JULY 28, 2010

Cave Creek Museum seeks Japanese Flag, Antique Bottles, and volunteers

CAVE CREEK – Though Cave Creek Museum is closed for the summer, much is happening behind the scenes to prepare for the new season. The Museum has two very separate needs and is seeking the public’s assistance.

Japanese Flag and Antique Bottles Sought for New Exhibits
As Cave Creek Museum prepares to re-open for the new season on Friday, Oct. 1, it is seeking a Japanese flag for its new Military exhibit. The exhibit will pay tribute to veterans of “then and now” with a special emphasis on local community members who served our nation so valiantly.

“Now more than ever, we need to honor and support our veterans,” said Evelyn Johnson, executive director of Cave Creek Museum. “The world is in such a state of turmoil, and we hope visitors will find our exhibit significant and empowering.”

The Museum is also seeking antique bottles and historical flasks that date back more than 50 years for a special exhibit designed to showcase the various uses and designs of the bottles.

“We’re having fun planning this exhibit. We have several bottles in our collection room, but we’re seeking all types, from perfume, baby, oil, and apothecary to milk, soda, sarsaparilla, tonic, bitters, and medicinal,” Johnson said.

The Museum is also planning to add a new “Homesteading Along the Creek” exhibit, which will greet visitors as they enter the Museum. A new art exhibit will highlight the works of renowned local artists, such as Johnny Hampton, Ray Swanson, and Lon Megargee. In addition, the Archaeology Wing will include items from an archaeological dig on the Shoger property. Artifacts from this site have never been exhibited before at the Museum.

Call for Volunteers of All Ages:
The Museum is seeking volunteers of all ages for a variety of positions, including docents and special project-based positions. Experience is not necessary, though a background in public speaking, education, hospitality, retail and merchandising, construction, and digital media will be helpful. Docent training orientations for volunteers are being planned.

While volunteers are needed now to build new exhibits, the Museum is in need of volunteers throughout the season for two very large ongoing projects: Digitizing more than 20,000 documents and work to restore the historic Golden Reef Stamp Mill, Cave Creek’s original 10 stamp mill believed to date back to 1880.

“These are two huge projects. We have nearly 20,000 documents from our research library that need to be digitized and we welcome more help,” Johnson said. “And, while we’ve made tremendous progress restoring the Stamp Mill, we’re in need of more muscle and materials. We also have a great need for fundraising assistance so we can secure donations and materials for construction of the structure and machinery of the 10 stamp feet and shoes.”

For more details or to volunteer, call 480-488-2764, or visit www.cavecreekmuseum.org.