September 27, 2002

On Thursday, September 26, 2002, five years of meeting, brainstorming, drawing, writing, installing, choosing, recording, and working incredibly long hours came together on the opening day of the Spurlock Museum. About 250 people attended the early-afternoon dedication ceremony, where University administrators spoke of the importance of the Museum and performed the official ribbon-cutting.

Also speaking at the ceremony was Melvin Grey Owl, a Dakota Sioux. Earlier in the day, Mr. Grey Owl had performed a purification ceremony for the American Indian artifacts in the Museum’s collections. Members of the Museum staff and local American Indian community were invited to join in the ceremony.

The opening day festivities were only a part of the celebrations. At noon on Wednesday, the Museum staff gathered for their own private ribbon-cutting and Museum dedication. That evening, over 100 Museum friends attended a Black Tie Gala, where they were given an exclusive sneak peek at the new building.

The Museum’s first school group, two classes of second graders from Unity East in Sidney, arrived at the Museum as soon as it opened Friday morning. The teacher leading the group, Nick Dalrymple, had called while the Spurlock building was still under construction to guarantee that his students would be the first to receive a tour. The second graders were treated to “Stories around the World,” and had the added bonus of hearing their teachers present two of the stories.