User:Anne Morgan/sandbox

Imperial Valley Desert Museum
The Imperial Valley Desert Museum opened in 2012 as a place for people to learn more about the desert they live, work, and play in. The museum houses Native American and historical archaeological artifacts found in the Imperial Valley. Located in Ocotillo, California, the museum helps visitors explore the geology, history, archaeology, and cultures of the Yuha and Sonoran Desert.

Location
The Imperial Valley Desert Museum is located in Ocotillo, California in the middle of the Yuha Desert. It is 26 miles west of El Centro, California, along the shorelines of ancient Lake Cahuilla. It is in a location known for off roading, hiking, and camping. A quick drive from the museum brings you to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, the Oyster Shell beds, and land protected by the Bureau of Land Management. Located in the heart of the traditional Kumeyaay territory, the museum seeks to work with the native tribes to share their culture and history with others.

History
The Imperial Valley Desert Museum is a new museum with a long history. Originally a part of the Imperial Valley College, the IVC Desert Museum was a base to many of the early pioneers of Imperial Valley archaeology, including Jay von Werhlof and Malcom Rogers. The first museum was built in EL Centro and was destroyed by an earthquake in 1979. Given land in Ocotillo by the BLM, a new museum building was built.

Mission
The mission of the Imperial Valley Desert Museum is to preserve, interpret and celebrate the deserts of Southern California through outstanding collections, research, and educational programs. Their signature program is a Coiled Clay program. Clay is brought to students in schools or fairs and they learn a method of creating clay pots the Kumeyaay still use to this day. Collections donated to the museum or collected by IVC archaeologists include an extensive collection of arrowshaft straighteners, ceramic vessels often called ollas, and projectile points. It encourages the celebration of our unique desert environment through weekly hikes that often leave from the museum.

Events
The IVDM is well known in the Imperial Valley for its events, in particular its Star Gazing events. Held twice a year, these events take advantage of the relatively light pollution-free skies that allow people to see amazing stars through telescopes. These events include talks by professors from IVC, as well as astronomy experts and photographers such as Dennis Mammana.

The museum has held traveling exhibits on a variety of topics of interest to locals, such as the California Gold Rush, and an exhibit on native Californian feasts. They are supportive of local artists and have held several gallery