Museum of Culture and Environment
In This Section
Get Involved
Information on how to get involved with the Museum of Culture & Environment.
Collections
Exploration and donation information for collections at the Museum of Culture & Environment.
Exhibits
Index page for exhibits at the Museum of Culture & Environment
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
Mission, Vision, and Values
Mission, Vision, and Values
Contact the Museum
Contact the Museum.
The Museum of Culture and Environment is located in Dean Hall on the Central Washington University campus. It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Contact page.
Current Exhibits
The Unchosen Ones
The CWU Museum of Culture & Environment (MCE) welcomes a new exhibit for winter 2024, The Unchosen Ones, featuring portraits of children as they compete in a rural County Fair with the animals they have cared for. Situating these portraits within his home state of Minnesota, photographer R. J. Kern chose not to focus on grand champions but, rather, the children who didn’t win.
Portrayed in classical poses, viewers will witness the quiet dignity of these young people in the face of failure. Viewers will also be led to contemplate the special relationship that people and the animals they are devoted to. This exhibit opens on January 10 and will be on display until March 9, 2024
Animal Model: How a Tiny Worm Helps Us Understand the Human Brain
C. elegans, commonly referred to as the nematode, is a microscopic worm that lives in soils all around us. But scientists like CWU Biology professor Lucinda Carnell also grow C. elegans in their labs, since this tiny worm can be used as an “animal model,” a proxy for the human brain. In this exhibit, we learn about why C. elegans has been so important to neuroscience research—and how some of this research happens within our own university! Feb. 15, 2023-Dec. 9, 2023 (a College of the Sciences “Window on Central” display)
Check out our online exhibits! Explore our collections! Check out our Facebook and Instagram!
Students from the CWU Museum Club install their 2019 exhibit Thanks for the Memories.
The CWU Museum of Culture & Environment resides on land ceded by the Yakama people in 1855. We must respect and take care of this land and all that comes from it. The Yakama people continue their relationship with the land to this day, offering gratitude and stewardship. We acknowledge that the Museum and the collections we steward came to be at CWU because of the many complex legacies of colonialism. And we acknowledge Indigenous CWU students, past, present, and future.
Contact
Museum of Culture & Environment
Central Washington University
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7544
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