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Issue 86
August 2015
In This Issue
Mesa Verde to Waive Entrance Fees on August 25
Fall Season Schedules at Mesa Verde
Spring House Benefit Ride
Free Plein Air Painting Demonstration by Mesa Verde Artist in Residence Milt Beens
Four Corners Lecture Series at Mesa Verde
Rims to Ruins 2015 Tickets Available Now
Build a Pueblo with LEGO?
Southwest Art Defined: An Illustrated Guide by Margaret Moore Booker
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NPS Centennial
Mesa Verde Museum Association
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About Us
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.
Mesa Verde to Waive Entrance Fees on August 25
Happy birthday to the National Park Service! Mesa Verde National Park will waive entrance fees on Tuesday, August 25, to celebrate the 99th birthday of the National Park Service. Admission to Mesa Verde National Park and all other National Park Service sites will be free.
 
In preparation for next year's big centennial celebration, the National Park Service is inviting everyone to Find Your Park, and has created a fun list of 99 ways to help you get started. Mesa Verde is a great place to try #38 - Go Biking, #45 - Follow the Footsteps of a Woman Who Made History, or #98 - Take a Sunrise Selfie. To see the entire list of 99 ways to Find Your Park, visit www.findyourpark.com/nps99 . You can also share your park experience with others by posting on social media with the hashtag #FindYourPark.
 
"We invite you to visit Mesa Verde to celebrate the National Park Service's 99th birthday," said Mesa Verde Superintendent Cliff Spencer. "It'll be a great day to bring your bike and ride the Long House Loop on Wetherill Mesa, take a hike, or tour one of the cliff dwellings. We look forward to seeing you here."
 
On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed legislation to create the National Park Service. Today, there are 408 national parks throughout the country and each one tells an important part of the American story. Some commemorate notable people and achievements, others conserve magnificent landscapes and natural wonders, and all provide a place to have fun and learn. Plan your visit at www.nps.gov/findapark or at www.findyourpark.com.
 
Additional fee-free days for 2015 for National Park Service units are National Public Lands Day on September 26, and Veterans Day, November 11.
 
The mission of the National Park Service also extends beyond park boundaries. Community partnerships help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. To see what is happening in Colorado, visit www.nps.gov/CO .
Fall Season Schedules at Mesa Verde
Fall season schedules at Mesa Verde National Park begin Tuesday, September 8, with additional schedule changes later in September and October. Highlights of the changes include:
  • Wetherill Mesa is open from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. for hiking and bicycle-riding on the Long House Loop, weather permitting. Ranger-guided tours of Long House are offered at 9:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. daily through Saturday, September 19. Tickets are required. Step House will be open daily for self-guided discovery 9:45 am to 4:00 p.m. with rangers present in the site. Beginning September 20, Long House and Step House are closed for the season, while Wetherill Mesa remains open for hiking and bicycle-riding on the Long House Loop, weather permitting.
  • Cliff Palace closes for the season on September 14 for preservation work.
  • Balcony House remains open every day for ranger-guided tours through October 31. Hours vary slightly by day. Tickets are required.
  • Fall hours at the Visitor and Research Center are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.
Tickets for ranger-guided tours are available for purchase in-person at the Visitor and Research Center up to two days in advance of your visit. Tickets for ranger-guided tours are also available at the Colorado Welcome Center (CWC) in Cortez, Colorado, which is open daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. through September 7; beginning September 8 the CWC hours will be 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For more information and detailed schedules, visit www.nps.gov/meve/planyourvisit or call 970-529-4465.
Spring House Benefit Ride
Just a few spaces remain open on Mesa Verde Foundation's benefit ride within Mesa Verde National Park on September 10, 2015. Experience the spectacular views of the western part of the park as we ride a historic trail to Spring House, an unexcavated cliff dwelling. As you travel through majestic canyons and across tops of stunning mesas, you will find some of the hidden archeological wonders of Mesa Verde. Buzzard House, Daniels House, and many other sites greet you on your trek to Spring House. Spring House was built and inhabited by Ancestral Puebloans between A.D. 1195 and 1278. Named for an active spring found inside the site where water seeps out of the sandstone cliff, it provided needed sustenance to its inhabitants.
 
To register or for more information, send an email or call Ben Duke, Ride Coordinator for Mesa Verde Foundation, at 303-771-1555 or ben@mesaverdefoundation.org. The price of the ride is $500 per person of which $450 is a contribution to MVF. Riders may provide their own horses and be able to ride safely over rugged terrain and trails. Or, MVF has made arrangements for horse rentals through Rimrock Outfitters in Mancos; the rental cost will be $200 for the day. There is no stabling of horses in the park, but arrangements can be made to keep horses overnight at the Montezuma County Fairgrounds, just outside of Cortez. The ride will go, rain or shine.
 
We hope you'll be able to join the Mesa Verde Foundation for this unique adventure! All proceeds support Mesa Verde Foundation and Mesa Verde National Park. 
Free Plein Air Painting Demonstration by Mesa Verde Artist in Residence Milt Beens
Landscape artist J. Milton (Milt) Beens will serve as Mesa Verde National Park Artist in Residence from August 31 through September 13, 2015. Milt will offer a free plein air painting demonstration for the public from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September, 10, 2015 on the back porch of the Chief Ranger's next door to the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum in Mesa Verde National Park. Milt will share his approach and techniques for painting on location, overlooking Spruce Tree House bathed in evening light. No reservations are necessary for this drop-in program.
 
J. Milton Beens, a Durango resident, has painted for more than 50 years, drawing inspiration from the southwestern landscape both in his pottery and his landscape paintings. In recent years Milt has focused on oil painting; he has received numerous awards and honors. The goal of Milt's residency is to expand his plein air painting skills using the rich and unique park environment as his subject. Milt holds a Master's degree from the University of Montana and has taught in various venues during his career. His works are currently shown at Artisans of Mancos and Taylor Raymond Gallery in Durango. Learn more about Milt at www.beenspottery.com.
 
Mesa Verde National Park's Artist in Residence program offers professional writers, composers, and visual and performing artists the opportunity to pursue their particular art form while being surrounded by the inspiring ancient architecture of the Ancestral Pueblo people and the sweeping natural landscape of the park. This year's Artists in Residence were selected from 45 applicants by a jury consisting of a Mesa Verde National Park ranger and three professional artists. Following Milt as MVNP Artists in Residence this fall will be saddle artisan and leather painter Lisa Skyhorse and musician Marilyn Kroeker. Learn more at www.nps.gov/meve/artists_in_residence.htm.
 
The AIR program is managed by the nonprofit Mesa Verde Museum Association (MVMA), the park's innovative educational partner that inspires life-long stewardship of the Mesa Verde region's cultural and natural heritage. 
Four Corners Lecture Series at Mesa Verde
The Four Corners Lecture Series will stop several times in the park in September. This year's theme is "It's About Time," with several of the lectures focusing on the 25th anniversary of the passage of Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). The passage of NAGPRA served as a catalyst for a change in relations between the Native American nations, archeologists, museums, and federal agencies. Mesa Verde National Park illustrates those changes on a world stage in which visitors experience the results of more than two decades of consultation.
 
Saturday, August 22, 2:00 p.m., Edge of the Cedars Museum, Blanding; Sally Cole will speak about "Birds in Ancestral Pueblo Rock Art and Culture."
 
Saturday, September 12, 10:30 a.m., MVNP Visitor and Research Center; Starr Tafoya returns with her pottery demonstration, firing, and sale.
 
Friday, September 18, 7:00 p.m., Far View Lodge Library, Mesa Verde National Park; MVNP Wildlife Program Manager Paul Morey speaks about "The Elk of Mesa Verde."
 
Tuesday, September 22, 7:00 p.m., Sunflower Theatre, Cortez; David Lee discusses "Closer than We Know: Comparing the Rock-Art of Australia and Western North America." (hosted by Hisatsinom Chapter/CAS)
 
Thursday, September 24, 7:00 p.m., Far View Lodge Library, MVNP; David Lee discusses "Honoring Ancient Ancestors: How We Can Use the Lessons of the Past to Build a Better Future."
 
Saturday, September 26, 2:00 p.m., Edge of the Cedars Museum, Blanding; David Lee discusses "Closer than We Know: Comparing the Rock-Art of Australia and Western North America."
 
Saturday, September 26, 7:00 p.m., Sunflower Theatre, Cortez; Steve Lekson speaks about "Chaco, Cahokia, and Postclassic North America." (hosted by Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance)
 
We hope you'll join us for all of these free programs! The full lecture series schedule can be found here. 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, KSJD Dryland Community Radio and the Sunflower Theatre, and the Southwest Colorado Canyons Alliance.
Rims to Ruins 2015 Tickets Available Now
Rims to Ruins 2015, an art exhibition and sale of small works, will be held on Saturday, November 7, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the Kent Denver School in Cherry Hills, Colorado.
 
This year marks an important step in broadening the scope of the show. Rather than being limited to Mesa Verde and its environs, artists can paint anywhere within the four states that comprise the Four Corners region. The show promises to be a stunning display of Southwestern art! Approximately twenty-five artists will be represented at the event, including many nationally renowned western painters and sculptors.
 
Entrance to the art exhibition, sale, and reception is $50 per person. Thirty dollars of the price is tax deductible. If you are interested in more information, would like to make a reservation to this important fundraiser, or would like to make a donation to support Mesa Verde National Park, please call: Margie Deane Gray at 303-321-3120 or email at info@mesaverdefoundation.org.
 
Contact Margie no later than October 29, 2015, to reserve your place at the event. You can also register on our Facebook page "Mesa Verde Foundation" or on our website at www.mesaverdefoundation.org.  Your participation helps preserve the park for future generations. We look forward to seeing you there!
 
Interested in being a sponsor for the fundraiser? We'd love to hear from you - we have a number of sponsorship levels with fabulous benefits!
Build a Pueblo with LEGO?
Have you cast your vote for a LEGO Pueblo kit yet? If you think this would be an engaging and educational toy to teach children (and the young at heart) about Pueblo life, let LEGO know you like the idea! https://ideas.lego.com/projects/74687.
 
The project needs 10,000 supporters [no money or commitment to buy involved] by the end of 2015 for the project to be brought up for review by LEGO's designers and marketing representatives.
 
You can learn more about the LEGO Ideas program here  https://ideas.lego.com/howitworks.
Southwest Art Defined: An Illustrated Guide by Margaret Moore Booker    
An alphabetical encyclopedia-like description of key elements of art of the southwest. The traditonal arts of the Southwest are brought together in one volume for the first time. Comprehensive descriptions of Native American and Hispano art are accompanied by full-color photographs of art from museums, galleries, and private collections. Santa Fe author Margaret Booker has conducted extensive research on the region's arts, and consulted with leading scholars, to bring you the reference book for art enthusiasts, collectors, and scholars. Whether you are a visitor passing through, or a life-long resident, there are new things to discover in these pages. From the prehistoric to the contemporary, with the influence of varying culture, the Southwest boasts a unique and rich traditon of arts. Lose yourself in the stunning pottery, textiles, jewelry, carvings, and architecture of the Southwest.

This beautiful hardbound book is priced at $40.00, or just $34.00 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 970-529-4445 for assistance.

Misplaced your member discount code? Just call or email us at info@mesaverde.org and we'll be happy to provide it to you!