Tyrannosaur exhibition at Farmington Museum opens with some local flavor
FARMINGTON — Visitors to the “Tyrannosaurs Meet the Family” exhibition opening this weekend at the Farmington Museum at Gateway Park are given a quick introduction to what it might be like to share space with the feared dinosaurs as soon as they step into the gallery that houses the show.
Surrounded by a pair of 33-foot-long, 8-foot-high video screens that depict downtown Farmington, visitors are greeted by footage of animated Tyrannosaurs galloping up and down Main Street, emitting high-pitched shrieks and, perhaps, indulging in a little window shopping at the district’s clothing, bicycle and furniture stores.
“They gave us the specs to take the artwork, then they took them and developed this,” Christa Chapman, assistant director of cultural affairs and marketing for the City of Farmington, said of the staff at the Australian Museum, which created the exhibition in 2012, sending it on to various locations around the world since then.
That opening feature to the show certainly gives it a local flavor. But the fact is, San Juan County and much of the rest of the Four Corners area already had a strong connection to the exhibition’s subject matter, thanks to the region’s status as one of North America’s premier dinosaur fossil hunting grounds, especially the Bisti/De-Na-Zin Wilderness Area south of Farmington.
Chapman said employees of Currents, the museum’s gift shop, were taken aback when they began stocking up on Tyrannosaur merchandise ahead of the exhibition’s opening.
“The didn’t realize how much North American dinosaur history in actually here in the Four Corners,” she said.
The exhibition focuses exclusively on Tyrannosaur discoveries, mixing actual fossils with models and casts of fossils, along with several interactive, touch-screen stations designed to bring an educational element to the experience. It also includes framed movie posters, comic book covers and other artwork illustrating how dinosaurs have been conveyed in popular culture through the years.
“There’s a lot of fun, interactive stuff,” Chapman said.
The star of the exhibition is a cast of “Scotty,” a 19-foot-tall Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton that was discovered in Saskatchewan, Canada, in 1991, and which is considered one of the largest, oldest and most complete finds of its kind. The model includes 60 teeth that range in size from 3 to 28 centimeters.
A short distance away is a display of model dromaeosaurids, feathered dinosaurs whose bird-like coverings don’t make them any less intimidating. The exhibition also includes several other complete or near-complete fossil models of various members of the Tyrannosaur family.
The museum staff is anticipating a significant response to the show and has scheduled a series of “Dino Days” activities one Saturday a month to accommodate youth groups. The museum also is partnering with the San Juan College Foundation and the Sherman Dugan Museum of Geology at the college to accommodate tours by student groups throughout the run of the exhibition.
“Just as soon as it went on social media, it was shared immediately by people,” Chapman said, describing the city’s digital marketing materials promoting the show.
Folks from as far away as Albuquerque and Denver have expressed interest in the exhibition, leading Chapman to remark that excitement seems to be far reaching.
“We’re really hoping it’s going to be a regional draw,” she said.
“Tyrannosaurs Meet the Family” will remain on display at the museum, 3041 E. Main St., through April 26. Admission is $10. Call 505-599-1174 for more information on the exhibit.
Mike Easterling can be reached at 505-564-4610 or measterling@daily-times.com.
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This article originally appeared on Farmington Daily Times: Tyrannosaurs show on display at Farmington Museum through April 26
