Exhibit
Location: North Hall, 1st floor
Hours: Mondays and Fridays, 1:30pm-5:00pm
(Note: The museum will be closed for Christmas break between the dates of December 10th - January 3rd. The museum will re-open on January 4th, 2013.)
History of the collection
Bruce Dice, a 1948 Calvin alumnus and geologist from
Houston, Texas, has been an avid rock and mineral collector for as long as he can remember. From childhood digging in his backyard, to spelunking in mines in New Zealand and Mexico, Dice has practiced the art of mineral collecting.
During the last 30 years, Dice has invested considerable time and effort into improving his exquisite collection. World-wide travels provided him opportunities to acquire rare and valuable samples. One of his favorite minerals on display is a sample of Crocoite, an unusual and rare lead chromate (PbCrO4) which forms into orange, tabular crystals. Our Museum specimen was obtained from a small, family owned mine in Australia. Through the years Dice has worked to improve the variety and quality of minerals in the collection. Recent purchases included a suite of stunning fluorescent specimens from Franklin, New Jersey.
Nevertheless, he felt something was missing: “I decided it was time to share … so [the collection] went to the love of my life — Calvin College.” A short time later, his mineral collection was delivered to professional museum staff for mounting, photographing, appraisal and documentation. Back at Calvin College, faculty, staff and students were enthusiastic when construction broke ground in March of 2012. A new addition to North Hall was erected, and over 300 mineral, meteorite and fossil specimens were relocated to their new home on Calvin’s campus.
Both Dice and those at Calvin College agree that the collection is a magnificent way to marvel at God’s creation and to enjoy God’s handiwork. With time, the museum will continue to change as new specimens are displayed from acquisitions and storage, thereby offering fresh displays of God’s handiwork to be enjoyed time after time.
