The Silver City Museum Society has just received a generous grant of $8,484 from New Mexico Humanities Council, New Mexico's independent affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, to support the Museum's exhibition 50 Years Ago in Silver City and related public programs. The grant will support advertising, exhibition expenses, and public programming.

The Silver City Museum marks its 50th Anniversary with an exhibition, "50 Years Ago in Silver City," and a series of interactive public events to encourage remembrance and dialog about a range of aspects of shared history in Silver City and Grant County. Revisit the era that brought greater consciousness to issues of historic preservation, civil rights, and social justice, that looked towards the future of space travel and technological innovation, and that produced much loved cars and music.

To kick off this great award and milestone for the Silver City Museum, join us for the opening reception on May 19th from 4pm to 6pm. This is a free event and open to the public. Enjoy light refreshments and come dressed in your best 1960s attire! There will also be a prize for grooviest get-up.

The Silver City Museum officially opened to the public July 1, 1967. At the time, the former H.B. Ailman residence was utilized by the Town of Silver City as its firehouse. A group of concerned citizens asked if the house could be repurposed as a museum, and the rest is history. The exhibition, 50 Years Ago in Silver City, aims to commemorate the events of 50 years ago impacts the community today.

In partnership with community members, the Silver City Museum will host a series of interactive public panel events to encourage remembrance and dialogue about a range of aspects of shared history in Silver City and Grant County.

The panel programs are as follows: July 20, 12 pm - 1 pm From Firehouse to Museum. August 10, 12 pm - 1 pm Silver City Pop Culture. September 21, 12 pm - 1 pm, Segregation in Grant County. October 12, 12 pm - 1 pm, Local Policing in the Late 1960s. November 9, 12 pm - 1 pm, Before and After Vietnam. The community will bring a shared experience to celebrate and commemorate not only 50 years of the Museum's existence, but moreover all of the unique and diverse qualities that define Silver City and Grant County.

In collaboration with the New Mexico History Museum, Silver City Public Library, and Bayard Public Library, the Silver City Museum will host Turn On, Tune In ' a 3-day Digital Storytelling Workshop about and inspired by the 1960s and 1970s counter-culture in New Mexico from September 29th through October 1st. Following the workshop will be a public listening event on October 14th.

All community panels and the Turn On, Tune In workshop will be hosted at the Silver City Museum Annex at 302 W. Broadway.

Thanks to the New Mexico Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities, all events and programs for 50 Years Ago in Silver City are free to the public.