Affeldt Mion Museum in the Historic Depot
Mary E.J. Colter’s Historic Depot
The rhythmic rumble of a train rolling by can mentally transport us to the bygone era of romantic travel. If you’ve watched from the chairs along the tracks at La Posada, you know what I’m talking about.
The hotel isn’t the only transformative experience, though. There is also the historic depot, built for the Santa Fe Railway as the Winslow stop. It too was designed by La Posada architect, Mary E.J. Colter.
In that historic depot, you’ll find Affeldt Mion Museum (AMM), featuring the Winslow Society of Artists.
To get to AMM from inside the hotel, you’ll exit the back door toward the train tracks (the original main entrance!) and turn left, where you’ll follow the long Spanish Revival arcade towards the depot.
When you’re there, pay particular attention to the many original features, from the massive beams and Spanish tile roof to the concrete floors and ornate radiator grilles.
The building itself is an important part of the AMM collection, thanks to the loving restoration in 2018 by owners Allan Affeldt and Tina Mion.
It is for them that the museum is named.
Inside, you’ll find a celebration of not only Fred Harvey and Mary Colter, but other artists and designers, past and present, who have contributed to elevating Winslow Arizona through art. Allan and Tina’s restoration of La Posada spurred community development, encouraging other artists to revive nearby historic buildings into studios, a collective known as the Winslow Society of Artists (WSA). The AMM and WSA will continue to explore and celebrate historic revival, creative expression, and what art can do for a community.
AMM will also be home to a significant part of Winslow’s history.
The Hubbell-Joe Rug
The world’s largest single-loom Navajo rug, commissioned for Lorenzo Hubble Jr’s Winslow trading post in 1932 and woven by Navajo artist Julia Joe and her daughters, has returned to Winslow after a fifty-year absence, thanks to Allan Affeldt and Tina Mion, who purchased the rug in 2012. Creating a display for a work of art this massive and important has been many years in the making but is now well underway. The goal is a late summer opening.
To learn more and to stay in the loop regarding the grand-opening for the exhibit—along with other exciting AMM plans—please click this link to sign up for the AMM/WSA email list.
We look forward to seeing you!
Affeldt Mion Museum is currently open seven days a week from 9 am until 5 pm.