moab Museum hosted through a local lens, providing educational programs on Utah-specific heritage breeds. On Wednesday, May 17, Sam Cunningham of Cunnington Farms joined…

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Moab History: A brief history of rodeo in the Moab Valley

May 19, 2023
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Moab has maintained the image of a wild west town since its founding at the beginning of the 20th century. Cattle companies, drivers, and stockmen brought money to the area and the much of the economy was based around the trade of cattle. But it wasn’t until the early 1920s when the popularization of the stockmen’s…

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Moab History: Moab’s Central School (1898-1934)

May 12, 2023
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As the school year winds down for Grand County students, photos and stories from the Museum’s Collection remind us that numerous buildings and teachers have served local students over the generations. Central School met the educational needs of young Moab students for 36 years, from 1898 to 1934. “The new school building is rapidly approaching…

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Moab History: From cattle & sheep to schools & community

May 5, 2023
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Rensselaer Lee Kirk, Sr., was born on February 14, 1859, in Cincinnati, OH. Kirk was a rebel, ignoring his family’s plan for him to receive classical high-society training in Italy and instead seeking adventure in the American West. Kirk moved westward to become a cowboy, initially working as a stagecoach driver for the Denver to…

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Flower Power: Annual Quilt Show

May 1, 2023
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The annual Delicate Stitchers quilt show will be on exhibit at the Moab Museum beginning on May 2nd. This year’s quilt challenge is called Flower Power and features floral fabrics and other flowery design elements – as well as a couple of historic quilts from the Moab Museum’s Collection that (serendipitously) feature flowers too. There will be…

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