The L. Alan Cruikshank River of Time Museum and Exploration Center has opened a new exhibit entitled “Carrying on During COVID,” a compilation of art, poetry and memories submitted by Fountain Hills residents.

Although it might seem a bit soon for reminiscing about the global pandemic that impacted so many lives, this exhibit not only recalls the challenges, but also celebrates the resilience of some of the residents in the community.

People like Ken Dobbs, who discovered a new hobby while keeping busy during quarantine. A gift from a relative has resulted in over 30 hand-assembled models of everything ranging from a replica of the White House to a working Ferris wheel. The miniatures are made of a balsa-type wood and fit together like puzzle pieces. Dobbs has donated his collection to the River of Time to support the organization’s fundraising efforts. Each hand-crafted item will be on sale. Poetry, an oil painting and color pencil works are also on display.

Local couple, Andrea and Mark Briggs, held their wedding at the height of the pandemic. After much deliberation, they decided that it was more important to wed than to host their family and friends. The small ceremony of five was held in April of 2020 and a large celebration was postponed until it was safe for folks to travel. The Briggs shared their story along with the video footage of their wedding.

Organizations like Stitchers of Hope learned to pivot and change their focus. This active Fountain Hills sewing mission switched from creating their normal projects to sewing masks. Over 2,500 masks had been distributed to low-income folks throughout Arizona during the beginning of the pandemic. They share their story in this exhibit.

“Vaccinations, mask mandates, hoarding along with a host of other challenges will be forever linked to the Coronavirus,” a press release states. “Visitors to the exhibit may be reluctant to remember, but hopefully a glimpse into the creative way our residents met these challenges will remind us all of the resilience of the human spirit.”

The exhibit will be on display at the River of Time Museum and Exploration Center through June 11. The Center is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. until May 31. Summer hours, which are Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., begin on June 1 and run through Sept. 31, and also by appointment.