Currently on Display

Tooth + Tusk: Evolutionary Storytellers

This exhibit is a celebration of teeth in all of their glorious diversity, small and large, sharp and dull, smooth and bumpy—from the incisors to the molars. Why celebrate teeth? Because teeth sit at the intersection between animals and their environments: They help us capture and chew food—but they also can be used as a tool or for making friends (or enemies!) Visitors will be able to compare the teeth of mammals, fish, and reptiles through displays as well as hands-on activities.

Upcoming Events

Curators’ Celebration: Fall Open House @CWU Museum

When: Thursday Sept. 29 at 5:30 PM

Where: Dean Hall Lobby and live on YouTube (www.youtube.com/cwumuseum)

It’s time to get back in the swing of things for Fall 2022! And the CWU Museum has lots to celebrate, including new exhibits developed by CWU Museum Studies students. Please join us on Thursday September 29 at 5:30 PM as we celebrate our student curators!

MEChA de CWU: 50 Aniversario

When: Thursday October 20 at5:30 PM

Where: Dean Hall Lobby and live on YouTube

MEChA (Movemiento Estudiantil Chicana/o de Atzlan) has been on the CWU campus for 50 years. Join Prof. Gilberto Garcia (CWU Political Science) as he discusses the history of MEChA at CWU, including the activism of Mechistas from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. Prof. Garcia’s research incorporates articles from the student newspaper, annual academic catalogs, and more recent photos of Mechistas engaged in community-building, activism, and scholarship.  This history will be situated within the Chicana/o Movement of Central Washington, thus highlighting the important connections between CWU Mechistas and regional Chicana/o communities.

Fang Fest

When: Thursday October 27 at 5:30 PM

Where: Dean Hall Lobby and live on YouTube (www.youtube.com/cwumuseum)

Join the CWU Museum and the Department of Biology as we learn about (and meet!) our fanged friends, including snakes and tarantulas! We will also hear from Prof. Daniel Beck (CWU Biology) about why snakes are the coolest ever and what we can do to be good neighbors to our local slithering friends.

Teeth! With Dr. Peter Ungar

When: Thursday Nov. 17 at 5:30 PM

Where: On Zoom, to join: https://cwu.zoom.us/j/84610819757?pwd=V0lTQk5XRnNueHVxWWpFaXZQQVl2UT09

Join the CWU Museum for a talk from tooth expert Dr. Peter Ungar. Dr. Ungar will discuss the dynamic relationships between our teeth, our food, and our environment.

Dr. Ungar is a paleoanthropologist and evolutionary biologist who teaches in the Dept. of Anthropology University of Arkansas. He has spent his career studying teeth—human teeth as well as the teeth of other mammals.  He is the author of three books, Evolution’s Bite, Mammal Teeth, and Teeth: A Very Short Introduction, and was recently selected as a member of the American Academic of Arts and Sciences.

Check out our online exhibits!   Explore our collections!  Check out our social media (Facebook, 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.