The Mesa Verde Association is a joint membership program of the Mesa Verde Museum Association and the Mesa Verde Foundation. Your MVA membership supports both of these 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

The Mesa Verde Museum Association (tax ID 84-1404606) provides educational and interpretive material to visitors of Mesa Verde National Park through an active publishing program and the operation of retail bookstores online, in the park, and in Cortez, CO. Our services enhance the visitor experience and promote stewardship of Mesa Verde's world-renowned archeological resources and natural landscapes. Proceeds from all Association operations are donated to the park's interpretive, research, and education programs.

Mesa Verde Foundation (tax ID 84-046967)
funds capital improvements, projects, and programs for Mesa Verde National Park. Our projects include partial funding for the new Visitor and Research Center at the park's entrance, rehabilitation of the horse facilities at Morefield to support the park's historic horse patrol, funding for important stabilization work at Cliff Palace, and funding of a Lecture Series at Mesa Verde.

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Welcome to "Verde Views," the e-newsletter for Mesa Verde Association members and friends. This periodic publication will keep you informed about Association news and events, park happenings, new products and special sales.

Second Annual Rims to Ruins Art Event Promises to be Spectacular

Walking on Water by Barry Eisenach

Mesa Verde Foundation's 2nd annual Rims to Ruins art exhibition and sale will feature works of art from 31 nationally recognized western artists. Artists gathered together in May at Mesa Verde National Park for three days of painting throughout the park and within the ruins. The fall exhibition and sale will be at The Wildlife Experience Museum (on Lincoln Avenue, just off of I-25 south of Denver) on Wednesday November 5, 2014, beginning at 5 p.m. New this year, Rims to Ruins will add sculpture and a "Smalls Wall" to the exhibition. This year, the works of art range from the ruins of the Ancestral Puebloans to the spectacular Southwestern landscapes, capturing the magic and grandeur of the park. Proceeds will go to the Mesa Verde Foundation and Mesa Verde National Park.

"Mesa Verde Foundation is very pleased to be presenting the second annual Rims to Ruins art event in 2014," says Judy Grant, chair of the MVF board of directors. "This program that debuted last year has helped the foundation raise critical funds for Mesa Verde National Park, a cultural and archaeological treasure here in Colorado of which we all are so proud."

We look forward to having you with us to view and purchase these incredible works by nationally celebrated artists. Tickets to the opening reception and sale are $75; please make reservations in advance at www.mesaverdefoundation.org, or by calling 303-321-3120. The exhibition runs through January 4, 2015.

This year, even more southwest and western artists from around the nation are joining the event, along with a few select sculptors such as Gerald Balciar, best known for his bronzes of animals.

"I hope this event will draw attention to the park and bring in more visitors," says Balciar. "I also hope it would make the public more aware that it's over there, especially people in the Denver area. Some of them have never been to that corner of the state."

Grant continues, "Because of the success of Rims to Ruins in 2013, we were able to help fund the renovation of the park's historic horse patrol barn and corrals and to sponsor the Four Corners Lecture Series that took place in the park this summer. We look forward to welcoming patrons this year to celebrate outstanding western art while helping preserve a true American icon."

Last Light, Square Tower by Robert Peters

Little Smuggler by George Hallmark

Nobody's Home by Jim Wilcox

Celebrate National Park Service Anniversary with Waived Park Admission

Mesa Verde National Park will mark the 98th birthday of the National Park Service on Monday, August 25, 2014. To celebrate, admission to Mesa Verde National Park and all other national parks will be free.

The National Park Service was established on August 25, 1916. The United States was the first country in the world to set aside its most significant places as national parks so that they could be enjoyed by all. Today, the NPS cares for 401 national parks throughout the country - each one an important part of our collective identity. Some parks commemorate notable people and achievements, others conserve magnificent landscapes and natural wonders, and all provide a place to have fun and learn something. Plan your visit at www.nps.gov/findapark.

Additional fee free days for 2014 for National Park Service units are:

September 27 (National Public Lands Day)

November 11 (Veterans Day)

2014 Fall Backcountry Hikes and Yucca House Tours - Tickets Now Available Online!

Mesa Verde National Park is again offering backcountry experiences in 2014. These ranger-guided hikes include a four-hour hike into Upper Navajo Canyon, and a four-hour hike on Wetherill Mesa. Basics of each hike are listed below, with detailed information online. Tickets are limited and must be purchased online at www.recreation.gov or at 1-877-444-6777.

Wetherill Mesa Experience is a four-mile, four-hour easy-to-moderate hike which rewards hikers with expansive canyon views, spectacular views of cliff dwellings, and the natural beauty of Wetherill Mesa in the autumn. This is a good introduction to the story of the Ancestral Pueblo people, the environment in which they lived, and the ecology of the pinyon-juniper woodlands. Bring binoculars for cross-canyon views of multiple cliff dwellings. This hike is available from September 2 to October 3 on Tuesday and Friday mornings. Each hike is limited to 14 participants and costs $18 per person.

Upper Navajo Canyon is a four-mile, four-hour round-trip moderate hike along an unpaved, uneven trail that descends 760 feet. Hikers will enjoy the autumn weather and fall color on this historic trail built in the 1930s by one of the government's Depression era organizations, the Public Works Administration. Bring binoculars for cross-canyon views of multiple alcove sites, including Pinkley House and an un-named alcove site. You will experience two different natural communities as you descend from the drier mesa top pinyon-juniper woodlands to the mountain chaparral in the canyon bottom. This hike is available from September 3 to October 5 on Wednesday and Sunday mornings. Each hike is limited to 14 participants, and costs $18 per person.

Mesa Verde National Park is also offering two ranger-guided tours of Yucca House National Monument in September. Tickets for these special hikes are limited and must be purchased online at www.recreation.gov. Yucca House is a large, unexcavated pueblo which was probably built around AD1200. Tours are scheduled on Wednesday, September 10, and Friday, September 19. This easy to moderate 1-hour, 1/2-mile (0.8 km) walk is along a mostly level, unpaved path. Tickets cost $5 per person, and group size is limited.

For reservations and more information, visit www.recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777.

Two Spots Remain for Mesa Verde Fall Photography Workshop

Sign up now to participate in a special fall three-day photography workshop led by well-known photographer and Northern Arizona University Professor Emeritus Dr. Gene Balzer. The workshop is scheduled for October 10-12, 2014, and is limited to 13 participants to ensure plenty of personalized coaching. It begins Friday morning and ends on Sunday afternoon. Tuition includes three days of instruction, three nights in-park motel lodging at the Far View Lodge, and all meals including two dinners at the famed Metate Room Restaurant. Mesa Verde Association members are eligible for a 20% discount. For more information or to register, visit www.mesaverde.org/photography-workshop or call 800-305-6053. This workshop is offered by the Mesa Verde Museum Association in partnership with the National Park Service and ARAMARK Parks and Destinations.

Free Pottery-Making Program with Artist in Residence Michael Savage

Potter and Mesa Verde National Park Artist in Residence Michael Savage will offer a free interactive program on Thursday, September 11, 7:30 p.m., at Far View Lodge Library. The subject will be "The Craft behind the Craft," introducing attendees to the aspects of pottery production that are rarely shown or demonstrated, including clay and slip preparation, paint preparation and manufacture, pottery tool construction, and the design and painting of pottery vessels. Participants will be encouraged to try their hand at grinding and mixing clay, making a yucca paintbrush, and rendering a classic Mesa Verde design with their new paintbrush.

As an artist in residence, Michael plans to investigate design and construction aspects of Ancestral Puebloan pottery through research in the print archives and pottery collection of the park. His work with reproduction pottery has revealed subtle distinctions in the decorative nature of pottery originating from the Mesa Verde area and adjacent areas in southeast Utah, northwest New Mexico, and northeast Arizona. One goal is to identify design elements and design fields on vessels that are unique or distinctive to the ancestral potters of Mesa Verde.

Michael Savage has spent the last three decades as an environmental professional in the reclamation and rehabilitation of disturbed lands in the west. As a botanist and plant ecologist he has spent significant time in the field, which led to a fascination with the historical aspects of the Colorado Plateau, particularly the Ancestral Puebloans. His interest in pottery began six years ago with a pottery workshop replicating a Pueblo III mug and firing it in an outdoor trench kiln. That interest has grown and he currently spends his free time in pottery making and experimentation in Windsor, Colorado.

Mesa Verde National Park's AIR program provides professional artists the opportunity to become part of a long established tradition of artists creating art in our national parks. The AIR program is managed for the park by the Mesa Verde Museum Association. This year's artists were selected from 65 applicants by a jury of four consisting of a park ranger and three professional artists. Learn more at www.nps.gov/meve/supportyourpark/artists_in_residence.htm

Save the Dates: Wetherill Hike and Bike Days

Wetherill Mesa will once again be open for "Hike and Bikes" on Saturday, September 13 and 27, 2014. Details and times are forthcoming, but mark your calendars now for these rare opportunities to hike or ride your bicycles along the Wetherill Tram Road. Stay tuned to Mesa Verde National Park and MVMA's Facebook pages for details!

Potter Starr Tafoya Returns to Mesa Verde in the 2014 Four Corners Lecture Series

Starr Tafoya (center) at Mesa Verde National Park in 2013

The Four Corners Lecture continues this summer. We hope you'll join us for these free programs offered in a variety of locations across the Four Corners. In September, Santa Clara Pueblo potter Starr Tafoya will conduct a pottery demonstration, firing, and sale at Mesa Verde National Park. The full lecture series schedule can be found here. Here's what's right around the corner [no pun intended]:

When: Tuesday, September 2, 7:00 p.m., First United Methodist Church, Cortez (hosted by Hisatsinom Chapter/CAS)

Who: Jeff Dean

What: New Research on Old Dates: Dendroarchaeology of Pueblo III Kiva Construction on Mesa Verde

When: Saturday, September 6, 2:00 p.m., Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, Blanding, UT

Who: Dr. Laurie Webster

What: Re-Excavating the Past: New Work with Ancient Textiles, Baskets, Wood, and Hides from Southeastern Utah

When: Thursday, September 11, 6:00 p.m., Vallecito Room, Student Union, Fort Lewis College

Who: Kevin Fedarko

What: Green Mile Colorado River

When: Thursday, September 18, 7:00 p.m., Crow Canyon Archaeological Center

Who: Dan Simplicio

What: A:shiwi A:wan Ulohnanne: The Zuni World?

When: Saturday, September 20, 10:30 a.m., Visitor and Research Center, Mesa Verde National Park

Who: Starr Tafoya

What: Pottery Demonstration, Firing, and Sale

When: Saturday, September 20, 2:00 p.m., Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, Blanding UT

Who: Winston Hurst

What: Fading Traces: The Archaeology of Southeast Utah's Forgotten Roads and Trails

When: Sunday, September 21, 1:00 p.m., Anasazi Heritage Center

Who: Marietta Eaton

What: The Wetherill Legacy

When: Thursday, September 25, 7:00 p.m., Room $130, Noble Hall, Fort Lewis College

Who: Jeffery R. Hanson

What: The Long Journey Home: Life, Death, and Deliverance at a Frontier Army Post

This lecture series is generously sponsored by Mesa Verde Foundation, Mesa Verde Museum Association, and Mesa Verde National Park, as well as the Anasazi Heritage Center, ARAMARK Parks and Destinations, Bureau of Land Management, Cortez Cultural Center, Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, Edge of the Cedars State Park Museum, Fort Lewis College Office of the President, Department of Anthropology, and Center of Southwest Studies, Hisatsinom Chapter of the Colorado Archaeological Society, and KSJD Dryland Community Radio.

Uprising: The Pueblo Indians and the First American War for Religious Freedom by Jake Page

The Pueblo Revolt of 1680 changed the course of history. It was the only war that American Indians ever won against the Europeans. In this new nonfiction account, Jake Page delves into the events leading up to the revolt, its aftermath, and the less well-known second revolt. In this new nonfiction account, Jake Page delves into the event leading up to the revolt, its aftermath, and the less well-known second revolt. Includes insights from Hopi oral history, and more fully explores the role of the Hopis in the revolt.

Priced at $12.95, or just $11.66 for Mesa Verde Association members; click here to purchase your copy today. As always, proceeds from your purchases support Mesa Verde National Park.

Not a member yet? It's easy to join! Just click here or call us at 1-800-305-6053 or 970-529-4445 for assistance.

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