ABOUT US

The Tohache Wash Cultural Centre has been a hub in the local community since it first opened in 1976. Situated barely a stone’s throw from the San Juan river, the centre is located off US Highway 160 in New Mexico near the four-corners monument. It is here that the intersecting corners of four states (New Mexico, Colorado, Utah and Arizona) divide or connect, depending on your perspective.

The centre has also been a place of learning dedicated to local, indigenous and pre American stories and artefacts. Camping, storytelling and sharing food there featured in so many memories that when the centre faced closure in 2003, the local community rallied around to save it. In 2004 enough funds were raised to expand its role as a museum and exhibition gallery and also to extend its function as a community kitchen, library and events centre.

In March 2006 the Tohache Wash Cultural Centre reopened as the TWW Museum and the following year the Windsoar exhibition became a permanent fixture. In 2007 the museum won the International Heritage Award and continues to exhibit the largest collection of pre and post American cultural artefacts anywhere in the world.

Run entirely on donations and by volunteers, the TWW Museum represents the past as well as the community it inspires. Collecting; conservation, research, communication and exhibition are the cornerstones of any museum but as society changes so too are the roles of museums. As communities are empowered by coming together it is inevitable that we will explore innovative ways to engage with contemporary social issues and conflict.

As institutions at the heart of society, museums and community centres have the power to establish dialogue between cultures, to build bridges for a peaceful world and to inspire a sustainable future.