TGMS Member Post by: Dr. Peter Megaw, Special & Guest Exhibits Chair
Our 2016 Theme of "Shades of Blue: Minerals of the World" is a bit of a detour from our traditional mineral species/groups and locality themes; perhaps most akin to Mineral Oddities and Fluorescent Minerals in the sense that it transcends obvious pigeonholes and leaves a lot up to the exhibitors imaginations. It is hard (impossible??? that's a challenge) to think of a mineral group that does not have a blue member: zeolites have cavansite; native elements have blue diamonds; sulfides have covellite, halides have halite, silver minerals have boleite, and the silicates, carbonates and oxides have myriad examples ... and that's before we start talking inclusions and trace element coloration. And of course there are species that fluoresce blue. Arizona is of course exceptionally endowed with blue minerals and is the type locality for several copper oxide species whose color rivals our skies on a summer's day. I would wager that a high percentage of TGMS field trips over the years featured blue minerals
This theme should draw some really fun ... and visually spectacular exhibits ... and I am already (!) getting requests for focus cases from museums and folks who really want to play along. Start conjuring up images of a case littered with top color Yogo Sapphires, rows of azurites from Arizona localities, and aquamarines in every shade of blue imaginable. Might also be fun to bring the musical Blues to our show, drawing in folks who might not otherwise come to our show. Chicago Blues, New Orleans Blues, Texas Blues and Delta Blues are well known ... why not Tucson Blues? Hey, maybe B.B. King could shoot his next album cover in front of a case of Arizona azurite?
This theme should also be perfect for TGMS members to play to! And in case you didn't notice, we established the Bill and Millie Schupp Trophy this year for the best exhibit put in by a TGMS member, and FM has an award for the best Educational exhibit (why is the sky ... and azurite ... blue?) so there's good potential for recognition of your efforts. Both guest and competitive cases qualify for both ... and it sure would be fun if a TGMS cooperative group-shoot case won! (As I said last RT ... I'll put in a rock or two if someone wants to organize this case ... Wayne might even agree to line it!)
So mark your calendars, check out your azurites, crank up BB on the stereo and get ready to volunteer to get the "blues" as soon as the lists go out!
Photos by: Mark Mauthner and Ken Don