Story by Doreen Beard

Avenir Museum of Design and Merchandising volunteer Marcella Wells was formally recognized with the “Friend of the College Award” at the College of Health and Human Sciences awards reception in April 2018.  The award is given to individuals who have supported the college in extraordinary ways. Wells is a CSU alumna, holding a Ph.D. in Human Dimensions and Natural Resources.

Life-long love of fabrics, history, and costume

As a natural resource interpreter for five years, an environmental education professor for 10 years, and a museum consultant for 17 years, she inspires excellence in informal education and evaluation. Today, in semi-retirement, Wells extends her love of teaching and learning and a life-long love of fabrics, history, and costume, by volunteering at the Avenir Museum.

At the Avenir, Wells works as the reference librarian and is involved in exhibit design and development. She stepped in to fill a myriad of roles during the Avenir Museum expansion, including the shelving and inventory of 5,000 volumes in the museum’s reference library. Wells also guest-curated the recent exhibit “The Allure of the Moroccan Caftan,” as well as the current exhibits “ORANGE: a short history of orange in fashion,” and “Nothing to Sneeze at: One Woman – 1,107 Handkerchiefs.”

Vital role

As a credentialed subject matter expert in the areas of interpretive planning, exhibition development, and visitor evaluation research, she has volunteered several hundred hours alone to developing diverse exhibitions at the Avenir. Everyone who enters the museum: from students, to community members, to visiting dignitaries and scholars–are recipients of her warm welcome, great knowledge of CSU, and appreciation of the historic apparel and textile collection. Her wide-ranging and vital role at the Avenir Museum over the past three years has been a major factor in the Avenir’s success.

Congratulations to Marcella Wells on this well-deserved recognition!