Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The last two cities I've lived in at least the
last two cities I've lived in in America were Chicago
and now Denver, both of which have incredible nature and
science museums and so and these are probably my favorite
kind of museum, right, nature, science, natural history, all that stuff.
(00:21):
I mean, I like lots of difference museums, but I'm
such a nerd.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I really love these, and.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
I think like most people, I am also fascinated by
the physical beauty as well as the science behind gems
and minerals and sometimes jewelry made from some of those things.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Just I love all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has a
wonderful Gems and Minerals Hall, but it is about to
get so much better. Joining us to talk about this
new project is the project lead for Denver Museum of
Nature and Science. Fernandez Luke. Thank you so much for
joining us here on KOA.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Appreciate it great to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
So tell us what's going on with this project, and
maybe just start with why you felt like the Gem
and Mineral Hall could use a little refresh.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Absolutely so. The current Gems and Minerals Hall opened in
nineteen eighty two, and as you can imagine, a lot
of science and technology has changed over the course of
those years. So we are really updating this hall to
make it much more relevant and relatable to our current
and future guests. We're expanding the hall by fifty percent.
(01:35):
We're really connecting minerals to our everyday lives by focusing
on all the many uses, whether it's the technology that
needs minerals, whether it's the minerals in your home, the
minerals in your vitamins, the minerals in your food, and
your cars and all of your electronics. So we're really
proud to be doing that. In addition, we're creating four
(01:58):
distinct immersive underground environments, two caves, two Minds, were creating
twelve incredibly fun, hands on interactive exhibits, and we're really
focusing on the rich mineral diversity of the Colorado and
Rocky Mountain region.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
I note that the renovated Gems and Minerals Hall is
going to have a name on it of a couple people,
I guess husband and wife. Kill us a little about
them and their motivation here.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Sure, so, Kathy and Peter Dee made a very generous
contribution toward realizing this new renovation, and they have been
involved with the museum for many, many years. Peter was
on the board many years ago. He's currently a board emeritus.
They have contributed in many ways to different initiatives of
(02:56):
the museum, and he is a lifelong geologist and mineral enthusiast,
so this was really something that was a passion project
for him and an opportunity for him to have a
legacy in the community.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
I love the fact that you're going to focus on
the practical uses of minerals. And obviously the gems and
the crown jewel kinds of stuff, and the diamonds and
the gold is it's gorgeous and it's fun to look
at and maybe dream about, especially from my wife's perspective,
but that's not what most of the use in the
(03:31):
world's use of minerals actually is. So I love that
you're doing all this other stuff that you I don't
know whether i'd quite call it industrial, although some of
it surely is.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
How do you think about that? Part?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Absolutely part of the reason we're doing this, as I mentioned,
was to really connect minerals to our lives, to really
make people understand how and why we need and use
minerals on a day to day basis. Most people when
they see a mineral, they they think about how beautiful
it is. They think about, you know, the jewelry that
(04:04):
we wear, but they don't think about the fact that
all of our roads are needed, are used, are needed
to have minerals in order to construct them. All of
our industry, all of our electronics, all our food, and
the minerals are within us, inside of our bodies. And
(04:24):
without minerals we really cannot survive. So really, that is
our main goal, Our big idea for the entire experience
is my world is made of minerals.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That's fabulous.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So who actually does the design work for the individual
you know, displays or whatever the proper term would be,
And who writes the text like let's say you're gonna
do a thing about minerals in your body, right, or
or the so called rare earth elements minerals that are
(04:58):
used to make it in important industrial magnets, right, Who
writes that stuff are?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Really we have an incredibly talented, passionate team of professionals
here at the Museum of exhibit developers, of curators of collections,
people and myself and many other people on our team
who help create that content for the experience. We're also
working with an outside exhibit designer based out of New
(05:28):
York who is helping us with the physical designs of
the space.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
A listener says, I sure hope they don't get rid
of the fluorescent display.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
We're actually expanding the fluorescent display. We're going to have
a fluorescent room, which where we call the Color Room,
which is going to have approximately two hundred and fifty
fluorescent minerals. In addition to that, we're actually maintaining two
of our most popular experiences that are in the current
Gems and Minerals Hall, including our se how mine and
(06:01):
our crystal grotto. So we're really excited to be repurposing
those because we know how popular those are with the community.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, they are fabulous. So just what's the timeframe look
like on this?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Sure, well, we're probably going to be closing the current
hall early next year and our plan is to reopen
sometime in twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Seven, so let's see, so a year and a half
ish to do the project.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, for the construction and the fabrication, Yes, we've been
We started this project almost three years ago. So it's
a long time coming, and we've been planning, developing the content,
picking out the specimens. It's an incredibly huge effort and
we're really excited to be doing this for the community.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Is it information that you're allowed to talk about how
much this project will cost the museum? Or is that
I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
No, I'm happy to share that. So it's a thirty
million dollar project. We've currently raised about seventy eight percent
of that amount, so we're actually looking for for other
donations in order to make this project reality. And if
you're interested, you can go to DMNs dot a larg
slash gems.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
And donations are tax deductible for people who itemize their
taxes right absolutely DMNs Denver Museum of Nature and Science
DMNs dot org slash gems to learn more about the
project and if you would like to make a donation,
to contribute in your own little or large way, depending
(07:43):
on how much you want to give to help this
wonderful project. I can't I can't wait to see it
when it's done, even though we're still we're talking about
two years from now until it's done.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I can't wait to see it. Luke Fernandez is the.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Project lead with Denver Museum of Nature and Science on
the new Gems and Minerals Hall. Well, thanks so much
for joining us and we'll definitely keep in touch.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
My pleasure.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Thanks so much, all right, thank you, Luke,
The last two cities I've lived in at least the
last two cities I've lived in in America were Chicago
and now Denver, both of which have incredible nature and
science museums and so and these are probably my favorite
kind of museum, right, nature, science, natural history, all that stuff.
(00:21):
I mean, I like lots of difference museums, but I'm
such a nerd.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
I really love these, and.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
I think like most people, I am also fascinated by
the physical beauty as well as the science behind gems
and minerals and sometimes jewelry made from some of those things.
Speaker 2 (00:41):
Just I love all that stuff.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And the Denver Museum of Nature and Science has a
wonderful Gems and Minerals Hall, but it is about to
get so much better. Joining us to talk about this
new project is the project lead for Denver Museum of
Nature and Science. Fernandez Luke. Thank you so much for
joining us here on KOA.
Speaker 2 (01:03):
Appreciate it great to be here.
Speaker 1 (01:05):
So tell us what's going on with this project, and
maybe just start with why you felt like the Gem
and Mineral Hall could use a little refresh.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Absolutely so. The current Gems and Minerals Hall opened in
nineteen eighty two, and as you can imagine, a lot
of science and technology has changed over the course of
those years. So we are really updating this hall to
make it much more relevant and relatable to our current
and future guests. We're expanding the hall by fifty percent.
(01:35):
We're really connecting minerals to our everyday lives by focusing
on all the many uses, whether it's the technology that
needs minerals, whether it's the minerals in your home, the
minerals in your vitamins, the minerals in your food, and
your cars and all of your electronics. So we're really
proud to be doing that. In addition, we're creating four
(01:58):
distinct immersive underground environments, two caves, two Minds, were creating
twelve incredibly fun, hands on interactive exhibits, and we're really
focusing on the rich mineral diversity of the Colorado and
Rocky Mountain region.
Speaker 1 (02:19):
I note that the renovated Gems and Minerals Hall is
going to have a name on it of a couple people,
I guess husband and wife. Kill us a little about
them and their motivation here.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Sure, so, Kathy and Peter Dee made a very generous
contribution toward realizing this new renovation, and they have been
involved with the museum for many, many years. Peter was
on the board many years ago. He's currently a board emeritus.
They have contributed in many ways to different initiatives of
(02:56):
the museum, and he is a lifelong geologist and mineral enthusiast,
so this was really something that was a passion project
for him and an opportunity for him to have a
legacy in the community.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
I love the fact that you're going to focus on
the practical uses of minerals. And obviously the gems and
the crown jewel kinds of stuff, and the diamonds and
the gold is it's gorgeous and it's fun to look
at and maybe dream about, especially from my wife's perspective,
but that's not what most of the use in the
(03:31):
world's use of minerals actually is. So I love that
you're doing all this other stuff that you I don't
know whether i'd quite call it industrial, although some of
it surely is.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
How do you think about that? Part?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Absolutely part of the reason we're doing this, as I mentioned,
was to really connect minerals to our lives, to really
make people understand how and why we need and use
minerals on a day to day basis. Most people when
they see a mineral, they they think about how beautiful
it is. They think about, you know, the jewelry that
(04:04):
we wear, but they don't think about the fact that
all of our roads are needed, are used, are needed
to have minerals in order to construct them. All of
our industry, all of our electronics, all our food, and
the minerals are within us, inside of our bodies. And
(04:24):
without minerals we really cannot survive. So really, that is
our main goal, Our big idea for the entire experience
is my world is made of minerals.
Speaker 2 (04:36):
That's fabulous.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
So who actually does the design work for the individual
you know, displays or whatever the proper term would be,
And who writes the text like let's say you're gonna
do a thing about minerals in your body, right, or
or the so called rare earth elements minerals that are
(04:58):
used to make it in important industrial magnets, right, Who
writes that stuff are?
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Really we have an incredibly talented, passionate team of professionals
here at the Museum of exhibit developers, of curators of collections,
people and myself and many other people on our team
who help create that content for the experience. We're also
working with an outside exhibit designer based out of New
(05:28):
York who is helping us with the physical designs of
the space.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
A listener says, I sure hope they don't get rid
of the fluorescent display.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
We're actually expanding the fluorescent display. We're going to have
a fluorescent room, which where we call the Color Room,
which is going to have approximately two hundred and fifty
fluorescent minerals. In addition to that, we're actually maintaining two
of our most popular experiences that are in the current
Gems and Minerals Hall, including our se how mine and
(06:01):
our crystal grotto. So we're really excited to be repurposing
those because we know how popular those are with the community.
Speaker 1 (06:07):
Yeah, they are fabulous. So just what's the timeframe look
like on this?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Sure, well, we're probably going to be closing the current
hall early next year and our plan is to reopen
sometime in twenty twenty.
Speaker 1 (06:21):
Seven, so let's see, so a year and a half
ish to do the project.
Speaker 3 (06:28):
Yeah, for the construction and the fabrication, Yes, we've been
We started this project almost three years ago. So it's
a long time coming, and we've been planning, developing the content,
picking out the specimens. It's an incredibly huge effort and
we're really excited to be doing this for the community.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Is it information that you're allowed to talk about how
much this project will cost the museum? Or is that
I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you.
Speaker 3 (06:59):
No, I'm happy to share that. So it's a thirty
million dollar project. We've currently raised about seventy eight percent
of that amount, so we're actually looking for for other
donations in order to make this project reality. And if
you're interested, you can go to DMNs dot a larg
slash gems.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
And donations are tax deductible for people who itemize their
taxes right absolutely DMNs Denver Museum of Nature and Science
DMNs dot org slash gems to learn more about the
project and if you would like to make a donation,
to contribute in your own little or large way, depending
(07:43):
on how much you want to give to help this
wonderful project. I can't I can't wait to see it
when it's done, even though we're still we're talking about
two years from now until it's done.
Speaker 2 (07:52):
I can't wait to see it. Luke Fernandez is the.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Project lead with Denver Museum of Nature and Science on
the new Gems and Minerals Hall. Well, thanks so much
for joining us and we'll definitely keep in touch.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
My pleasure.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
Thanks so much, all right, thank you, Luke,
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