Several years ago, Linda Deck, director of the Bradbury Science Museum, Hedy Dunn, director of the Los Alamos Historical Museum, and I (assistant director at the LAHM) were working on a project and discussing how helpful it would be if we met monthly, informally – perhaps over coffee – to keep each other informed of what we were doing. The idea sat until September 2010, when the Los Alamos Historical Society hosted a symposium on future public uses of the Oppenheimer
House. At the symposium, historians, historic house experts, and community members encouraged the local cultural attractions to work together more to help develop sustainable tourism for the region.
As a result, Linda and I revived the idea of having coffee together once a month; and we invited others to join us. The group has included representatives from Bandelier National Monument, the Valles Caldera National Preserve, the Chamber of Commerce and LACDC, the County Government, the Laboratory, Mesa Public Library, the Los Alamos Arts Council, the Fuller Lodge Art Center, and Puye Cliffs. The group is open to anyone in the Jemez Mountain region with an interest in tourism-related attractions or businesses, from history to high-altitude sports.
The goal of the Cultural Coffee Klatch is two-fold: Communication and Collaborations. Different groups are already working on joint exhibits, summer programs, tours, and more. Eventually, the group may work on the development of centralized visitor centers as well as the development of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park. If you are interested in learning more about this great group of people, give me a call at 505- 662-6272 or email heather@losalamoshistory.org