Here are links to press releases about the Telluride Historical Museum and its programs. If you are a reporter and would like to learn more about the museum, we look forward to speaking with you about the museum!
Museum Announces New Programs and Exhibits Director
Telluride, Colorado (September 2, 2016) – The Telluride Historical Museum today announced the hire of Theresa Koenigsknecht as the Director of Programs and Exhibits, effective September 6, 2016. Koenigsknecht will be replacing Anne Gerhard, who recently resigned after holding the position since 2013.
Koenigsknecht most recently served as a Curator at the Johnson County Museum of History in Franklin, IN, where she has extensive experience managing a large collection, collaborating on educational programs, community outreach, and exhibit development. Theresa has a Master of Arts in Public History from Indiana University and Bachelors of Arts in Anthopology and History from Michigan State University.
“Western history, specifically the Oregon Trail, jump-started my love of all things history as a kid. I also love being outside and being active and was looking to challenge my comfort zones,” Koenigsknecht said, “This was the perfect opportunity to grow and contribute to an amazing organization and community.”
Museum Announces New Programs and Exhibits Director
September 2016The Telluride Historical Museum today announced the hire of Theresa Koenigsknecht as the Director of Programs and Exhibits, effective September 6, 2016.An Evening With Ken Burns
AUGUST 4, 2016
Screening Set for Sunday, August 28th
The Telluride Historical Museum is excited to announce that tickets to its third annual An Evening With Ken Burns film screening are on sale now.
In celebration of the 100th Anniversary of the National Parks Service, this year’s event will feature a screening of episode 5- “Great Nature” – of the acclaimed documentary series, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. The evening will also include a post-screening audience Q&A session with Ken Burns as well as a book and DVD signing presented in conjunction with Between the Covers bookstore.
Tickets for the event are $25 for general admission, $20 for Museum members, and $5 for students. The screening will take place on Sunday, August 28th at the Michael D. Palm Theatre. Doors will open at 5:30PM and the program will begin at 6PM.
“We’re incredibly excited to be hosting this event again this year,” Executive Director Kiernan Lannon said. “We’re thrilled that Ken Burns has again demonstrated his commitment to the Telluride Community and the Museum by helping us out with this screening. Ken is, by far, America’s most preeminent historical documentary filmmaker. This an incredible opportunity to see a fantastic film with its world-class director in the theater- all while supporting the Museum. We’re definitely looking forward to it!”
Tickets can be purchased here or by calling the Museum at (970) 728-3344. All tickets will be distributed via will call on the evening of the event. The Museum will not be issuing physical tickets ahead of time.
Treasure Maps: Cartography of the American Southwest Exhibit Opening
18 May 2016
MUSEUM’S ANNUAL EXHIBIT TO OPEN JUNE 2
Telluride, Colorado (May 18, 2016) – The Telluride Historical Museum will celebrate the opening of its annual exhibit Treasure Maps: Cartography of the American Southwest on June 2 from 6-8pm. This free event will take place at the Telluride Historical Museum and is open to all ages. Complimentary adult refreshments and appetizers will be served, and there will be exciting activities for all ages.
Treasure Maps: Cartography of the American Southwest is the Museum’s 2016-17 annual exhibit, exploring shifting perspectives of the Southwest through the history of the maps that depict it. Because maps are necessarily a compromise of limited resources and knowledge, the American Southwest is a template in which the inaccuracies, blank spaces, and mythical elements tell the stories of its exploration and the possibilities that the American southwest has represented.
As part of the exhibit, the Telluride Historical Museum collaborated with Telluride Mountain School, Pinhead Institute, Telluride Institute, The Hub, and Alpine Lumber to create an Augmented Reality Sandbox. The AR Sandbox uses a projector and a 3 dimensional camera to view the surface of the sand and project real time topographic lines onto the sand’s surface. The sandbox will also simulate watersheds, and after the exhibit closes in March 2017, the sandbox will be co- owned by Pinhead Institute, Telluride Mountain School, and Telluride Institute, where it will be an ongoing part of community watershed curricula. In order to construct the AR Sandbox, the Telluride Historical Museum has enlisted the help of Telluride Mountain School students who have recently returned from their spring experimental learning trip to study geography in Hawaii, and have been working diligently on design and construction in order to have the sandbox prepared for the June 2 opening.
For more information, please contact Lucas Fredericks, Programs and Exhibits Coordinator at the Telluride Historical Museum at (970) 728-3344 x 4, or email lucas@telluridemuseum.org.
Treasure Maps: Cartography of the American Southwest Exhibit Opening
May 2016The Telluride Historical Museum will celebrate the opening of its annual exhibit Treasure Maps: Cartography of the American Southwest on June 2 from 6-8pm.Telluride’s Historic Pandora Mill Faces Demolition
March 17, 2016
Telluride’s Historic Pandora Mill Faces Demolition
The future of our iconic Pandora Mill is in question. On Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 10AM, the San Miguel County Commissioners, Telluride Town Council, and Idarado officials will meet in Rebekah Hall to discuss the fate of the Pandora (Idarado) Mill. Government representatives have explored ways of preserving the mill over the last few years, but without a plan for its future, the mill will likely be demolished.
We invite everyone interested in historic preservation to attend this meeting. If you have comments for Telluride Town Council and San Miguel County Commissioners on this matter, please email them to pandoramillbuilding@gmail.com
Stay up-to-date on all Pandora Mill happenings by following
www.facebook.com/savepandoramill
For more information, please visit http://www.telluridemuseum.org/the-pandora-mill/
Telluride Historical Museum Exhibit Wins AASLH 2015 Leadership in History Award
July 8, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Telluride Historical Museum Exhibit Wins AASLH 2015 Leadership in History Award
Sixty recipients from thirty-one states receive highest honor from AASLH
NASHVILLE, TN—The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) announced that the Telluride Historical Museum’s 2014 exhibit Voices of Wartime: Telluride During WWII was selected as a 70th annual Leadership in History Award winner, the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history. The Telluride Historical Museum’s award is one of 60, honoring people, projects, exhibits, books, and organizations from across the country.
“The Leadership in History Awards is AASLH’s highest distinction and the winners represent the best in the field,” said Trina Nelson Thomas, AASLH Awards Chair and Director, Stark Art & History Venue, Stark Foundation. “This year, we are pleased to distinguish each recipient’s commitment and innovation to the interpretation of history, as well as their leadership for the future of state and local history.” The Telluride Historical Museum will receive the Award of Merit, presented for excellence in history programs, projects, and people when compared with similar activities nationwide
The Museum’s winning exhibit, Voices of Wartime: Telluride During WWII, explored the history of the Second World War as remembered by Telluride residents. A revealing look into how daily life changed—and did not change—during the war, the exhibit utilized the power of oral histories to capture the experiences of local residents and share them with a new generation. Surrounding the stories of Telluride locals were images, artifacts, and newsreels explaining the war’s global story.
The Telluride Historical Museum capitalized on its designation as a Smithsonian affiliate for this exhibit by coordinating loans from other affiliated museums, including the National World War II Museum and the Chinese American Museum. Community partners came together as well, including the Telluride Daily Planet, Telluride Masons #56, Telluride Elks Lodge #692, Telluride Rotary, and the American Legion Post 12.
The AASLH Leadership in History Awards Program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout America. Each nomination is peer-reviewed by AASLH’s state captains. Final awards are decided by the Awards Committee, comprised of AASLH’s fourteen regional representatives and the National Awards Chair.
Presentation of the awards will be made at a special banquet during the 2015 AASLH Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, on Friday, September 18. The banquet is supported by a generous contribution from the History Channel.
A full listing of recipients can be found at: www.about.aaslh.org/awards.
About the American Association for State and Local History:
AASLH has provided leadership and support for its members who preserve and interpret state and local history in order to make the past more meaningful to all Americans since 1940. AASLH is a not-for-profit professional organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve and promote history. From its headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee, AASLH works to advance knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of local history in America. AASLH publishes books, technical publications, a quarterly magazine, a monthly newsletter, and maintains numerous affinity groups and committees serving a broad range of constituents across the historical community. The association also sponsors regional and national training workshops and an annual meeting.
For more information, visit www.aaslh.org
Museum Announces New Executive Director
2015 – 4/28/2015
For Immediate Release
MUSEUM ANNOUNCES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Telluride, Colorado (April 28, 2015) – The Telluride Historical Museum today announced the hire of Kiernan Lannon as the executive director effective May 11, 2015. Lannon will be replacing Erica Kinias who recently resigned after holding the position since March of 2012.
Lannon most recently served as Executive Director of the Smithtown Historical Society in Smithtown, New York. Smithtown, a small town located on the north shore of Long Island, just recently celebrated its 350th founding anniversary. The Historical Society consists of eight historic structures nestled on 22 acres of parkland. In addition to serving as executive director at Smithtown, Lannon was a project intern at the USS CONSTITUTION Museum and served as an interpreter at Naper Settlement, a historical site Illinois settlement outside of Chicago, IL.
Lannon holds a B.A. in history and political science from Marquette University and a M.A. in Museum Studies. An avid runner and outdoor enthusiast, Lannon is looking forward to experiencing Telluride’s rugged outdoors and history. “How can you not be excited about moving to Telluride? It’s almost incomprehensibly beautiful and everyone I have met has been extremely nice and welcoming.” Lannon commented. “Telluride strikes me as a place where comfort and culture come together, and that was exactly the community I was hoping to find for my new home.”
Danny Craft, the Museum’s board president, commented, “Kiernan Lannon has worked for the Smithtown Historical Society in Smithtown, NY for the last nine years. He has a passion for community enhancements and educational engagement and will be a strong asset to the museum and community. Erica has done a wonderful job getting the museum to a professional level and expanding the reach and quality of what the Museum has to offer. Kiernan has the knowledge and ability to build on this strong foundation to continue to make the museum a cultural asset and reach that next level.”
“I’m thrilled and honored to have been selected as the next director of the Telluride Historical Museum.” Lannon commented. “It is a dynamic museum that is doing some really great things. Erica has done a remarkable job bringing the museum to this point and is leaving some pretty big shoes to fill. I’m looking forward to the challenge of trying to fill those shoes by continuing to give the Telluride community the viable and valuable cultural resource it deserves.”
For more information, please contact Anne Gerhard, Director of Programs and Exhibits at the Telluride Historical Museum at (970) 728-3344×2, or anne@telluridemuseum.org.
Annual Adult Spelling Bee Returns! Come MissBEEhave at the wildest event of the year!
Anne Gerhard
Director of Programs and Exhibits
Telluride Historical Museum
(970) 728-3344 Ext. 2
anne@telluridemuseum.org
2015-2-19 PR-FILING CODE For Immediate Release
THE MUSEUM’S ANNUAL ADULT SPELLING BEE RETURNS!
Come MissBEEhave at the wildest event of the year!
Telluride, Colorado (February 19, 2015) – Mark your calendars, the event you’ve been waiting for is back! Gather your friends and make a BEEline for the most outrageous fundraiser of the year: the Telluride Historical Museum’s 3rd Annual Adult Spelling Bee!
On Wednesday, March 4 at 7pm at the Sheridan Opera House, the Museum has upped the ante, bringing in MC Mitch Mishky, an outrageous costume contest, swell prizes, a 50/50 cash raffle, free popcorn, an incredible silent auction, a cash bar, and three local celebrity judges: Jim Looney, Marilyn Branch, and Charlie Kane.
Each team works together to spell words of all difficulty levels, wearing hilarious costumes, competing for fabulous prizes! Masters of the Hive win a coveted spot on the permanent Hive Plaque displayed in the Museum amphitheater as well as serious bragging rights. Best Costume winners take home some intense flash with the most enormous trophy ever BEEstowed. And the team crowned Fan Favorite receives three prized 2015 festival tickets.
General Admission to the Bee is $5. Teams are $25/person, but to make sure returning contenders throw their hats back in the ring, all returning teams receive a registration discount. To make the game even more interesting, the team that sells the most general admission tickets to the Bee receives two additional drink tickets per person! To register your team of three visit telluridemuseum.org.
And let’s not forget the silent auction. Bring your checkbook to bid on such fabulous items as a First Light skiing day, exclusive golf packages, a Madeline Hotel spa day, a guided 4×4 day trip and more!
All proceeds from the event benefit the Telluride Historical Museum, helping to preserve local history and create fun, educational (and often free!) regional programming.
To register your team, purchase General Admission tickets, or with questions, contact Cecile Murias at 970.728.3344 x5 or at cecile@telluridemuseum.org.
20th Anniversary Screening of “Fire on the Mountain,” A collaborative event includes live auction and Q&A with 10th Mountain Division veterans
2014-12-18 PR-FILING CODE
For Immediate Release
20th Anniversary screening of “fire on the mountain”
Collaborative event includes live auction and Q&A with 10th Mountain Division veterans
Telluride, Colorado (December 19, 2014) – During the last weeks of World War II, an elite division of mountain soldiers, America’s 10th Mountain Division, fought a decisive battle against the Nazis in the Italian Alps. Their victory on Italy’s Apennine Riva Ridge led to a push that ended World War II a week earlier in Italy than the rest of Europe. After the war, the United States’ only mountain and winter warfare troops, the legendary soldiers of the 10th Mountain Division, played a pivotal role in the development of the US ski industry and became the backbone of a national outdoor education and conservation movement.
On Friday, February 6, 2015, veterans from the 10th, along with Telluride filmmakers George and Beth Gage and Colorado Ski and Snowboard Hall of Famer Johnnie Stevens will host the 20th Anniversary screening of “Fire on the Mountain: The Story of the 10th Mountain Division,” at the Sheridan Opera House. In addition to “Fire on the Mountain,” the evening will include short films from Mountainfilm in Telluride, special audience Q&A with 10th Mountain veterans Hugh Evans, Clark Wingate, and Dick Over, and a live auction. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Telluride Historical Museum, Gage and Gage Productions, and the Tenth Mountain Division Foundation.
“We are honored to welcome veterans from the 10th Mountain Division to Telluride for this special event,” commented Erica Kinias, Executive Director of the Telluride Historical Museum. “The combination of screening this award-winning film produced by Telluride locals, Beth and George Gage, in addition to the veterans, allows us to reflect on the sacrifices and experiences of those who served in World War II as well as their later contributions to the nation.”
“Fire on the Mountain” won Grand Prize at the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival in 1995, where it went on to screen at the Sundance Film Festival, on National Geographic TV, at the Department of the Interior, and more. George and Beth Gage are pleased to continue to honor the 10th with their film, saying, “After twenty-plus years, the men of the 10th Mountain Division continue to inspire us.”
In addition to receiving reserved seating at the screening, Patron ticket holders, starting at $250, will have the unique opportunity to view a special curated exhibit of artwork from 10th Mountain Division veteran, Jacques Parker, the only 10th Mountain vet to chronicle the saga of the Division through art from 1943 through the end of the war. Five of Parker’s works, which now reside in the Colorado Ski and Snowboard Museum’s collection, will be on display for the first time. General Admission seating is $25. Tickets for the event are available on the Museum’s website at telluridemuseum.org. Live auction items include original 10th Mountain Division ski equipment, a signed poster from Division veterans, a 10th Mountain Division Hut Association travel package, and more.
For more information, please contact Anne Gerhard, Director of Programs and Exhibits at the Telluride Historical Museum at (970) 728-3344×2, or anne@telluridemuseum.org.
20th Anniversary Screening of “Fire on the Mountain,” A collaborative event includes live auction and Q&A with 10th Mountain Division veterans
December 2014Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration at Schmid Ranch
PR 2014-11-04 Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration at Schmid Ranch
For Immediate Release
The Telluride Historical Museum’s presents this year’s
Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration at Schmid Ranch
The Telluride Historical Museum is once again bringing the holiday cheer this year with its popular 6th Annual Olde Fashioned Christmas Celebration. On Saturday, December 6 from 12-4pm, bring the family to Telluride’s most well-loved holiday tradition at the historic and scenic Schmid Family Ranch on Wilson Mesa.
This December marks the 6th year the Telluride Historical Museum has partnered with the Schmid family to host the Celebration. Every year this free, family event grows with new activities, tasty treats, and crafts. This year, visitors can enjoy horse drawn sleigh rides, visits with Santa, wreath making, and picking out a Christmas tree. Hot cocoa and cowboy coffee will be served alongside tasty chili. It is an outdoor event so be sure to dress warmly.
Located on Wilson Mesa in the shadow of Wilson Peak, the historic Schmid Ranch contains over 900 acres of rolling hills and trees. Designated a Centennial Farm in 1995, the land was first homesteaded by the Schmid family in 1882, growing to a working ranch that harvested hay for Telluride’s livestock.
To this day the ranch is still owned by the Schmid family who are dedicated to sharing their unique property with the community while maintaining a way of life that honors the land. It continues as a working ranch, while also offering lodging, hunting, and film opportunities, like the upcoming Quentin Tarantino film due to begin filming on December 8.
If you’d like to go behind the scenes of this holiday tradition, volunteers are needed! From 11am – 4:15pm for shifts of 1 to 2 hours, enjoy the beauty of Wilson Mesa while lending a hand with our fun activities! Contact Anne Gerhard at 728.3344×2 or anne@telluridemuseum.org for more information.
Haunted Hospital
PR 2014-10-24
For Immediate Release
Tricks and Treats this October
The Telluride Historical Museum brings you Haunted History
Telluride, Colorado (October 24, 2014) With leaves turning and temperatures dropping, the season of ghouls and goblins is upon us, and the Telluride Historical Museum has some tricks and treats up its sleeve again this year.
On Thursdays October 23 and 30, don’t miss the Lamplight Tours of Lone Tree Cemetery. The tours provide an atmospheric evening filled with the inspiring and often tragic stories of the men, women and children who populated Victorian era Telluride. Flashlights are recommended, as are warm layers. Tours meet at the Cemetery on the east end of town at 6:30pm, and tickets are $15, or $10 for Museum Members.
On Halloween night, gather your friends and your courage for this year’s Haunted Hospital. Friday, October 31 from 8-10pm, the Museum will be transformed into a bone-chilling maze of haunted characters from Telluride’s past.
Built in 1896, the Telluride Historical Museum originally served as the town hospital, providing health care to the region for nearly 70 years. Hundreds of sick or injured men, women and children were cared for there, and many souls breathed their last within its walls. See for yourself if the whispers of hauntings and paranormal activity are true this Halloween, the spookiest night of the year. Admission is $10 or $5 with a student ID.
So grab your friends and take in Haunted History with the Telluride Historical Museum this month. See you there! Visit our website at www.telluridemuseum.org for more information.
Questions?
Contact Anne Gerhard, Director of Programs and Exhibits, Telluride Historical Museum (970) 728.3344 x2 and at anne@telluridemuseum.org.
