Last updated: 2/21/2011
Russellville, Arkansas
Street Address
1502 North El Paso Avenue
Russellville, AR 72801
Mailing Address
Techionery Building
1502 North El Paso Avenue
Russellville, AR 72801
phone: 479-964-0826
e-mail: jstewartabernathy@atu.edu
web: www.atu.edu/museum

Hours

Museum Hours
Tuesday - Thursday
8:30 AM - 4 PM
as well as by special appointment, for evening lectures, and through events.
Research Library
Tuesday - Thursday
9 AM - 4 PM
Monday and Friday upon request; Call 479-964-0826 for more information about the library.

Admissions

Free to Public; Each Spring semester, the Museum offers a course entitled Interpretation/Education through Museum Methods, listed as MUSM (ANTH, HIST) 4403(5403).

Staff

Judith Stewart- Abernathy
phone: 479-964-0831
Terry Johnson
phone: 479-964-3221
Donna Blaney Park
phone: 479-964-0871
Description

The Museum Store has a small selection of items relevant to the University's history, and a modest in-stock inventory of archival supplies and resources. Assistance is available to research and manage archival orders from several vendors. Document encapsulation services are available.

The Museum's Research Library offers a vast array of materials related to the development and maintenance of museums and on topics relative to the exhibits and programming of the Museum. Also included in the holdings are a significant selection of Native American, Archeological, Anthropological and Arkansas related references. We welcome visitors to come in, browse, and enjoy our quiet reading room. We do not allow books, magazines or other media to be taken out of the library.

The Museum provides many great educational opportunities for individuals and schools. We offer prearranged tours of our galleries for groups of up to 75, custom-fitting each tour to the size and age of the group. For more information about scheduling a tour, you may call us at 479-964-0826 or email our Education Coordinator at tjohnson@atu.edu.

This museum was created in 1989 as a history and archeology museum, with an interpretive region encompassing the Arkansas River Valley of western Arkansas, with particular emphasis on the history of the University and the immediate counties of Pope, Yell, and Johnson. In 2008, as the University's Centennial approached, the Museum mission and interpretive program was narrowed to interpreting the establishment and history of Arkansas Tech University and the stories of the people and partners that comprise that history. The Museum also began formal development of Tech History Archival and Tech History Memorabilia collections. Museum staff have since 2008 worked closely with University Administration to develop exhibits about this history as part of the University Centennial Project. One additional major project the staff have undertaken is digitization of photographic media collections to make them available for online research by alumni and the general public. The Museum is housed primarily in the Techionery Building on the Arkansas Tech University campus in Russellville. Exhibits are available in five galleries in the Techionery and the Museum offers scheduled tours, evening or exhibit openings each year, and a cooperataive exhibit with the Art Department entitled Art and Architecture each April. Collections now number over 110,000 items; a small research library is available on site.

History

The Museum was formed in December 1989 by the Board of Trustees of Arkansas Tech University as part of a partnership between the University, the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest regional office, and the Arkansas Archeological Survey. The Museum curates a large archeological collection from this area for the Forest Service, and from 1989 - 2008 the Museum staff worked cooperatively with the Arkansas Archeological Survey to develop educational programs about area archeology. The formation of the Museum allowed the University to begin responsible management of collections obtained by a campus history club during the early 1900s, care for a fine arts collection donated to the University that contains numerous historic pieces, and serve as a repository for various campus and region items representing University and regional history. The Museum's initial site was part of a renovated 1954 dormitory. The Museum is now housed in the 1938 Techionery Building, one of six National Register buildings on campus. Facilities include five exhibit areas, collections storage areas, the research library, offices, exhibit shop functions, classroom, and The Museum Store. The Store carries items relevant to the history of the University and also serves as a local region archival supplies and resource center.

Artifact Collections

Photographic, document, and 3-D item collections, representing University history; photographic, document and 3-D collections representing local region history; archeological collections representing Native American presence in this region; miscellaneous fine arts collection, mostly paintings, maps and lithographs

Research Collections

Small on-site research library. Native American Quarry sample collection for Arkansas and surrounding states near border.

Educational Programs

Exhibitions are open to the public and scheduled tours during regular public hours and by arrangement. Periodic evening lectures and workshops are scheduled. The Museum Store hosts preservation workshops as staff and project schedules allow.

Library
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars
Appointment required: Yes
ADA
Wheelchair Accessible
Exhibitions
Museum Events
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