Visitors explore the current exhibition on display at the Member’s Preview in February 2024. A Moab Prison Camp: Japanese American Incarceration is on display at the Museum until June 29, 2024.

When you inevitably reach the need for a break from the many glorious springtime adventures on tap in Moab, stop by the Moab Museum to contextualize the landscape, hear a few stories from folks who called this place home, and speak with the knowledgeable staff here about the questions that are bound to arise! April at the Museum is a month of celebration: On April 24th, we are proud to present our Annual Membership Gala, each Tuesday offers a conversation with an archaeologist, and programs present an opportunity to dive beyond the exhibition on display.

Beyond the Exhibition: A Moab Prison Camp
On April 4th at 2pm and 6pm, Rose Masters, a volunteer and former National Park Service Ranger at Manzanar National Historic Site presents “Manzanar to Moab.” This talk provides an overview of Manzanar’s history as Masters shares stories of some of the men incarcerated at Manzanar Relocation Center who were transferred to the Moab Isolation Center following the so-called ‘Manzanar Riot’. The program will be held virtually in the Moab Museum’s South Gallery.

On April 18th at 2pm and 6pm the Museum will host a free film screening of “Injustice at Home: Looking like the Enemy.” This short film features the inspiring stories of people in the Japanese American community, focusing on Japanese Americans during WWII, both inside and outside the evacuation zone, chronicling their struggles and perseverance.

Potsherds collected around a dwelling in Southeast Utah. Chat with an archaeologist at the Museum every Tuesday this April and May about what we can learn from pottery!

Archaeology on the Lawn
What can an archeologist interpret from a piece of ancient pottery? Why does it matter if we take something someone discarded long ago?

Chat with the Moab Museum’s Curatorial & Collections Manager weekly on Tuesdays between 11am-2pm to ask these questions and more. Handle a variety of ancient pottery sherds at the Archaeology Station and learn what an archeologist sees when she examines an artifact and why it’s critical to visit cultural sites with respect.

This program is free with Museum membership. Regular museum admission applies.

A Celebratory Evening: The Museum Gala
Date: Wednesday, April 24th, 2024
Time: 6 pm-8:30 pm
Location: The Grand Center, 182 N. 500 W., Moab,
Tickets: www.moabmuseum.org/annual-membership-gala

The Moab Museum is pleased to announce the second annual Membership Gala with special guest Roberta “Bobbie” Conner. Join us for an evening celebration of the Moab Museum community on Wednesday, April 24 from 6-8:30 pm, and partner with us to make Museum programming, special events, and exhibitions possible. Community partners help us to introduce locals and traveling guests alike to our region’s cultural and natural history, and the big stories unfolding today across the region. An up-scale buffet dinner will be provided by Moab Private Chef for guests to enjoy along with local beverages and cocktails from 98 Center.

Roberta (Bobbie) Conner, Director of the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute on the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, will discuss “Nurturing Cross-Cultural Collaboration.” Ms. Conner is a former member and President of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) Board of Trustees and a former member of the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) Board of Directors. Drawing on her professional experience, she will discuss the opportunities and challenges museums face as they strive to share stories of the diverse and underrepresented cultures of Southeastern Utah and Four Corners region.

Red Cliffs Lodge, on the banks of the mighty Colorado River, is home to the Moab Museum of Film & Western Heritage. The lodge is built on the old George White Ranch, a key location for nine of the big westerns including Rio Grande, Cheyenne Autumn, Ten Who Dared, The Commancheros, and Rio Conchos.

The late George White was founder of the Moab to Monument Valley Film Commission, the longest ongoing film commission in the world.

In the museum one can learn more about film locations, how the sets are built, and how the filming process is managed on nature’s own sound stage. On display in the museum are production photographs, movie posters, autographed scripts, props from the many pictures filmed in the area, and displays about the western ranching heritage. For information, call Red Cliffs Lodge at 435-259-2002.

Through the magnificent landscapes of southeastern Utah, writers have been inspired and stories born here. Zane Grey, the famous western novelist, traveled through the area in 1912. His visit inspired him to write his book Riders of the Purple Sage. The book was made into a movie starring Ed Harris and Amy Madigan, and filmed on locations around Moab.