At Coterra, we work hard to cultivate relationships with community organizations in the areas we operate. You may already be familiar with the partners we work with in the Marcellus Shale region. Those would include the Dennis Farm, Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank, and Camp Freedom. However, with our expanded footprint into the Permian and Anadarko basins, we’re thrilled to introduce our readers to a new group of community partners whom we’ve worked with for many years.

Today’s partnership spotlight features the Museum of the Southwest. Coterra has supported the Museum since 2014 and we’re so excited to be talking about the work we’ve done with them over the years. The Museum has a long-standing history in the Midland, Texas community. It opened in 1966 and has been at its current location in the Tuner Mansion since 1968. The Museum has three main components:

Their Planetarium is home to a wide variety of STEAM exhibits. “The Museum’s vision and programming have been rooted in STEAM initiatives since the beginning, and that’s really by virtue of us being located in the heart of oil country,” said MK Marshall, Senior Director of Development and Communications. A prominent staple of the Planetarium is the Helen Greathouse Educational Discovery Dome. The Dome creates an immersive experience by putting visitors in the middle of 3D visuals displayed on a 360-degree state-of-the-art screen.

Since STEAM education is vital to the natural gas and oil industry, Coterra chose to sponsor the Science on a Sphere exhibit in the Planetarium in 2018. Science on a Sphere is an interactive exhibit that illustrates planetary data onto a six-foot diameter globe. It was developed by researchers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and has access to over 600 datasets. Their goal was to create educational opportunities for the public by breaking down the complexities of the environment and Earth systems. There are less than 180 Science on a Sphere exhibits across the globe.
 

Museum of the Southwest Science on a Sphere

We value their partnership and praise them for their commitment to providing these experiences to the community. We are proud to sponsor Free Sundays again this year! Every Sunday from 2 PM to 5 PM, visitors can enter the Museum free of charge. MK shared, “We have some very generous supporters like Coterra that have been involved in the Museum for many years. They felt it would have such a significant impact on the community, especially the youths, that they wanted to make sure our Museum was always accessible.”

The future is bright for the Museum of the Southwest. They’re excited to reopen the Children’s Museum with new and intentional programming, hands-on experiences, innovative technology, and interactive teaching. It will also feature a Dinosaur exhibit! Additionally, you can expect to see Frida Kahlo’s photography collection later this year, along with a full roster of new dome shows at the Planetarium.

MK shared her final thoughts with us saying, “There are countless benefits to having a cultural hub like the Museum of the Southwest in our area. It’s really something that is very special to the community, and we see them continually investing is what we do. There is a need and an appreciation for the experiences we provide here, and we believe there is truly something for every single person who walks through the door.”

We encourage you take advantage of everything the Museum of the Southwest has to offer. You can plan your visit and purchase tickets directly through their website.