Page 10 - Senior Link Magazine Summer 2024 - Online Magazine

HONORING SENIORS

Exploring the

Museum of

TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY

by Dr. Aaron D. Pan and Laura Ray

estled in the heart of Lubbock, Texas, the nearly house and a
100-year-old Museum of Texas Tech University morning glory
Noffers a diverse range of captivating exhibitions quilt. The next
and engaging programs that span the cultural and natural Come and See
spectrum of the Southern High Plains and the greater program will be
Southwest. This multidisciplinary university museum this fall Oct. 25-
also conducts groundbreaking research and publishes on 26 in the Helen
a variety of subjects, from bugs to beauty queens. DeVitt Jones
Auditorium.
The museum houses six collecting divisions consisting
of more than 9.5 million objects and specimens, ranking The Illustrator’s
it the 19th largest natural history museum and seventh Book Club,
largest clothing and textile museum in the country. These created by Tracee Robertson, the museum’s Helen DeVitt
collection disciplines include anthropology, art, clothing Jones curator of art, brings art and fiction together in
and textiles, history, natural history, and paleontology. this dynamic program. The book club explores artist
With nine long-term galleries and 10 rotating galleries, illustrators and their works through the books for which
the museum spans nearly 100,000 square feet of exhibition they were produced. The most recent book club meeting
space, allowing all the collection areas to be represented. featured The Mysterious Island by Jules Verne with
A visit to the museum is sure to offer something to stir illustrations by N.C. Wyeth. The book club also gives
curiosity. The exhibitions are curated to ignite excitement, participants an in-depth tour of the Diamond M Gallery,
inspire, and engage the youngest child to the most senior and refreshments are provided. The next iteration of the
visitor. The museum also regularly brings in stimulating book club will feature the serial work, The Newcomes by
traveling exhibitions from around the world and thought- William Makepeace Thackeray, and the painting Clive and
provoking speakers, most recently former NASA Ethel Newcome by Howard Pyle. As a serial work, the book
astronaut Scott Kelly and American creative Marc Balet. club will meet quarterly, starting this fall.

The museum’s programming is particularly notable as it University museums should also be producers of
offers a wide array of topics and experiences, allowing the knowledge, not just conveyers of others’ discoveries and
community to engage with the museum and staff more makings. In this regard, research plays a significant role
fully. "Come and See" is a popular program developed at the Museum of Texas Tech. Two of its internationally
and hosted by Dr. Marian Ann Montgomery, curator recognized units, the Natural Science Research
of clothing and textiles. This program allows visitors to Laboratory (NSRL) and Lubbock Lake Landmark, greatly
get a closer look at objects in the collection and learn the contribute to this part of the mission.
stories, context, and interesting tidbits behind them. Her
most recent program had a “spring” theme including a The NSRL works to build and preserve a library of Earth’s
beautiful floral dress from Oscar de la Renta’s fashion natural heritage for research, teaching, and exhibition

10 Lubbock Senior Link