Best Maritime Museum Tucson Near Me

4worldlovers:
The University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum is dedicated to providing public education, and the preservation of minerals and meteorites while also serving the research needs of professionals, students, and collectors. The collection is worldwide in scope, but with specific emphasis on minerals from Arizona and Mexico.

As Museum Director, Violetta will provide leadership to our initiatives for further research, development, and education across the UA, gem, mineral, and local Tucson communities. Violetta has a successful history serving as the Interim Deputy Director of Content and Collections and Director of Collections at the Oakland Museum of California, where she served on the Senior Leadership team, representing the Collections, Production, and Curatorial departments, establishing overall strategy for exhibitions, preservation, and collections care. In addition to her collections background, Violetta is a skilled personnel manager with a successful track record of completing major projects including AAM reaccreditation, construction of new facilities, and strategic planning. This position is not her first interaction with the mineral collection; earlier in her career, she served as a Museum Policy Consultant for our collection in 2010, while working on her Master of Liberal Arts in Museum Studies at the Harvard Extension School. Violetta also has a Bachelor of Science in Archaeological Studies from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.


The only way our museum collection grows is through donations and loans; We are thankful for those who support our museum. Below are some highlights of what is currently on display:

4worldlovers: Come be introduced to the ancient and enduring Indigenous cultures of the region through content-rich exhibits, docent tours, online and in-person programs, master classes, travel experiences, and a research library and archives.