Category: Events
Join us for Mid-Month Movies
Transformational Papermaking for Veterans
Off Center Arts, the Museum of the American Military Family and the College of Santa Fe are collaborating to bring two papermaking workshops to veterans. “From Fatigues to Flags” is a transformational papermaking workshop in which combat fatigues are shredded into small strips and then, through a papermaking process, are transformed into paper. The end results are beautiful prayer flags, which will be displayed during the month of April at Off Center Arts. (808 Park Avenue SW, Albuquerque, NM 87102)
No artistic background is necessary– veterans are encouraged to bring cotton fatigues and t-shirts, which were worn during their military service. Lunch, papermaking equipment and all other materials will be provided. Workshops consist of three Sunday sessions, and it is important for participants to attend all three sessions, which will be held at Off Center Arts. Male workshop dates are: January 29, February 5, and 12 from 10:30-4:30 and female workshop dates are: March 19, 26, and April 2 from 10:30-4:30.
Instructor Claire Lissance has a counseling background, and has been a hand papermaker since 1986. Registration will be through the instructor. Her phone number is 505-450-1357. Email: cdlune@aol.com .
This program was made possible through a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts and New Mexico Arts Commission.
A Busy Three Days
November 10th and 11th were very busy for the museum! On the 10th, our Memorial house was delivered to Santa Fe, where Paul Silva, our Projects Manager will begin to transform it into a fitting tribute to Military Families.
On the 11th, our friends at UPS moved a shipment of artifacts from AOSHS, an archive in Wichita, Kansas to be housed at MAMF as a special collection.
Also on the 11th, Director Circe and her husband attended the Sandoval County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Veterans Day celebration.
And on the 12th MAMF started its Dandelion Challenge! Stay tuned for more info!
GI JOKES: A SOMEWHAT LIGHTHEARTED LOOK AT MILITARY LIFE opened in Albuquerque
GI JOKES runs from 11/5/2016-12/2/2016 at Albuquerque’s Special Collections Library . MAMF Spouse Liaison Stacy and MAMF Director Circe set it up on November 4th.
The exhibit opened to the public on November 5th. After it closes, it will be available to travel and then it will be on display in the Museum of the American Military Family& Learning Center’s permanent location.
Circe Olson Woessner and Allen Dale Olson
Stacy Marinaro
GI Jokes
We’d like to thank our sponsors: Dominic Ruiz Graphics, Buzzy’s Stickers, Total Learning Curve Books, Comic Warehouse, Kaufman’s West, Rio Grande Credit Union…we so appreciate you.
MAMF’s Summer News
The Museum of the American Military Family & Learning Center (MAMF) had a very eventful summer. On July 9, we had a ribbon cutting and opened the doors to very own space right next to the very famous Molly’s Bar.
We are happy to be part of the vibrant East Mountain community—our home in Tijeras is right on historic Route 66 and at the foot of the Turquoise Trail, a National Scenic Byway.
We had a large crowd at our grand opening: Senator Heinrich’s New Mexico office sent a representative who read a personal message from the Senator, Gloria Chavez, the Mayor of Tijeras, also made some remarks. Kirtland Air Force Base was represented, as was the Veteran community. We are very blessed to have such great support.
Welcome to MAMF! We are so glad you’re here
On July 21st, our board had its quarterly meeting, and we said goodbye to our Veteran Liaison, Elisabeth Sacco, who was moving back East. Our board is very involved in all of MAMF’s projects, and we went over the upcoming summer’s events and coordinated our schedules to include staffing the museum.
On August 3rd, MAMF Secretary/Public Affairs Ole represented MAMF at an Ernie Pyle Day planning meeting at the New Mexico Veteran’s Memorial. The Ernie Pyle Day is planning commemorative events in Albuquerque for 2017, and we will be participating.
On August 6, MAMF Director Circe, Spouse Liaison Stacy and Community Liaison Lisa took Operation Footlocker out to the Route 66 Run, Rally and Rock festival in Edgewood. MAMF Volunteers Jude and Ed staffed the museum for the day. Writer in Residence Paul dropped by and shared his extensive knowledge of history and literature with visitors.
On August 7 Circe and her husband Bill drove up to Santa Fe and met with representatives from the National Guard to pick out a location for the Military Family Memorial that MAMF is creating. It was determined that a spot right in front of the Bataan Military Museum would be perfect.
On August 31, Circe and Ole spoke to New Mexico Legislators at a special interim committee session at Central New Mexico College. The presentation was well received.
September 6th Ole was on the “Veterans Today” radio show on KVSF. He spoke to radio host Chris Abeyta about our need for help in constructing the Military Family Memorial as well as our soon-to-be released anthology, From the Frontlines to the Home Front: New Mexicans Reflect on War.
On September 16, MAMF hosted a Naturalization Ceremony for seven military wives who became US Citizens right in our “home”. Because September 16 is also POW/MIA Day and Constitution Day, the ceremony was especially meaningful. The guest speaker was military wife Mehreen Naqvi-Sharazee, herself a naturalized US citizen. Triangle Grocery in Cedar Crest provided a cake and Melba’s Floral Studios in Albuquerque created a gorgeous floral display and provided us with long-stemmed yellow roses for each new citizen.
On September 24, 35 motorcyclists dropped by MAMF as part of their Patriot Run, a fund-raiser for Run For the Wall and for the Sandoval County Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial.
On September 29 Ole and Circe attended the New Mexico Arts and the Military Arts/Humanities Round Table hosted by New Mexico Arts. Many artists, members of the New Mexico state government, representatives for the VA, and other service organizations participated.
Fall is here, and the museum is gearing up for a busy couple of months—we have an exhibit: GI Jokes: A Somewhat Lighthearted Look at Military Life opening on November 5th at the Special Collections Library at 423 Central NE in Albuquerque. Comic Warehouse and Kaufman’s West are sponsors of the exhibit. Paul, our Writer-in-Residence has just finished editing an anthology: From the Frontlines to the Home Front: New Mexicans Reflect on War. Our museum will be hosting reading/discussion groups using this book, which will not be for sale commercially. The book will debut around November 11. Stay tuned for dates and locations for the book groups.
Director Circe and Alexander George, both University of Maryland, Munich Campus alumni, have co-edited an anthology Eins, Zwei, G’Suffa: Memories from Munich Campus which is the third book in a series of memoirs. All proceeds from the book will go to support programming at the Museum of the American Military Family.
MAMF will also sponsor “mid-month movies”, a series of three WWII films generously donated by the WWII Foundation for MAMF to show. The first will be on October 15th at the Museum at 3:00 PM.
The most important project MAMF is working on is the creation of a memorial honoring military families-all generations and branches. It is slated to be placed in Santa Fe this November —fundraising is ongoing to bring this important memorial to fruition. The museum needs only $5,000 more to complete the project. Please help. All donations are appreciated…and donors will be acknowledged on the memorial signage.
Looking forward to 2017, MAMF plans two exhibits:
Host Nation Hospitality (May-June)and Passports and Pedagogy: One Teacher’s Travels (TBD) as well as a couple of transformative papermaking workshops in February/March.
All programs and exhibits are brought to the public free of charge and so MAMF depends on the generosity of individual donations and grants. Please consider a tax free donation to the Museum of the American Military Family an all-volunteer run 501 c 3 non-profit. To donate, please click here
Or send a check to:
Museum of the American Military Family
PO Box 5085
Albuquerque, NM 87185
Navy Week Activities in Albuquerque
Navy Week Albuquerque Kickoff Ceremony
When: Mon, September 12, 10:30am – 11:30am
Where: New Mexico Veterans Memorial, 1100 Louisiana Blvd SE, Albuquerque, NM (map)
Description: Come spend the morning with YOUR U.S. Navy to kickoff Navy Week Albuquerque at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial! Event will include Navy Divers, Navy Band Northwest, USS Constitution Sailors, Navy Recruiters, Navy Medicine Ambassadors, Navy Operational Support Center and NROTC midshipmen from the University of New Mexico. Also, Rear Admiral Phillip Sawyer will speak.
RADM Sawyer Speaking at Rotary Club of Albuquerque
When: Mon, September 12, 12pm – 1pm
Where: Hotel Albuquerque, 800 Rio Grande Blvd NW, Albuquerque, NM (map)
Description: Rear Admiral Phillip Sawyer, Deputy Commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, will speak at the Rotary Club of Albuquerque.
Navy Divers at the Boys & Girls Club (Seligman Branch)
When: Mon, September 12, 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Where: Seligman Branch, 3333 Truman NE, Albuquerque, NM (map)
Description: Come hang out with Navy Divers and their gear at the Seligman Branch of the Boys and Girls Club in Albuquerque.
USS Constitution, USS Albuquerque and Navy Medicine Ambassadors at Schumann Branch of the Boys and Girls Club
When: Mon, September 12, 3:30pm – 5:30pm
Where: Schumann Branch, 4600 Sundt Road, Rio Rancho, NM (map)
Description: Sailors from USS Constitution, USS Albuquerque and Navy Medicine Ambassadors will be sharing their stories with kids at the Schumann Branch of the Boys and Girls Club in Albuquerque.
Navy Band Popular Music Group Concert
When: Mon, September 12, 6pm – 7pm
Where: New Mexico Stafe Fair Pavilion Stage (map)
Description: Navy Band Northwest Popular Music Group will perform at the Pavilion Stage at the New Mexico State Fair.
Military/Veterans Appreciation Day at the New Mexico State Fair
When: Tue, September 13, 10:30am – 11:30am
Where: New Mexico Expo Pavilion Stage (map)
Description: The New Mexico State Fair honors the military and veterans during this event at the Expo Pavilion Stage.
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MAMF’s Opening Day a Huge Success!
MAMF Has Moved to its New Location on Route 66!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 21, 2016
For additional information: Dr. Circe Olson Woessner (505) 504-6830
THE MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN MILITARY FAMILY (MAMF) IS ON THE MOVE
Old Route 66 is getting a new tenant. The nation’s only museum dedicated to the mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, spouses, and other family members of those who serve and have served in America’s military is settling in at the I-40 interchange with Tijeras. Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Circe Olson Woessner, says the move is going well, “and we plan a grand opening at 3:30 p.m. on July 9.”
Till last summer, MAMF was an on-line presence, but last July set up temporarily in the Bataan Military Academy yet continued providing programs in various venues, to include Explora, the Balloon Museum, the National Nuclear Museum, the South Broadway Cultural Center, the Special Collections Library, the Veterans Memorial Park, schools, and patriotic ceremonies around the state. Its Operation Footlocker mobile exhibit program travels throughout the country and its Flat Stanley and Flat Stella programs follow military families around the world.
“Like everything we do,” Woessner said, “our move to Tijeras is done by volunteers. We are an all-volunteer entity with no paid staff, and our programs and classes are supported by grants, donors, and volunteers, and they’ve all been packing, carrying, unpacking, cleaning, and painting to get us ready to open next month. All of our Directors and Advisors are volunteers.”
Woessner said the new facility will have an artifacts/exhibit area, a library, a crafts room, and a gift shop. “We’re in a house,” she said; “the former home of Molly who established the historic destination bar bearing her name, so as visitors walk in they’ll see what could be the home of a military family that makes a new home every two or three years.”
Exhibition panels describe the various elements affecting family life in the military and the kinds of schools military children attend around the world.
“We’ll be open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays,” she said, “and we’ll be free to the public.” She said there’s plenty of free parking and praised the attractiveness of the Tijeras Pass leading some seven miles east of Albuquerque along Old Route 66 (Central Avenue), including the “Musical Road.”
The Museum of the American Military Family (MAMF) is at 546 State Highway 333 (Old Route 66), Tijeras, NM 87059. Tel: (505) 504-6830; info@militaryfamilymuseum.org; P.O. Box 5085, Albuquerque, NM 87185. www.museumoftheamericanmilitaryfamily.org.
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