Recent acts of violence against Black people have left us sad and angry. We recognize that these high-profile events are the latest in the long history of brutality against people of color in our nation. We must all be part of the solution to stop the killing, marginalization, and repression based solely on the color of a person’s skin.
Black lives matter. It’s not enough for us to make a statement about what we believe. We must use our platform in the world to take action.
As I pass the one year mark as Director here at MNA, I look back on a memorable and sometimes challenging year. From the Museum Fire last year to a Pandemic in 2020, our staff, volunteers and members have demonstrated resilience, imagination, flexibility and their passion for MNA. After many weeks working from home, some of the museum staff are now gradually and gratefully returning to their offices, after undergoing training to further enhance their safety while at work. From increased cleaning and socially distanced meetings to wearing masks when together, we are adjusting to new ways of working safely. We will be equally cautious reopening to the public. We are currently planning so that you can come and experience the museum in a safe and enjoyable way. To see some of the changes we are putting in place, I invite you to join the virtual tour of the museum on June 18, as we continue to bring the museum to you, until you can come to us. I look forward to that day. It is the people of MNA, all of you included, who make this museum the remarkable place it is. Thank you for being a part of MNA, and for helping to make my first year here such an enjoyable and rewarding time.
May brings new leaves to plants, longer days, and an awakening animal kingdom. This month at MNA our online offerings focus on the natural world. Join us for presentations on garden plants and soil; learn more about dragonflies, owls and reptiles; become a dinosaur detective with Dinosaur Dave; and channel your inner artist by painting the landscape. May is also the month we celebrate Mother’s Day. MNA’s gift shop is open for online business with a wonderful range of gifts. Finally, these are challenging times for all of us and there are many needs in our community. If you are able, I would encourage you to support those causes closest to you on #GivingTuesday, including MNA. Your support helps us to create new programs, educate our communities, and share the joy and wonder of the Colorado Plateau. Thank you for being a part of MNA.
Message from Mary – Thank you for keeping up with news from MNA by subscribing to this eNewletter. In it, we are able to share new developments at the museum, upcoming events, and new initiatives. Despite the fact that our…
Message from Mary – Not surprisingly, this newsletter presents a very different range of activities and events than you will be used to seeing. While our community is staying at home, we are finding new ways to connect with you…
Message from Mary – The museum’s exhibit building remains closed to visitors until city and state officials determine it is safe for gathering space to reopen. During this time of closure, it’s our intent to keep the museum staff working…
Message from Mary – This is an exciting week at MNA, starting with winning a Viola Award For Excellence in the Visual Arts forThe Force Is With Our People. We’ll cap the week by opening another marvelous exhibition, Liberating Landscape, that features…
Message from Mary – As I read this ‘Museum E-News’, I am struck by the wonderful diversity of activity here at the Museum of Northern Arizona. Our Venture trips are an opportunity to go out and about in the amazing…
Message from Mary – Audience research shows that visiting museums is largely a social event. People come to museums with family and friends. Sharing the experience of art and culture opens new conversations and creates shared memories. With Valentine’s Day…
Message from Mary – Glancing regularly at the glistening peaks is one of the perks of working at MNA, and not just the ones I can see out the window. Tony Foster’s paintings of Mt. Everest provide breathtaking views of…
Message from Mary – January can be a time to hunker down, stay warm and retreat from the world. You will see from the activities below, we at the Museum of Northern Arizona give a good reason to leave the…
Message from Mary – Happy New Year! As we begin a new year and a new decade, our thoughts often turn to new beginnings and to New Year resolutions. These resolutions are often around improving our health and happiness. Growing…
Join us for the 14th Annual Gala “To Go”
The Gala To Go can be enjoyed from the comfort of your own home, or you can reserve a time for a VIP visit to the museum. Either way, you will have access to performances, special talks by museum experts, and an online auction.
Find details and buy tickets at musnaz.org/gala
Message from Mary – Whether lighting candles or strings of lights, this is a time of year we come together with loved ones. It’s also a great time to bring them to the museum, where all ages and interests can…
Message from Mary – In this time of giving thanks, we at MNA have much to be grateful for, starting with the donors who have stepped forward to help us preserve 36 acres of the Colton Meadows. This gives us great…
Message from Mary – I hope to see you this weekend at the opening of Searching for a Bigger Subject, an exhibition of stunning watercolors by Tony Foster that compares two spectacular landscapes – the Grand Canyon and Mt. Everest. For…
Message from Mary – Nationally November is now recognized as Native American Heritage Month, which is a good step forward for the country. At MNA we have celebrated the people of the Colorado Plateau for more than 90 years, so…
Science and art have always gone hand-in-hand at MNA, and there is plenty of both coming up. From afterschool workshops to twilight talks to a Harvest Festival in the garden, the museum has something happening nearly every day during the…
The final Thirsty Thursday is this week, so summer must be coming to an end, but the fun and discovery continues. On Saturday enjoy a day-long celebration of the Colorado River with music, dance, art and science talks. A few…
These summer days are filled with fun, from dinosaur science on Saturday and a classical concert on Sunday to reggae-rock at Thirsty Thursdays and then an award-winning film about an international artist next weekend. Become a Member Museum Shop Donate…
We’ve all survived the fire and realized again how much we have to be thankful for – this beautiful land, those dedicated fire fighters, the just-in-time beginning of the monsoon rains. MNA is extending an invite to all the fire…
Buy a rug, “cut a rug” or come see a rug this month at MNA. The annual Navajo Rug Auction on July 20 provides an opportunity to buy works of woven art while directly supporting the artists, MNA and the…
We’re seeing signs of summer at MNA. Thirsty Thursdays start this week, our favorite family date night. The big tent is also going up, getting ready for Shakespeare performances this weekend and the Gala on June 22. The Discovery Camp…
The summer festival season begins on Memorial Day Weekend with a celebration of Zuni culture, and this year the summer festivals will include tours of the Easton Collection Center and garden workshops, in addition to traditional music and dance performances…
Click here for more information Dear Members and Friends, I invite you to join the MNA Board and staff in welcoming Mary Kershaw as the new Executive Director/CEO of the Museum. A seasoned museum professional, Mary comes to MNA…
MNA members have the most fun and the best perks. Just look at everything that’s coming up, from the Mother’s Day Sale starting Saturday (just for members) to the special barbecue with the artists at this year’s Zuni Festival Member…
Earth Day is an annual reminder of our impacts and responsibility to the planet. MNA has a new exhibition and several events exploring how humans interact with our environment, including an artist collaborative using native plants to restore a tract…
Gazing into the vastness of the Grand Canyon, one can have the false sense that we are looking at something so ancient and expansive that it must be impervious to humans. While the Grand Canyon has been a natural wonder…
March comes to an end this weekend, and with it the exhibition Pivot: Skateboard Deck Art. If you, or someone you know, hasn’t seen it, or if you want to get one last look at all that vibrant and diverse…
It’s Archaeology Month and MNA has lots of ways to learn and celebrate. Sign yourself up for the Behind-the-Scenes Archaeology tour, come hear the history of Tim’s Cave from the man who found it, or bring the kids to STEAM…
Bring the kids or grandkids to MNA at 2 pm Saturday for some fishy fun. While you’re at it, sign them up for a week of fun at spring break camp. And if you haven’t seen the exhibition of Santa…
Click here for more information There’s lots to love at MNA this February, with talks, storytelling workshops and the opening of an exhibition of live honeypot ants. We’re also pleased to introduce our interim director, Dr.…
Mariachi Sol Azteca from Tuscon, Flagstaff Ballet Folklorico de Colores, local artists, other musicians to entertain the public Oct. 20-21 FLAGSTAFF — Celebrate Mexican cultural traditions at the 15th Annual Celebraciones de la Gente, a lively Day of the Dead…
Photos by Frank X. Moraga / AmigosNAZ ©2017 From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — The Jaime Major Golightly Historic Courtyard was aglow with the flickering of hundreds of candles during the opening night reception of the 2017 Celebraciones de la Gente. The…
Photos by Frank X. Moraga / AmigosNAZ ©2017 From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — A record number of families lined up to take part in a sugar skull workshop before heading to attend dance, musical performances and cultural lectures during…
Photos by Frank X. Moraga / AmigosNAZ ©2017 From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — A rousing performance by NAU Mar y Sol and the always moving blessing of the ofrendas closing ceremony highlighted the final day of the 14th annual…
FLAGSTAFF — The Museum of Northern Arizona will present its annual Youth Fest from 11 a.m.to4 p.m. Saturday, April 22. Free. Calling all youth! Join us for a fun-filled Saturday as we celebrate children from across the Colorado Plateau. Experience the artistry of…
From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — It is always a special feeling when Museum of Northern Arizona members walk in the Jaime Major Golightly Historic Courtyard to view the flickering of hundreds of candles during the opening night reception of Celebraciones de la…
From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — Amid unseasonable warm weather, the 2016 Celebraciones de la Gente got to an auspicious start with families lining up to take part in a sugar skull workshop before heading to attend dance and…
From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — Children, and their parents, began the day decorating sugar skulls with activities progressing to musical and dance performances and educational programs during the second day of the 2016 Celebraciones de la Gente. The sugar…
FLAGSTAFF — The Day of the Dead celebration continues at the Museum of Northern Arizona, museum officials reported. Learn the traditional dances of Mexico in a lesson with Ballet Folklorico de Colores de Flagstaff and create Day of the Dead…
FLAGSTAFF — Final preparations were completed by Friday afternoon with the hanging of strings of papel picado and the adornment of nearly two dozen altars at the Museum of Northern Arizona as Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces prepared for the 12th annual Celebraciones de…
Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces will present a sugar skull-making workshop as part of its monthly First Friday art event at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 2 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church Cultural Center, 224 S. Kendrick St., Flagstaff. Participants will learn…
From AmigosNAZ staff reports It was a weekend filled with music, entertainment, and, most importantly, reverence for those who have gone before us as Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces and the Museum of Northern Arizona partnered for the 11th annual Celebraciones de…
Museum member’s reception on Oct. 24 FLAGSTAFF — Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces and the Museum of Northern Arizona will present the 11th annual Celebracíones de la Gente on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 25 and 26 at the museum. Scheduled entertainment includes Mariachi Sol…
Celebraciones de la Gente in Flagstaff, Día de los Muertos events in Sedona, Winslow part of growing movement By Frank X. Moraga / AmigosNAZ Soon the aroma of marigolds and copal incense will waft through the air, beckoning spirits to…
Events include salsa festival, Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces First Friday Art Walk, and Hispanic independence celebrations in Sedona, Flagstaff By Frank X. Moraga / AmigosNAZ It’s last-minute planning time for upcoming Hispanic Heritage Month events in Northern Arizona. While the month is officially celebrated…
From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — The day began with a sugar skull-making workshop and progressed to musical and dance performances and educational programs, concluding with the moving closing ceremonies at the 10th annual Celebraciones de la Gente, presented on Oct.…
From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — From the creation of family altars, and a last-minute courtyard wide Oaxaca-style cemetery scene, to the moving closing ceremonies including the blessing of the altars, members of the Museum of Northern Arizona and the public…
From AmigosNAZ staff reports FLAGSTAFF — Musical and dance performances, lectures, along with arts and crafts demonstrations highlighted the opening day for the public at the 10th annual Celebraciones de la Gente, presented on Oct. 26, 2013 by the Museum…
AmigosNAZ staff report FLAGSTAFF — Despite of some last-minute excitement regarding an under-renovation courtyard, Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces and the Museum of Northern Arizona successfully celebrated opening night for museum members of the 10th anniversary of Celebraciones de la Gente on Oct.…
AmigosNAZ staff report FLAGSTAFF — Members of Flagstaff Nuestras Raíces will be busy late this week setting up their family altars / ofrendas, stringing papel picado and getting everything ready for the 10th annual Celebraciones de la Gente, which will begin…
FLAGSTAFF — The commemorative poster for the 10th anniversary of Celebraciones de la Gente will go on sale starting the evening of Friday, Oct. 25 at the Museum of Northern Arizona in Flagstaff during the member-only reception. The 8.5 by…
Celebraciones de la Gente returns to Museum of Northern Arizona on Oct. 26-27 By Frank X. Moraga / AmigosNAZ As Armando Gonzalez and Theresa Thomas tell it, about a dozen years ago Flagstaff’s Latino community seemed on the verge of…
