By Mary Alice Murphy

Amber Rheubottom of Silver City Arts and Cultural District spoke first at the Thursday, June 2, Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce monthly luncheon about the annual Clay Festival, in the absence of Lee Gruber, the founder of the event.

"The ideas for the festival began six years ago," Rheubottom said. "The Arts and Cultural District was looking of a signature event. In 2012, it was a four-day event. In 2016, it will cover nine days from July 23-July 31, with the theme 'From Oaxaca to Santa Fe,' which recognizes the connections across the border."

The event this year will feature 14 workshops, including a writing session; social events; and lectures, including one by Oaxacan Javier Cervantes, an internationally known clay artist. Clay from the Taos Pueblo will be used in a workshop. Offering a one-to-one introduction to clay as a medium will be retired WNMU clay professor Claude Smith. In addition, a film festival will be part of the event, as well as two juried exhibitions, with work from clay artists across the nation and internationally.

Rheubottom said multiple activities for youth are on the schedule, offered by partners.

"We will have a casually elegant gala, musicians at the Clay Market, a mud-pie contest and Clay in the Street," she said. "An Instagram contest seeks to highlight and unify Silver City."

She noted the poker chips for the Clay Poker fundraiser on July 23 are real clay poker chips made each year for the event.

Paul Leetmae of Lawley Toyota asked Rheubottom to talk about the dealership's partnership with the festival.

"It promotes Lawley Toyota and on-the-ground work," she said. "We will announce the dates for the Instagram contest once we get the insurance permit. We ran a similar campaign last year on social media. This year it is called 'Summer Road Trip,' and will feature cars, clay, mud, etc."

Rheubottom noted some events are free, and some charge, especially the workshops. For the lectures, a donation is requested. The youth events are mostly free at the library or for a small fee at the Guadalupe Montessori School.

Dave Thomas, chamber board president, said: "The support and sponsorship of Lawley is second to none."

Cynthia Bettison, Western New Mexico University Museum director, spoke next about the "transformation" of the museum, which she said is a long-awaited project to renovate the museum. "The shop and museum will be open through July 31 for the Clay Festival. To prepare for the transformation, we're packing, we're packing, we're packing. We've been packing since last August. The big phase with the movers starts June 20, but the main floor is open through July 31."

She said a banner front and back will direct people into the museum.

"We are calling it a transformation, because renovation sounds dull," Bettison said. "Transformation sounds exciting."

She showed architectural renderings of the main floor and its new stairs to the upper level. Glass cases will use the space under the stairs and hold pottery and artifacts. A new glass railing will go around the mezzanine. Windows will be uncovered, "so the landscape that inspired the potters will be brought into the exhibits. The landscape had a lot to do with why they lived here."

She said large cases with windows to look through to see the back of future exhibits will be installed. Heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, as well as a fire suppression system and upgraded security will be part of the transformation. "When we have funds, we will put in computers, so it is interactive. The gift shop will be all glass, steel and wood, with the Fleming buggy on top, because it's Fleming Hall. The west side of the museum will feature Mimbres and other prehistoric cultures. The east side will be WNMU history and mining history. With the open windows, you will be able to see the Kneeling Nun."

Bettison will be writing grants for the touch-screen computers, where up to 36 people will be able to interact. "We plan a map of the Nan Ranch layer by layer as the archaeologists went through the site. Museums today are not just for adults, but are interactive. We will do one on the history of Western New Mexico University and Silver City."

For the second floor plan, most things will not change, although the windows will be open with a UV screen. "We will retain some things the same, with a door open to the old classroom. One of the main things we are going to do is make two rooms as visible display storage, like going into the back room of a museum. Collections will be on display. This is a big deal for me."

She showed cases that the museum had purchased from Conner Fine Jewelry when it went out of business. "This room will periodically be closed if an archaeologist is at work."

"The museum will close to the public on August 1," Bettison said. "Some time in mid-August, we will have a nice display cabinet and small gift shop set up at Watts Hall.

"Finally we will be a real museum," she continued. "The $3.2 million cost includes almost everything. The estimate for construction is eight to 12 months, with two to four months required to put the exhibits back together. The small display will be available to view Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Watts."

Chamber President Scott Terry said the July meeting on July 7 would feature Matt Schultz of the Gila National Forest talking about the management plan.