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Press Releases
Contact Person: Lynn Brittner, Executive Director
Company Name: Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum
Phone: 970/563-9583 | Fax: 970/563-4641
Email: succm@southern-ute.nsn.us
Website: www.southernutemuseum.org
Rich Cultural Heritage Awaits Visitors to New Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum
IGNACIO, CO., December 2010—Travelers seeking the ultimate authentic cultural experience can expect to feel a powerful connection to Native Americans when they visit the new Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum in Ignacio, Colo., next summer. Construction is on schedule for completion of the 52,000 square-foot-facility to open in June 2011.
The building’s iconic shape has been inspired by the Southern Utes’ recognition of the circle of life that connects past, present and future generations. Its setting features a formal meadow for gathering with an outdoor kitchen, meandering stream, and native trees and grasses that reflect the Tribe’s intimate, respectful relationship with the land throughout time.
Designed as a multi-sensory experience, the dynamic exhibit spaces combine rare artifacts of Ute and other Native American people through texts, photographs and high-quality, flat-screen DVD presentations. The museum’s professionally-maintained collections contain more than 1,500 artifacts and dozens of oral histories recorded by Southern Ute Tribal Members. Educational programs are being developed for families, school children and visitors from the Four Corners area and around the world.
The museum has been designed by Seattle-based Jones & Jones Architects and Landscape Architects, Ltd., with input from Southern Utes of all ages and groups. Architect Johnpaul Jones, with Cherokee-Choctaw heritage, was also one of the lead designers of the National Museum of the American Indian on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Multi-dimension exhibits have been created by West Office Exhibition Design, based in Oakland, Calif.
More information is at www.southernutemuseum.org.
