News
2025 begins Co-Leadership at The Museum at the Bighorns
Photo Credit: Jenae Neeson
January begins co-leadership at The Museum at the Bighorns with Chip King, Director of Operations and Carrie Ida Edinger, Museum Director. King has been with The Museum at the Bighorns for 18 months and brings a background in finance, customer service, and retail. King also organized several History Happy Hour programs throughout Sheridan County and has been the lead for the move of the museum and the collections. Edinger brings her art and humanities background, experience with non-profits, community engagement programs, and her four years managing the history programs at the Sheridan Community Land Trust (SCLT) to her position as Museum Director.
She added a thank-you to all the volunteers and the previous board members who have always supported the museum.
Thane Magelky, President of The Museum at the Bighorns Board elaborates on the co-leadership effort, “All the pieces are falling into place for the Museum to succeed. We’ve got a great new location in downtown Sheridan where we will be active participants in promoting and celebrating Sheridan. We’ve got two outstanding staff members who are passionate about our mission, care deeply about the Sheridan area and history, and are active, engaged members of our community. Chip grew up in Sheridan and brings a wealth of experience from the business sector, his community involvement, and arts background to bear on his role as the Operations Director. He orchestrated our move which was no small feat. “
Magelky continues, “Carrie has delivered programs to Sheridan for several years, first with the History Program with SCLT and then through the Brinton Museum. With her expertise in museums, art background, and demonstrated success building programs and public outreach we could not have gotten a better person to be our Museum Director.”
Recently, the museum building located on 5th Street was sold and the next phase of the 2025 relocation and expansion at 171 North Main Street, which is the old Woolworths building, continues. The Museum of the Bighorns will be opening at this new location to the public in the summer of 2025. With the temporary closure from the relocation and expansion of the museum, Edinger is organizing some ways you can see some pieces of the museum’s collection and partake in upcoming events combining history, art and other hands-on activities. A quilt from the Museum of the Bighorns’ collection will be included in the March 2025 Clearmont Historical Group’s 5th Annual Quilt Show in the town of Clearmont. In addition, there will be four themed hands-on activities during 3rd Thursdays with the Downtown Sheridan Association this summer.
With this new co-leadership and relocation plan, The Museum at the Bighorns will continue to preserve our local history and keep it accessible to the Sheridan County community, tourists, and visitors. The current museum board and co-directors would like to thank previous board members and many volunteers over the years for their service and dedication to preserving our local and regional history and establishing the museum.
For more information contact: Carrie Ida Edinger, Museum Director Phone – 307- 675-1150 or email director@museumbighorns.org
