Telluride Museum: “Treasure Maps Of Southwest” Opens 6/2

The Telluride Historical Museum celebrates the opening of its latest annual exhibit “Treasure Maps: Cartography of the American Southwest.” The free event takes place Thursday, June 2, 6-8 p.m.  and is open to all ages. Complimentary adult refreshments and appetizers served, plus exciting activities for all ages.

“The community has come together to make this exhibit possible. From the maps themselves to the Augmented Reality Sandbox, the Museum has been able to use local resources to create a world-class exhibit,” said Lucas Fredericks, programs & exhibits coordinator.

Because maps are necessarily a compromise of the limited resources and imperfect knowledge at the time they were created, “Treasure Maps: Cartography of the American Southwest” explores the shifting perspectives and endless possibilities of the region, as well as the inaccuracies, blank spaces, and mythical elements associated with its exploration and development.

Collaborating with the Telluride Mountain School, Pinhead Institute, Telluride Institute, The Hub, and Alpine Lumber, the Museum created an Augmented Reality Sandbox, a special feature of the show. In particular, Telluride Mountain School students, who studied the geography of Hawaii on their recent spring experiential learning trip, worked diligently on design and construction in order to have the sandbox prepared for the opening.

“This is our favorite sort of collaboration: amazing science with a hands-on element. I was thrilled when Lucas at the Museum reached out to see if Pinhead was interested in joining in the fun!,” said Sarah Holbrooke, executive director, Pinhead.

The AR Sandbox uses a projector and a three-dimensional camera to view the surface of the sand and project real-time topographic lines onto its surface. It also simulates watersheds. After the exhibit closes in March 2017, the sandbox will be co-owned by Pinhead Institute, Telluride Mountain School, and Telluride Institute and become a vital and dynamic component of the community watershed curriculum.

For more information, please contact Lucas Fredericks at the Telluride Historical Museum at (970) 728-3344 x 4, or email lucas@telluridemuseum.org.