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Gary and Carol Ann Hixon: Pack Rats at Heart

April 29, 2024

With over 60 years of adventures collecting artifacts, 

Gary and Carol Ann Hixon will present 

Pack Rats at Heart: The Joys of Collecting 

from 1-2:30 pm Saturday, May 4, 

at the Global Village Museum of Arts and Cultures.


“From gumball trinkets to wonderful art and sculpture, we have background stories for each,” said Gary Hixon, owner of Gary Hixon Designs in Fort Collins. “We collect artifacts for the joy of doing so, and we may inspire you to join the collectors of the world. If you are a minimalist, you might develop a twitching eye. In any event, you will certainly be entertained.”


The Hixons’ collections include masks, Chinese mud men, nativity scenes, angels, purses, dolls, kimonos, chairs, decorative boxes, roosters, shoes, and trinkets from gumball machines. Additions to their collections have come from the many countries they have visited, including England, France, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Denmark, Austria, France, Italy, Turkey, India, Mexico, and Costa Rica.


Carol Ann added, “The hardest part of collecting is simply finding the space to both display and store all the unique and wonderful items!”


The presentation is in conjunction with the Museum’s Main Gallery exhibit, Collections: Unexpected Treasures, which runs through May 25.


Tickets are $5 per person, and reservations are requested at globalvillagemuseum.org. Refreshments will be served, and program registration includes admission to the Museum’s four galleries. 


The Global Village Museum is located at 200 West Mountain Avenue, and Museum hours are 11 am to 5 pm Tuesday through Saturday. For more information and closure dates during the change of exhibits, please visit globalvillagemuseum.org or call 970-221-4600.