#scmah

[softspud]

Obrere Internacional, 2022. Mixed media installation. Dimensions vary. 

Currently on view at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History as part of the MexiCali Biennial: Land of Milk and Honey. 

[sleto-community-museums-blog]

I’ve been in Santa Cruz for 3 days and it’s been nothing but amazing so far! 

I spent Thursday exploring downtown and trying to find somewhere that sold tooth brushes (the airport accidentally left my luggage back in AZ and wasn’t sure when they’d be able to get it to me... I was a little panicked since I had to be at the museum the next morning but it all worked out. Special shout out to Alfonso from the airport who rescued my luggage and got it to me at 10 pm!)

Yesterday I visited the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History (MAH). I planned my visit around their First Friday event (which, as the name implies, happens on the first Friday of every month). As part of First Friday, the MAH offers free admission to the galleries all day and a guest speaker and an art-making activity in the evening. The city of Santa Cruz also has its own arts-related programming for the first Friday of every month. The city offers a calendar of local museums, studios, galleries, etc. that offer free First Friday events in order to encourage people to check out the arts in Santa Cruz and the surrounding areas. After touring the MAH’s permanent collection and the two current exhibitions (one about Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead and another about the 3 Hawaiian princes who first brought surfing to mainland USA). After my tour I met with Stacey Garcia, the Director of Community Engagement. The MAH not only has a mission statement, but a vision and action for achieving that mission and Stacey gave me a lot of great insight into how the MAH works toward those 3 elements. We also discussed the MAH’s expansion into Abbott Square that will be coming soon and effective strategies for broadening the impact that museums can have in their communities. 

After my meeting I went on a walking tour of the public art in Santa Cruz which included over 30 murals and sculptures across the city. In the evening I went back to the MAH for the second part of the First Friday event. I learned a lot at the MAH and it was great to start building upon what I did and learned back in Tucson. Special thanks to Stacey for meeting with me and sharing her thoughts and ideas! To learn more about the MAH visit them online: http://www.santacruzmah.org/

Today I spent 4th of July at Seabright beach and am going to try to catch some fireworks later tonight. During the rest of my time in Santa Cruz I plan on exploring the numerous public art initiatives, such as City Arts and Santa Cruz Art League, to learn about what they do to support the local community.

[sleto-community-museums-blog]

Yesterday was my last day in Tucson; I started the day by visiting Ben’s Bells and ended the day with a hike through Sabino Canyon. 

Ben’s Bells is a non-profit community art project that aims to “inspire, educate, and motivate people to realize the impact of intentional kindness, and to empower individuals to act according to that awareness, thereby strengthening ourselves, our relationships, and our communities.” Ben’s Bells is extremely well known throughout Tucson and has recently expanded to Phoenix as well as to Newtown, CT. Ben’s Bells welcomes volunteers of all ages to make and paint clay beads that will become part of a bell -- bells are sold at the Ben’s Bell shop and distributed in spots around Tucson (or wherever people choose to take them) as part of the intentional acts of kindness mission. Each week, Ben’s Bells staff and volunteers will also “bell” a member of the Tucson community who has done something especially kind or impactful. When I spoke with a Ben’s Bells staff member she said “you’d think that once a week would be too much...that we’d have a hard time finding people to bell...but trust me, it’s much easier than you’d think. There are a lot of amazing people in our community.” At the original Ben’s Bells location near the University of Arizona in Tucson I was able to paint a few beads and learn more about the Ben’s Bells project. I also visited a few of the 10 Ben’s Bells murals that can be seen around Tucson. While on the mural tour I made an exciting discovery - a few of the murals were designed by Isaiah Zagar who designed the Magic Gardens in Philadelphia. To learn more about Ben’s Bells check our their website: https://bensbells.org/

Visiting Tucson was a great start to my Plastino research and gave me a lot of insight into how museums and local art initiatives can work independently, as well as together, to improve their communities. 

Today I arrived in Santa Cruz, California and tomorrow I’ll be visiting the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.