FCMoD Archive’s 50th Anniversary Celebration!

Posted on by Bryan Simpson in Front Page

It’s the Archive’s 50th Birthday!

Come celebrate with a FREE Archive presentation in the Otterbox Digital Dome Theater on Thursday, September 26th from 7:00-8:00pm.

The Burning of Old Main. The Elks Lodge explosion. The launch of the Foothills Fashion Mall. Fort Collins has a rich cultural history, and the Archive at FCMoD holds many stories, secrets and surprises.

The Fort Collins Local History Archive was born in 1974 with an oral history project dedicated to recording the memories and lived experiences of 78 longtime Fort Collins community members. This project became the genesis of the Archive at FCMoD, a free, public resource that has grown to house over 500 oral histories, 200,000 local photographs, and thousands of maps, yearbooks, newspapers, and more historical treasures that help tell the story of our community.

Help us celebrate 50 years of preserving and sharing these resources with a special FREE presentation in the Digital Dome at 7:00pm on Thursday, September 26. Archive staff will share audio recordings, images, and personal memories from the oral history project that started it all, along with a groovy visual tour of Fort Collins images and events from the 1970s.

Finally, step back into the ‘70s with a period room (complete with orange shag carpet!) set up right outside the Archive in the Museum lobby. It’s highly Instagram-able – or even polaroid-able if you’re so inclined!

Please don’t forget to REGISTER for this Free event.

Far out – we’ll see you here!

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Fort Collins Museum of Discovery Announces Shannon Quist as Non-Profit Partner Executive Director

Posted on by Bryan Simpson in Front Page, Museum in Focus, News

National Search leads all the way back home as current Associate Director ascends to top leadership position

 

(FORT COLLINS) Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce that long-time team-member, Shannon Quist, will take on the role of Executive Director for the organization’s Nonprofit Partner as of September 30th.  Shannon has been with the museum since 2016 when she started as the Director for Community Connections. Previous to FCMoD, Shannon spent twelve years at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian serving with the Education Department, Community and Constituent Services, and the Office of the Director. She earned her undergraduate degree at Colorado State University. Most recently, Shannon has served as Associate Director at the museum where her responsibilities have included community partnerships, programming, exhibition development, and long-term planning. Her hiring comes after a three-month national search that led to Shannon being the top candidate for the position.

“Joining Fort Collins Museum of Discovery I was thrilled to bring my experience to such a deeply partnered and community centered organization,” Shannon shared.  “As I begin this next phase, I am honored to lead an amazing team, excited to continue deepening our work with collaborators across the region and encouraged by the opportunities that lay before us.”

FCMoD is a unique public private partnership resulting from the 2008 merger of the City of Fort Collins History Museum and the nonprofit Discovery Science Center. Cheryl Donaldson Moses has served as the City’s FCMoD Executive Director for 26 years. Shannon will be filling the Co-Executive Director position of the Nonprofit partner. Fort Collins Museum of Discovery’s Board of Directors, which oversees the hiring of the museum’s Nonprofit Executive Director and to whom the Executive Director will report, found the search process to be thorough and affirming.

“We spoke to strong candidates from all over the country, which makes it all the more validating that the person who rose to the top already has such a deep connection to our community,” said FCMoD BOD President, Ben Reynolds. “We could not be happier with the process and the result. The museum and our community will be well-served by Shannon’s passion, experience and vision for years to come. We’re very excited for this next chapter.”

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery is a hands-on science, history and culture museum whose vision is to inspire inquisitive thinkers and encourage responsible stewardship of the future. They will host three special exhibitions this year including the upcoming, Skin – Living Armor, Evolving Identity and The Bias Inside Us. Shannon has been instrumental in developing FCMoD community partnerships like the Alebrijes exhibition, Indigenous Science, Technology, Arts, and Resilience Program, and The Human Library.

Shannon will begin her new role on September 30, 2024.

About Fort Collins Museum of Discovery

Fort Collins Museum of Discovery (FCMoD) is an accredited interactive and immersive museum featuring hands-on and collections-based exhibits that tell the stories of Northern Colorado and beyond. Developed as a partnership between the City of Fort Collins’ history museum and the non-profit Discovery Science Center, FCMoD has hosted more than 1 million visitors since opening at our current location in 2012. Our exhibits gallery features long-term exhibits on science, agriculture, astronomy, first peoples, wild lands and more, while our Otterbox Digital Dome Theater is Northern Colorado’s only 360-degree immersive theater. Our Archive & Collections is home to more than 40,000 3-dimensional objects and more than 400,000 archival records, including historical photos and documents. To learn more please visit

https://fcmod.org/

 

 

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Skin & Bias

Posted on by Scott McKinney in Front Page, Skin: Living Armor, The Bias Inside Us

We are incredibly excited to present two amazing special exhibitions this fall and winter as we bring you Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity (Oct 12, 2024 – January 26, 2025) and The Bias Inside Us (November 27th – December 31st). Both exhibits are designed to spark dialogue and reflection on human culture and identity through science and history.   beginning with Skin which explores the physical, historical, and cultural elements of the human body’s largest organ.

From questions like “what’s a rhino’s horn made from?” (hint: it’s the same protein that makes up human hair and nails – keratin!) to an exploration of how geography and climate have impacted the evolution of skin pigmentation, this engaging exhibit will inspire you to reconsider everything from what’s in the dust in your home to the way you see the world. FCMoD hopes you’ll take home a deeper understanding of our shared humanity and recognize that we – as humans – are more alike than we are different. This installation is presented in both English and Spanish.

 

Skin: Living Armor, Evolving Identity was created by the California Academy of Sciences and modified for travel and distributed by the Science Museum of Minnesota.

 

On November 27th, The Bias Inside Us will take its place alongside Skin as we explore how the human mind’s chemistry can lead us to a place of inherent bias. This community engagement project from the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) will raise awareness about the social science and psychology of implicit bias, the impact of this bias and what people can do about it. This exhibit is brought to you in partnership with the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Services (SITES).

 

Both these exhibits are free for Members and included with the price of admission. If you enjoy this kind of programming, we encourage you to make a donation through our Give More campaign which helps create access for community members experiencing economic need.

 

https://46395.blackbaudhosting.com/46395/Give-More

 

We look forward to bringing these fascinating and thought-provoking exhibits to you!

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Beyond Discovery

Posted on by Scott McKinney in Front Page, Uncategorized

Ever tried putt-putt golfing on the moon? Think you can chip shot from a three-story roof into a bucket? Join us on September 13th for our Beyond Discovery Benefit: Teeing up Discovery for All! This year’s proceeds will go toward creating access for ALL community members. Your contribution helps families experiencing economic need enjoy all the museum has to offer at free or reduced rates. Everyone benefits from access for all – please join us for an evening of fun!

This year we’re bringing back nine holes of museum gallery putt-putt golf, the rooftop chip shot competition, live music, dancing, food and adult beverages courtesy of an open bar. In a nod toward the archive’s 50th anniversary, we encourage 1970’s attire (golf or otherwise) and flair!

Tickets are on sale now.

Thanks for your support!

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Human Library

Posted on by Scott McKinney in Front Page, Uncategorized

Unjudge someone – join us for The Human Library on August 4th here at the Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. From overcoming addiction to confronting racism, 32 Books from our community will share their stories with you, the Readers. Now in its second year in Fort Collins, The Human Library creates a welcoming environment for people to listen, learn, and connect with one another. The goal is to create greater empathy and understanding through a positive dialogue that can challenge stereotypes and prejudices. The Human Library started as a Danish project in 2000, and there are now 80 events every year, worldwide. This year’s program is focused once again on “Being Me in Fort Collins”. We are honored to help facilitate this powerful event with our partners, Poudre River Public Library District, the City of Fort Collins Equity & Inclusion Office, the City of Fort Collins Human Relations Commission, Larimer County Behavioral Health Services, and the Yarrow Collective.

 

Click here to register and learn more

 

Desjuzga a alguien – Acompáñenos en la Biblioteca Humana el 4 de agosto aquí en el Fort Collins Museum of Discovery. Desde superar la adicción hasta enfrentar el racismo, 32 Libros de nuestra comunidad compartirán sus historias con ustedes, los Lectores. Ahora en su segundo año en Fort Collins, la Biblioteca Humana crea un entorno acogedor para que las personas escuchen, aprendan y se conecten entre sí. El objetivo es fomentar una mayor empatía y comprensión a través de un diálogo positivo que pueda desafiar los estereotipos y prejuicios. La Biblioteca Humana comenzó como un proyecto danés en el año 2000. Hoy en día se realizan 80 eventos cada año por todo el mundo. El programa de este año se enfoca nuevamente en “Siendo yo en Fort Collins”. Nos sentimos honrados de ayudar a facilitar este poderoso evento con nuestros socios, el Distrito de Bibliotecas Públicas de Poudre River, la Oficina de Equidad e Inclusión de la Ciudad de Fort Collins, la Comisión de Relaciones Humanas de la Ciudad de Fort Collins, los Servicios de Salud del Comportamiento, del Condado de Larimer, y el “Yarrow Collective”.

 

Visítenos aquí para inscribirse y obtener más información

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