Monday, Aug. 23, 2010 | 6:34 p.m.
News that the Lied Discovery Children's Museum will leave the cultural corridor for the Smith Center didn't surprise anyone who's followed the center's courtship.
But paired with the recent closing of the Reed Whipple Cultural Center to the public, it raises questions about the health of the corridor.
"I'm sorry to see the Children's Museum go," says Marilyn Gillespie, director of the Natural History Museum and president of the Cultural Corridor Coalition. "But it's certainly not the end of the Cultural Corridor. We're still the highest concentration of cultural institutions."
Those include the Neon Museum, which is in the middle of a renovation of its Boneyard; the Mormon Fort; Cashman Center; the Las Vegas Library; and the Natural History Museum, which recently expanded.
"There are so many advantages to this site," Gillespie says. "We're just seconds off the freeway and have a recognizable address on Las Vegas Boulevard."
And improvements are planned, including banners by artist Marty Kreloff and a pedestrian bridge over the boulevard. Says Gillespie, "Our hope is that we'll be able to entice another cultural institution looking for a home."
- The 40,000-square-foot Museum is committed to providing multiple family-friendly educational programs focused on the sciences, environment, natural history, humanities and Nevada as an accredited nonprofit museum with the American Alliance of Museums, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, and a member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers.
- Its nearby federal and state of Nevada repository is committed to increasing understanding of the past through the preservation, curation and research of fossils and archaeological artifacts recovered in Nevada.
- Through compliance with the standards and best practices in the field, the Museum will continue to develop characteristics of excellence as it strives toward world-class museum standards.
- To meet the needs of a growing community, the Museum will ensure good stewardship of collections and continue to evolve to reflect community visitor-centered best practices.
- While ensuring the financial stability of the organization, the interests, values and sensibilities of families will always serve as the core for Museum programming. Admission fees and hours of operation of the Museum will also allow for maximum accessibility for the Las Vegas community.
- To best share the valuable resources available through the Museum, the Museum team will promote and effectively communicate with the public about its cultural, historic and scientific programs and exhibitions.
- The Dinosaur Ball is the Museum’s annual fundraiser that raises much-needed support for Museum programming.
- The Museum Partnership Program provides unforgettable museum experiences and year-round benefits. Partnerships are available at $2,500, $5,000 and $10,000—or contact us to customize your partner perks to meet your goals and interests. Learn more at lvnhm.org/museum-partnership-program.
- Be part of history, one brick at a time. The walkway into the Museum is made up of permanent bricks that can be engraved for $250 per brick.
— Originally published in Las Vegas Weekly
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