For Immediate Release
Contact:
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Leigh Kish (412) 622-3361
KishL@CarnegieMuseums.org

February 26, 2009

Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s
Section of Minerals receives educational award

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania…Carnegie Museum of Natural History received the award for Best Educational Exhibit by an Institution, one of five awards given out by the Friends of Mineralogy at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show, the largest gem and mineral show in the world. Marc Wilson, Collection Manager and Head, Section of Minerals accepted the award on behalf of Carnegie Museum of Natural History on Saturday, February 14, 2009.

The award-winning exhibit featured seven mineral specimens from the museum’s collection, and followed this year’s show theme, Mineral Oddities. It included explanatory text to expand upon the oddity of each piece.

Each year, The Friends of Mineralogy sponsor three awards for articles in leading mineralogical publications and two awards for exhibit at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show—one for private collections and one for institutions—which explain an aspect of mineralogy, contain high-quality specimens, and that are aesthetically pleasing.

The Friends of Mineralogy
The Friends of Mineralogy (FM) is a national organization with local chapters and is open to membership by all. FM's objective is to promote, support, protect and expand the collection of mineral specimens and to further the recognition of the scientific, economic and aesthetic value of minerals and collecting mineral specimens.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History, one of the four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh, is ranked as one of the top five natural history museums in the country. It maintains, preserves, and interprets an extraordinary collection of 21 million objects and scientific specimens used to broaden understanding of evolution, conservation, and biodiversity. More information is available by calling 412.622.3131 or from the Web site, www.carnegiemnh.org.

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