Chalk Art Contest

The Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame invites artists of all ages to participate in first ever Chalk Art Competition on June 30, 2018. The theme this year is “America the Beautiful.” Artists will create their entries on the sidewalks in front of the Museum between 8 am and 11:30 am. Judging will take place at 12 pm and prizes will be awarded at 1:30 pm.

Space is limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.

Competition is divided into 3 groups: Grades K-5; Grades 6-12; and Adult

$5 entry fee – secures your spot and includes your chalk. All artists will use chalk issued by the Museum. 

$500 in prizes sponsored by Estacado Federal Credit Union. 1st, 2nd and 3rd places will be awarded in each division.

ALL ARTWORK must be appropriate for public viewing by all age groups. The Museum reserves the right to remove any artwork that does not comply.

DEADLINE: Completed registration forms must be received by 4:00 pm on Thursday, June 28, 2018. Space is limited to the first 30 paid entries.

For more information call 575-492-2678

Click here for the registration form

Chartering Freedom

June 14 - October 20, 2018

The simple truth at the heart of the American Revolution is that people are born with certain natural rights, including "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." These and other rights of the American people are secured by this nation's founding documents, known collectovely as the Charters of Freedom: the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

The documents reproduced in this exhibition chronicle the creation of the Charters and their impact on events in this country and around the world. They reveal the story of earlier generations of Americans who had both the vision to see a better world and the audacity to build it.

"Chartering Freedom" is an exhibition featuring reproductions of the Charters of Freedom and other milestone documents that chronicle the conception, creation, and implementation of the Founding Fathers' vision.

This exhibition was created by the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, and is traveled by the National Archives Traveling Exhibits Service.

The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice: Sandra Day O'Connor

June 14-November 4, 2018

Prior to Sandra Day O'Connor, no other female in the United States had been given as heavy and as public a yoke to carry in representing women, the West and in turn the best interests of the nation. President Ronald Reagan appointed Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to the United States Supreme Court in 1981; she was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court since its inception in the late 1700s.

The exhibition features family and public-life photos, ranch artifacts on loan from the Day family, and selected editorial cartoons. Arid desert scenes are juxtaposed with the confirmation hearings and the publicity that surrounded the future Justice.

The Cowgirl Who Became a Justice: Sandra Day O'Connor was organized by the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame.

Museum Rental

Do you need a place to host your next event?  Look no further than the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame.  We have a variety of spaces available for different sized events at a great price.  Events we have hosted in the past include meetings, luncheons, banquets, wedding/baby showers, birthday parties, weddings, concerts, book clubs and book signings.  We'll work with you on making our spaces work for your event.  Be aware that some spaces and options may NOT be available depending on the exhibits in the Museum at the time.  Let's take a look at some of the spaces available for rent.

The theater is a great place to host meetings.  Our theater-style chairs seat up to 140 and we have a variety of technical options including:  projector, dvd/blu-ray, laptop, and sound system.  The theater has also been the location of birthday parties with their favorite movies.  Other events have included graduations, dance recitals and concerts.  Four hours in the theater will cost $250.

If you need a smaller meeting space, our conference room seats up to 15 and costs $50/hr.

Looking for a banquet space?  The Chuckwagon Room and our Patio are great options.  The Chuckwagon Room availability will depend on what exhibit is in the gallery at the time, but if available, it can seat comfortably 150 people and it will be $250 for the first four hours.  The patio is available for day or night events and can sit about 200 people.  We have coolers for the summer months.  The patio costs $300 for the first four hours.

There are several other spaces you can check out and, if interested, we'll quote you a price.  Check out our Rental Agreement for more information or email Darrell Beauchamp at dbeauchamp@nmjc.edu.

Dr. Samantha Uhrig

Dr. Samantha “Sammie” Uhrig, DVM from the Desert Willow Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Carlsbad, NM is the featured speaker.  

            

Dr. “Sammie” as is lovingly known, was born and raised on a cattle ranch outside of Carlsbad, New Mexico. She spent most of her time working on 4-H projects and studying wildlife. In 1988, she obtained her state and federal permits to rehabilitate wildlife, and she and her mother began operating a wildlife rehabilitation facility at the family ranch. They cared for everything from songbirds and hawks to deer and raccoons. In 1998, Dr. Uhrig received her degrees in Wildlife Biology and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Colorado State University and went on to complete a Master’s of Science degree in Clinical Sciences, specializing in recognition and treatment of pain in animals. 

Upon her return to Carlsbad, Dr. Uhrig opened her mobile veterinary practice, providing a variety of veterinary services to the residents of Eddy County.

Worms

To the membership receiving the email newsletters for the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame or the Western Heritage Horticultural Society, ya’ll need to come and see this exciting In the Dark exhibit. Bring your kids and grandchildren, even the deep down little kid in you will connect to the exhibit displays and bring back childhood memories.

Helen, from West Texas, Seminole, THANK YOU for the phone call and conversation about this exhibit and what Dr. Dirt was adding to the displays, especially the “living soil profile series”. I greatly enjoyed that one and learned a lot.  Thank you for comments and coming to see the “In the Dark” exhibit too. Dr. Dirt will be adding more information along the way.

Question: What are some other interesting facts about worms in the soil, my yard and garden?

Answer: The term ‘worm’ can have several meanings. Generally, a worm is an immature larval stage of insects, which can be good or bad. Example, caterpillars on plants. Is that worm eating your favorite flower? Bad worm! As this worm pupates, lives to make a cocoon and lives in it for a while and then emerges turning into a beautiful butterfly. Now, this butterfly has become a great pollinator. Other worms, change into hard shell beetles and not so pretty and do damage as living adults.

What I think you are referring to, is the earthworms. They are very beneficial to the soil and they do not eat your favorite flowers roots either.

Did you Know – Facts:

Depending on soil quality, there can be 250,000-1.75 million earthworms per acre of land, in the common soils of Lea County it's closer to the 250,000…lots of worms!

Here’s an interesting note. An average farm with livestock, the weight of the worms beneath the soil’s surface will likely outweigh the livestock that walk on top.

Earthworms can consume half to one times their body weight every day. They are nature's garbage disposers and consume a wide variety of organic matter, tiny rocks; enriching the soil profile.

Certain earthworms can live up to 50-years old and other types living up to 4-8 years of age. Many only live for 1-2years as they are the bottom of the food chain for a great hosts of other animal life.

There are 6,000 species of earthworms known, and a 120 species are widely dispersed around the world.

David Hooten -AKA, Dr. Dirt

The Bear

New Antiquities Theatre Company Opens The Bear

The Bear, a comedy by Anton Chekhov, is being produced by New Antiquities Theatre
Company on February 23 and 24 and March 2 and 3 at 7:30 PM at the Western Heritage
Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of Fame. Tickets are $10 general admission and $7
students and seniors. Directed by Artistic Director Nathan R. Miles and featuring community
performers, The Bear is a hilarious examination of relationships and the battle of the sexes.

In the play, a landowner comes to claim a debt from a young widow who, out of grief,
refuses to see him in an attempt to prove to her faithless dead husband that women are more
loyal than men. Their quarrel escalates into a duel that so impresses the landowner that he falls
madly in love and proposes in this romantic comedy. Tyler Bunch plays Smirnov the landowner,
while Executive Director Marissa Davis plays Popov the bereaved widow. Rounding out the cast
is HHS Art teacher John McMillan and NMJC student Corben Pettigrew sharing the role of
Luka the servant. While physical comedy plays a part, much of the humor in the play comes
from the characters’ lack of self-knowledge and awareness. Both Smirnov and Popov are
examples of alazons, figures made ridiculous by pretending to be more than they actually are.

“The play is absolutely hilarious. It's a beautiful mix of physical, psychological, and
emotional comedy. You'll have an amazing night if you have half as much fun watching as we
did putting it together,” said company member John McMillan who is making his New
Antiquities debut with this production.

While written in 1888, the current production eschews a historical time period for a more
contemporary one. The theater at the Western Heritage Museum has been transformed into the
drawing room on Popov’s estate, providing just enough context for the audience to form an
impression while still allowing them to use their imaginations to fill in the gaps.

The Bear by Anton Chekhov, directed by Nathan R. Miles. Performances Feb. 23, 24, and
Mar. 2 and 3 at 7:30 PM at the Western Heritage Museum and Lea County Cowboy Hall of
Fame. Tickets: $10 general admission, $7 students and seniors. Tickets available at the door the
evening of performances. Cast includes: Tyler Bunch, Marissa Davis, John McMillan (Feb. 23
and 24) and Corben Pettigrew (Mar. 2 and 3). Taylor Marler is the Stage Manager for the
production.