Update on Mining & Mineral Museum

Yesterday's announcement by Gov. Brewer that the the Arizona Mining & Mineral Museum will be converted into the Arizona Centennial Museum by 2012 is generating a lot of buzz and questions in the geoloy, mining, and mineral collecting communities.    Throughout the day at the AIPG meeting and the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, there has been a steady stream of questions and conjectures about the plans.

At the annual business meeting of the Arizona Chapter of AIPG this morning (held at the AZGS offices in Tucson), ADMMR Director Dr. Madan Singh provided additional information.    He said the "Five C's" concept will not restrict the mining and mineral part of the new museum to only copper but all minerals and the state's mining history.    Because minerals will have just a portion of the museum, only a part of the collection will be on display at any given time and the displays will rotate.   Part of the collection will be displayed in the Governor's office on the 9th floor.

He also stated the the Dept of Mines and Mineral Resources will stay intact although he expects the non-museum staff to be moved in the state government Executive Tower along with all of their existing mining maps and records.

Madan said he believes the necessary legislation is being added as an amendment to HB2617 which was scheduled to have a hearing at 2pm Monday, Feb 15 in the House Natural Resources and Rural Affairs Committee.  However, a check of the committee schedule late this afternoon shows that that bill has been pulled from the agenda.  No amendments are shown to the original bill. 

Audience members at the AIPG meeting raised questions about the future of the large part of the collection which is on loan to the museum.   There were also questions and sidebar conversations about how mining and minerals will be portrayed in the Centennial Museum. A lot of folks are viewing the architects drawings as very preliminary and likely to be dramatically different by the time the museum is completed.