The Montezuma Heritage Museum has a new executive director stepping up to continue the work the museum has been doing since opening in 2022.
Elizabeth Quinn MacMillan officially started the job July 1. She lives in Dolores and has more than 16 years of museum experience, so stepping into this role just made sense.
“I love living here, and so this job was shared with me, and it just seems like such an opportunity to use my skills and experience in my community and to work with the small history museum,” Quinn MacMillan told a Journal reporter.
Quinn MacMillan hopes to build on the success of the young museum by finishing permanent exhibits and working with community members to bring in changing exhibits. The museum also hopes to host various programs and to be a resource for local schools.
The museum is holding a private dedication for the new Ute Mountain Ute exhibit in collaboration with their tribal partners on Monday, Quinn MacMillan said. This is just an example of events and projects to come.
The Montezuma Heritage Museum also recently received a Ballantine Family Fund grant that will go toward reprinting the book “Cow Talk: The Memoirs of George W. Menefee, an Early Day Cattleman of the Southwest,” first published in 1975. The republication will be for sale in the museum’s store.
Quinn MacMillan started her museum experience interning in collections at the Canyons of the Ancients visitor center and museum in 2008. She then worked as the collections manager at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe. Most recently, she worked at Fort Lewis College in Durango as curator for the Center of Southwest Studies.
“I’m excited to be here in this community setting and getting to know this community in a new way,” Quinn MacMillan said.
The Montezuma Heritage Museum is located at 35 S. Chestnut St. and is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $5 for visitors 12 and older. Visit https://montezumamuseum.org/ for more information about events and exhibits.
