‘The Fossilettes,’ formed to champion the L.A. landmark, will launch with a luncheon at the George C. Page Museum on Tuesday, March 22.
By Steve Simmons – Posted 3:40 p.m., March 3, 2022
Art historian, lecturer and educator Mumsey Nemiroff has a new cause. Now she’s working to support and encourage others to support one of her favorite sites in Los Angeles—the La Brea Tar Pits.
It’s not as big of a leap as it sounds. Nemiroff has been active with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles (NHM) for many years, as a museum fellow, and is a big fan of its George C. Page Museum that houses and exhibits paleontological discoveries from the site on which it sits–the La Brea Tar Pits.
An Enduring Resource
“L.A. is a major population center and smack dab in the middle are ancient tar pits, still giving up fossils,” says Nemiroff. The Page Museum hosts ongoing excavation and interpretation of the incredibly rich site with the fossils of thousands of Ice Age animals that got trapped in the sticky pools. Display windows allow visitors to watch paleontologists at work in their laboratory, and reassembled skeletons hang from the ceiling. Visitors can watch scientists conserve “Zed” the most complete Columbian mammoth ever discovered at the Tar Pits, see what the most intact, mummified baby mammoth ever found looks like; and discover the evolutionary journey of mammoths, mastodons and their relatives.
Lending Her Support
At a recent dinner with museum staffers, Nemiroff learned of the future plans for the Tar Pits. In the “reimagined” vision of the institution, the entire 13-acre La Brea Tar Pits site on Wilshire Boulevard –the Lake Pit, the historic excavation pits, the park and museum, will all be connected by a one-kilometer looping pedestrian walkway, so the world-famous site can be fully appreciated by the public.
“I was so excited, I volunteered to found and organize a support group,” reveals Nemerioff. The result is The Fossilettes, “people who will act as cheerleaders and ‘appreciators.'”
Originally planned as a women’s group, she named the organization The Fossilettes, “to go along with the light-hearted nature of the group,” Nemiroff says. “I wanted it to be fun and everybody laughs when they hear the name.” But she’s already had interest from men, so she may be changing the name to “The Fossilettes and Mastodons.”
Strictly for fans of the Tar Pits, Nemiroff is thrilled for the group to be part of the transformation of a site, “that reaches back to the dawn of the planet and translates it into something that will be here in the future. I’ve lived in the L.A.-area nearly my whole life and being able to give something back of lasting value is quite meaningful.”
With the development of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Petersen Automotive Museum and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Nemiroff is eager for the Tar Pits to take their place as an equally iconic L.A. attraction. “Used by students, tourists and locals, the fact is that it is something no other major city has.”
Nemeroff had originally planned to have a birthday party in the Page Museum, but the pandemic and subsequent Omicron Variant meant delaying the event. Now the party, open to all interested, will be the launch of the group. Nemiroff is hoping all attendees “will fall under the spell of the magic of the museum and want to become members.”
The Fossilettes private kick-off luncheon will be from 12:30-2:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 22 at the Tar Pits and museum, 5801 Wilshire Blvd., LA. To attend the informational event, attendees need to RSVP to Fellows@NHM.org, hopefully by Tuesday, March 8.
Only those who join the Museum at any membership level, which range from individual at $99 to Fellow at $2,500, will be eligible to join the Fossilettes. “They just have to express their interest, and they’ll be put on the email list for this informal group,” adds Nemiroff.
Education And Socializing
Nemiroff has planned several educational and social events for museum and tar pit enthusiasts. They include:
- At 10 a.m., Tuesday April 12 members will enjoy a private tour of “Becoming Jane,” the exhibition of the life and work of primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall, a personal hero of Nemiroff’s, at the NHM in Exhibition Park. “She’s someone I really admire,” says Nemiroff. “I just love the activities at the museum. I’ve learned so much from the NHM and it enhances my travels, especially to Africa.” An offsite lunch will follow.
- A behind-the-scenes exploration of the gems and minerals in the NHM’s Mineral Sciences collection.
- A chartered bus in spring to view California wildflowers.
- A visit the William S. Hart ranch in Newhall, also part of the NHM, to see the home filled with its original works by cowboy artists Frederic Remington and Charles Russell, the resident bison herd and enjoy an outdoor barbecue dinner, with guests in Western garb.
- A chartered bus to attend the Laguna Art Festival on July 9, the first Saturday of the festival. Guests will enjoy dinner on the grounds followed by reserved seats to a performance of the famed Pageant of the Master in Irvine Bowl This year’s theme is “What a Wonderful World.”
All the activities will be available exclusively to The Fossilettes members who will be emailed a calendar of events. Cost for the events (bus, meals, etc.) will include a modest donation to The Fossilettes for Tar Pit projects.
“While these events are fun,” says Nemiroff, “the most fun will be contributing in a tangible way to this phenomenal yet most underserved ancient treasure trove. The Fosillettes will help create a great legacy from antiquity into the future.”
For more information, contact Nemiroff at 310-614-6805.
Steve Simmons is an accomplished writer and editor who writes about a wide array of topics including entertainment. His successful experience at the Beverly Hills Courier and other publications set the stage for his blog. Contact Steve at steve.simmons0211@gmail.com or 626-788-6734.
