Director’s Letter
Year after year, the MAH staff works tirelessly to offer an exciting and dynamic program—from our innovative exhibitions and biennial festivals rich with compelling installations, to meaningful residencies where artists have the time, space, and financial support to create new work, to interactive educational experiences that help guests interpret and contextualize. We aim to reach all audiences—whether you are a connoisseur of art, history, and culture, or simply inspired by shared experiences and unexpected connections.
We do this in service to our mission to bring people together through art and local history to explore our diverse cultures. In this way, we not only strengthen our sense of place, but our community overall.
But the MAH is also a business, with a bottom line and operating strategy. Like other museums, we trade in the creation, distribution, and consumption of artworks,
historical publications, archives, and other cultural products. As such, the need to increase our creative capacity and competitive advantage is ongoing. We must continually enhance our programs, operations, facilities, and resources—while remaining fiscally prudent to ensure long-term sustainability.
On all these fronts, we are proud to report the year’s successes.
In 2022-23 the MAH:
• Completed year two of our strategic plan. We again prioritized three core strategies—increasing engagement and retention, deepening relationships and collaboration, and building resilience and capacity. In these, we accomplished specific milestones, and reached or exceeded a number of our second-year targets.
This year we worked to align ambitions, resources, and plans so that we can continue to offer thoughtful, relevant programming that nurtures our community’s sense of place.
• Debuted new programming. We introduced CommonGround—our new, 10-day biennial festival of placeinspired outdoor work throughout Santa Cruz County—and presented a full year of exhibitions, programs, and events, including performative and visual works at local cultural sites.
• Honored our shared history. We made more space for Indigenous perspectives through Kincentricity, a multi-year collaboration with the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. It includes History Gallery updates, the creation of native learning gardens, and knowledgesharing and storytelling by artists, community, and students.
• Challenged conventional narratives. We held conversations around difficult topics—diversity and racism in local surf culture; mass incarceration and criminal justice
reform; and labor exploitation and environmental degradation in California agriculture. We joined the Bay of Life Project to bring awareness to and protect marine ecosystems.
• Hosted creative residencies. We supported multiple research-based residencies in which artists, activists, and scholars drew from history to interpret contemporary themes. They explored our local Victorian-era water carnivals, the lost stories of Santa Cruz’s Black pioneers, and Norse mythology in Evergreen Cemetery.
• Digitized part of our collection. We launched Queerstory, a project to digitize and promote photographic, printed, and audiovisual materials that document our local LGBTQ+ community from the mid-70s to present. This is part of a long-term initiative to digitize much of the museum’s archives.
• Improved our sites and facilities. We installed an ADA-compliant walkway across Evergreen Cemetery, and transformed our first-floor gallery into The Collaboratory, a multi-use area for resource-sharing and collaboration. We continue efforts to make all of our spaces more inviting, safe, and accessible.
• Secured new funding. We received grants from the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions and National Endowment for the Arts, and took advantage of tax credit and other aid programs to boost post-pandemic recovery. We continue to pursue opportunities for program development, capacity-building, and collaboration.
• Completed an accounting transition. For better integration and transparency, we updated our chart of accounts, streamlined systems, established stronger internal controls, tightened fiscal policies and procedures, and fully aligned our reporting with GAAP standards for nonprofits.
• Strengthened our business model. We retired long-term debt related to our capital lease obligations and favorably renegotiated commercial tenant agreements. We continue to work toward balancing earned and contributed revenue, shoring up cash flow, and expanding our base of support.
These and many more achievements bolster our ability to produce the imaginative and inspirational work that makes our museum such a treasured community resource.
Like all who contribute to our creative economy, the MAH nurtures the vibrancy of our community. Not only do we educate and entertain, we spark engagement, promote place identity, enhance livability, drive tourism, and invigorate the entrepreneurial ecosystem—ultimately serving as an engine of economic development. We hope you will join us in recognizing and strengthening our beloved creative institutions—especially enduring community fixtures like the MAH. By doing so, we can harness these benefits for the good of all.
Robb Woulfe Executive Director“The MAH is making the case that... no four walls can fully contain its vision, and the museum is more than the building it calls home.”
—Lookout Santa Cruz, on CommonGround
Vision, Mission & Values
Vision
To ignite shared experiences and unexpected connections that enrich our community.
Mission
To bring people together through art and local history to explore our diverse cultures.
Values
To achieve our vision and mission, we are guided by the following values:
Engagement & Collaboration
We deliver interactive, educational, and entertaining opportunities through our numerous partnerships, encouraging participation in the creative and learning process.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility
We respect individuals from all backgrounds and identities, with diverse life experiences, and acknowledge our connectedness, commonalities, and shared humanity.
Innovation & Experimentation
We challenge assumptions, explore various perspectives, and test new ideas to create experiences that are bold, unconventional, and thought-provoking.
Excellence & Rigor
We pride ourselves on professionalism, artistic excellence, historical accuracy, and meaningful social impact.
Accountability, Integrity & Responsibility
We recognize that transparency and careful stewardship of resources are essential to our operations, and cultivate an empowered workforce and board that share this fiscal responsibility.
About the MAH
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) was founded in 1996 to promote a greater understanding of contemporary art and the history of Santa Cruz County.
Today we are a thriving community gathering place that offers a full slate of rotating art and history exhibitions, visual and performing artworks, public festivals, education and outreach programs, and cultural celebrations in collaboration with our many partners. We maintain a permanent collection of regionally significant art and artifacts, a research library, historical archive, and historic sites including Evergreen Cemetery, the Octagon Building, and Davenport Jail. We are also home to Abbott Square, a vibrant public plaza on the museum’s doorstep that offers food, social events, and year-round creative happenings.
The MAH is well-known for pioneering the “participatory museum,” in which a broad spectrum of partners and community members develop exhibitions around important
community issues. We are proud of our reputation as one of the most creative and forward-thinking community museums in the country.
Under the leadership of Executive Director Robb Woulfe, we continue that level of engagement in recognition of the value in co-creating projects. At the same time, we are committed to producing and cultivating meaningful, high quality, place-based work that animates and enlivens the MAH as well as public spaces throughout Santa Cruz County.
With strong support from our community collaborators and new partnerships yet to be formed, we are confident the MAH will not only uphold its reputation as a cultural and social innovator, but serve as a model for other museums to emulate.
Assets & Spaces
Facility & Sites
The MAH itself is located in a privately owned building on Santa Cruz County property (the County leases the property to the MAH). Within it, there is approximately 8,000 square feet of exhibition/gallery space and 2,750 square feet for collections/archives. The MAH also operates three historic structures/sites: Evergreen Cemetery, Davenport Jail, and the Octagon Building. In addition, we manage the adjacent McPherson Center office building, which includes Abbott Square Market, as commercial rental property.
Collections & Publications
The MAH maintains a research library, archives, and a curatorial collection. The art collection has more than 300 sculptures, paintings, and prints by California and greater Monterey Bay area artists. The history collection has more than 7,000 items, most of which are from the early 1900s with historical significance to Santa Cruz County. The MAH also produces research-based publications on a range of topics about local history, environment, inhabitants, and places.
Exhibition Spaces
The MAH has two permanent exhibition spaces: the History Gallery and the rooftop Blanchard Sculpture Garden. Three other galleries—Art Forum, Lezin, and Solari—offer rotating exhibitions that present artworks and artifacts reflective of the dynamism and diversity of Santa Cruz County. In addition, the MAH presents a series of public programs and educational activities.
“What do you call a California institution that displays art from far and near, manages one of the oldest cemeteries in the state, schedules poetry readings and solo theater shows, administers a building on the National Register of Historic Places, presents cultural festivals and music concerts, and places pop-up exhibits throughout the community? That would be the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History.”
—Next Avenue
Programming Framework
The MAH offers a wide array of programs and activities for the community. To clarify and guide our programming, we developed the following framework:
Exhibitions
Now offered online and onsite, our rotating exhibitions feature commissioned, co-created, and presented works by local, national, and international artists, as well as artwork and objects from our collection. Many are collaborations between the MAH and the community; others are organized by our visionary team of curators.
Biennial Festivals
Our new festivals showcase the MAH as a “museum without walls” through largescale sculptures, site-specific installations, social interventions, and live performances outdoors and in. These are curated around established themes, with the aim of uniting community through a shared sense of wonder and awe.
Limited Series
This is our program of ticketed lectures, concerts, and performances featuring local, national, and international talent, which we present in partnership with local collaborators.
Community Celebrations
The MAH is proud to have a large and diverse group of partners who spearhead this series of events and activities celebrating local culture, heritage, and tradition.
Education Program
Our robust education program includes a variety of learning opportunities—from field trips, artist talks, guided tours, art camps, and hands-on classes to virtual
learning—designed to enhance understanding of our exhibitions among all audiences, from school groups to visiting guests.
Outreach Program
We also offer engagement opportunities beyond the physical space of the MAH that include pop-up events, mobile exhibitions, community speaker programs, and other activities both offsite and online.
Special Events
These are our fundraisers and “friendraisers” that we host throughout the year as a way to raise both dollars and awareness for the MAH.
Core Narratives
Because so much of our work is developed through the lens of community and public benefit, we identified core issues important to local citizens as a way to consciously embrace how art and history can integrate with and impact community life.
These areas of focus emphasize our sense of place, local identity, and collective history. Also seen as our spheres of impact, they help guide how programs and initiatives at the MAH are developed, curated, and organized, creating opportunities for cultural practitioners to collaborate, inspire, and elicit creative solutions that result in deep and lasting change. They include:
Health & Wellness
Mental health, holistic healing, art and wilderness therapy. Access to care, building community, focusing on the needs of our most vulnerable. Connecting communities and resources.
Environmental Justice & Creative Ecologies
Exploring the places where culture and environment intersect—sea level rise, natural resources, climate change, and equity. Interdisciplinary strategies to negotiate environmental issues.
Memory & Place
Looking back to look forward. Heritage, culture, and tradition. Movement, migration, and place. Institutional and collective memory. Storytelling.
Regenerative Design & Cultural Activism
Creation over consumption. Biomimicry, working with and through the land. Art that gives back—a tool for restoration, renewal, or revitalization. Advocating for long term public interest.
Joy & Beauty
Experiences that provide space to pause and imagine. Relief, reflection, escape. Stillness. Uncanniness. Consideration of the unknown. Inspiring wonder and awe.
By recognizing issues and topics critical to the community’s future and situating or contextualizing our programs within those domains, we have opportunities to:
1) produce work that has strong local relevance;
2) engage a wide range of partners and collaborators;
3) develop a compelling case for support to attract funding; and
4) effect positive social change in Santa Cruz County and beyond.
"Some of the most exciting performance 'stages' aren’t actually stages at all. The biennial is hosted in outdoor locations throughout Santa Cruz County, aiming to connect audiences with the region’s natural and built environments through installation art and site-specific performance.”
—KQED, on CommonGround
Governance & Structure
The MAH is governed by a volunteer board of trustees who are committed to the museum’s legacy and its vision for the future. The board is comprised of a diverse group of local professionals, civic leaders, and community advocates whose primary responsibilities are to define strategic vision, develop policy, and ensure the financial viability of the organization. There is an executive committee made up of the chair, vice chair(s), secretary, treasurer, and at-large member.
The institution is managed by a professional team under the leadership of Executive Director Robb Woulfe. With collaboration as a core operating tenet, the team works with broad-based constituencies including artists, historians, activists, business and community leaders, and other
influencers to advance the MAH’s mission, strengthen partnerships, and cultivate new and existing community connections.
Rounding out the senior management team are Kevin Coullahan (Director of Operations & Facilities), Marla Novo (Director of Exhibitions & Programs), and Hans Wuerfmannsdobler (Director of Finance & Administration). A staff of full- and part-time employees along with contractors and service providers complete the organizational structure. More than 100 volunteers contribute thousands of hours annually in all operational areas.
"The mobile installation features an assortment of Galarza’s mesmerizing photos, enlarged and attached to wood sculptures constructed by Ruanova. Each image will include an audio component featuring the oral histories Ornelas has collected and music from the era.”
—Good Times, on TRANSBORDER
Board of Trustees
FY23 Roster
Freny Cooper Chair
Jon Sisk Vice Chair
Lacy Rieber
Treasurer
Jorian Wilkins At-large
Jasmine Alinder
Terry Ballantyne Brezsny
Rob Blitzer
Rob Darrow
Frank Hayden
Rebecca Hernandez
Steph Jacobs
Irene Juarez O’Connell
Aliyah Nance
George Newell
Meilin Obinata
Serena Rivera
Standing Committees
Executive Audit DEIA Development Finance
Nominating & Governance
Supporting Committees
Collections Management
Davenport Jail
Evergreen Cemetery
Historic Landmark Publications
The MAH recognizes and thanks former trustees Allison Amadia, Jose F. Gonzalez, and Anni Lai for their contributions in FY23.
Management Team
Staff (as of 7/2023)
Robb Woulfe Executive Director
Kevin Coullahan Director of Operations & Facilities
Marla Novo
Director of Exhibitions & Programs
Nikki Patterson Director of Development & Communications
Hans Wuerfmannsdobler
Director of Finance & Administration
Madeleine Bennett
Guest Services Representative
Isabella Bradley Guest Services Representative
Jessie Durant
Archives Specialist
Yvonne Feistman
Guest Services Representative
Sarah Fisher
Guest Services Representative
Tahnee Henningsen Programs Coordinator
Natalie Jenkins
Exhibition Design & Production Manager
Abby Luciano
Guest Services Representative
Myles Morgan Events Coordinator
Litzy Mozqueda-Franyutti
Guest Services Representative
Rob Ojeda Systems Coordinator
Oscar Paz
Education & Outreach Manager
Rebecca Snyder
Archives Assistant
Anna Zou
Guest Services Representative
Contractors & Service Providers
Alrightco
Accounting Services
Black Fox Philanthropy
Fundraising Consultant
Karen Bush Consulting Database Support
Erica Davis
Grant Writer
Hutchinson and Bloodgood Auditor
Angela Knightley
Design Support
Julie Lambert
Lambert Group, HR Consultant
Dexter Martin
Translator & Interpreter
Chris Miller
Launch Brigade, IT Consultant
Andrew O’Keefe
Amotion, Media Consultant
Jennifer Wiczynski
Attorney
“Standing in the very place the writer stood, visitors may reach a deeper understanding of the experiences conveyed on the walls—and through this deeper understanding, perhaps find greater empathy."
—Air Mail, on The Writing on the Wall
2022-23 Highlights
Exhibitions & Biennials
Out of the Ashes: Stories from the CZU Lightning Complex Fires
Jul 2, 2021–Jul 10, 2022
Lezin Gallery
Do You Know My Name?
Sep 3, 2021–Aug 21, 2022
History Gallery
Queer Santa Cruz
Oct 1, 2021–Sep 24, 2023
History Gallery
Freak Power: The Art of Hunter S. Thompson’s Political Movement
May 27–Sep 25, 2022
Art Forum Gallery
The Land of Milk and Honey
Sep 1–Dec 31, 2022
Solari Gallery
CommonGround: A Festival of PlaceInspired Outdoor Work
Sep 16–25, 2022 Across Santa Cruz County, featuring:
• LOOM:FIELD by BANDALOOP
• The Writing on the Wall by Hank Willis Thomas & Dr. Baz Dreisinger
• TRANSBORDER by Daniel Ruanova & Ignacio Ornelas
• The Language of Birds by Carolyn Chen, Natalie Jenkins, & Indexical
• ReflectioNNN by MCXT
• Weaving Aso Ofi by I.B. Bayo
• Refocusing Ecology by Martabel Wasserman
Flowers for Incarcerated Mothers
Sep 16, 2022–Jul 9, 2023
Davenport Jail
ReflectioNNN
Oct 14, 2022–Feb 14, 2023
Art Forum Gallery
Toy Trains
Dec 2022
Atrium
Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales
Jan 19–Apr 30, 2023
Solari Gallery
The Writing on the Wall
Mar 10–Jul 9, 2023
Art Forum Gallery
Cannupa Hanska Luger: Sé’sh Shóto’sh Psí’sh
May 12–Sep 3, 2023
Solari Gallery
Programs
First Fridays
Jul 2021–Jun 2022
In Pour Taste: Santa Cruz Surf History
Jul 2022
Let's Talk About It: Finding Common Threads Through Conversation
Jul 2022
Book Talk: Donna F. Mekis and Kathryn Mekis Miller, Blossoms into Gold: The Croatians in the Pajaro Valley
Jul 2022
Educator Mixer Series
Jul 2022–Jun 2023
Book Talk: George Fogelson, May Their Memory Be a Blessing
Jul 2022
Late Night @ the MAH Freak Power: The Ballot or the Bomb
Aug 2022
Art Talk: Transborder Braceros, Labor History, and Art
Sep 2022
Art Talk: Era of Gold, Era of Empire: In the World of Ramses ‘the Great’
Sep 2022
Writers of Color
Santa Cruz County: An Evening of Poetry, Music & Art
Oct 2022
Book Talk: Reading Native Stories
Oct 2022
My Electric Genealogy
A Solo Performance by Sarah Kanouse
Oct 2022
Book Talk: Maryanne Porter, Haunted Santa Cruz, California
Oct 2022
Tapete Ceremony
Oct 2022
Día de los Muertos
Oct 2022
MAH & Evergreen Cemetery
Science on Tap
Oct 2022–Jun 2023
Mourner's Potluck: A Community Ritual for Grief & Grieving
Nov 2022
Evergreen Cemetery
Rootstock Santa Cruz A Fundraiser
Nov 2022
Hive Live! An Evening of Poetry Reading
Nov 2022
Black Lives Matter
Letter Writing
Nov 2022
History Forum Gala: Dolkas/Mertz Award
Nov 2022
Art Talk: Agri+Culture Series, Part 1-Histories
Nov 2022
Community Night Computer Science Playground
Dec 2022
Art Talk: Borderlands Research Initiative
Launch
Dec 2022
El Día de La Familia
Dec 2022
MLK Day of Service
Jan 2023
Evergreen Cemetery
History Talk: Buffalo Soldiers with Aniko Kannan-Millan
Feb 2023
Troubled Waters: The Ocean as Contested Space in Surf Culture
Feb 2023
History Forum: Restoring Indigenous Traditional Environmental Knowledge to the Northern Monterey Bay Region
Feb 2022
MAHsquerade Gala A Fundraiser
Feb 2023
UCSC Night at the Museum
Resettlement: Chicago Story
Mar 2023
Nowrouz Celebration
Mar 2023
History's Imprint on Landscape & Ourselves
Apr 2023
History Forum: Big Basin—The Unique Role of Santa Cruz in Creating our First State Park
Apr 2023
Art Talk: Luke A. Fidler, The Writing on the Wall
Apr 2023
Earth Day: Embracing Our Oldest State Park
Apr 2023
Downtown Kids’ Day
Apr 2023
Beyond the Grave: A Performance Series
May 2023
Evergreen Cemetery
Late Night @ the MAH: Between the Fires by Anna Friz & Gabriel
Saloman Mindel
May 2023
Mahjong!
May 2023
Pride Family Day
Jun 2023
Let's Talk About It: Finding Common Threads Through Conversation
Jun 2023
Juneteenth Trivia Time
Jun 2023
The Exquisite Moving Corpse Screening
Jun 2023
The MAH works with many local organizations, businesses, and community institutions each year. Here are some of the dynamic groups and individuals with whom we partnered in recent years.
ABBOTT SQUARE MARKET • A.D. CLARKE • AMAH MUTSUN TRIBAL BAND
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY
• BAY OF LIFE PROJECT
• ARTS COUNCIL
• BLACK FOX PHILANTHROPY • BLACK SURF
CLUB SANTA CRUZ • BLACK SURFERS • BLENDED BRIDGE • CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF MUSEUMS • CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION • CALIFORNIA HUMANITIES • CALIFORNIA
STATE LIBRARY • CELENA ALLISON, MFT • CHRISTINE FAHRENBACH, PHD • CITY OF SANTA CRUZ • COMMUNITY FOUNDATION SANTA CRUZ COUNTY • CONFLICT RESOLUTION CENTER OF SANTA CRUZ COUNTY • COUNTY OF SANTA CRUZ • DEBRA SLOSS, MA LMFT • DECOLONIZE
THE SURF • DEPARTMENT OF PLAY, PERFORMANCE AND DESIGN AT UCSC • DOWNTOWN
ASSOCIATION OF SANTA CRUZ • DUDEK • ECOLOGY ACTION
• FRIENDS OF SANTA CRUZ
STATE PARKS • HARPER CHEANEY PSYCHOTHERAPY • HISTORY FORUM • HOTEL PARADOX •
INDEXICAL • INSTITUTE OF MUSEUM AND LIBRARY SERVICES
• INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS AND SCIENCES AT UCSC • KAISER PERMANENTE • LONDON NELSON LEGACY INITIATIVE • MEXICALI BIENNIAL • NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS
• NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES • OCEAN CONSERVANCY • RESEARCHERS ANONYMOUS • SANTA CRUZ AREA
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • SANTA CRUZ ASIAN AMERICAN PACIFIC ISLANDER COLLECTIVE • SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BANK • SANTA CRUZ CITY ARTS
• SANTA CRUZ COUNTY BLACK HEALTH
MATTERS INITIATIVE • SANTA CRUZ FARMERS MARKETS • SANTA CRUZ PRIDE • SANTA CRUZ
PUBLIC LIBRARIES • SENDEROS • SERENO GROUP • SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES
AT UCSC • THE ARTS RESEARCH INSTITUTE AT UCSC • THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD
FOUNDATION • THE DIVERSITY CENTER • THE HUMANITIES INSTITUTE AT UCSC • THE KEY IOP • TONI CROSSEN, LMFT • WILLIAM AND FLORA HEWLETT FOUNDATION
*Estimate from MAH activities produced indoors, outdoors, offsite, and online from Jul 1, 2022–Jun 30, 2023.
**Number of member households who joined or renewed their membership between Jul 1, 2022–Jun 30, 2023. ***Analytics information from Jul 1, 2022–Jun 30, 2023.
Financial Health
The MAH’s operating costs for FY22 were $2,443,211 with contributed revenue generated from individuals and businesses, foundation and government grants, and earned revenue from admission fees, event tickets, facility rentals, lease payments, retail sales, and a special tax credit.
Our team has been working diligently to diversify our funding portfolio and expand our base of support, even as the negative impacts from COVID-19 continue to ripple through the global cultural sector.
We took and continue to take actions designed to ensure financial sustainability now and in the future. In the short term, we reduced staff numbers and have been actively pursuing relief funding opportunities including grants, small business loans, and assistance programs focused on capacity-building, resilience, and recovery.
For the long term, we have been working to strengthen our business model with financial strategies that include striking a realistic balance between earned and contributed revenue, shoring up cash flow,
expanding our resources, and broadening our base of support. Our efforts toward resource development include re-engaging past donors and supporters and introducing new revenue streams, with particular attention to opportunities for income growth that are aligned with our programs and artistic development..
The charts and figures on the next page are a snapshot of the MAH’s financial position from this most recent year.
Note on statements: Some grant funds released in FY23 were recognized in full during previous fiscal years, and some grant funds recognized in full in FY23 will be released in future fiscal years. Operating expense includes non-cash depreciation for both the museum and McPherson buildings.
Note: The condensed statement of operations and the condensed statement of financial position are derived from the financial statements of the MAH as of June 30, 2023, which have not been audited and are subject to change. A complete set of the MAH’s audited financial statements for 2022–23 will be posted to our website upon completion. Previous years’ audited financial statements and IRS Form 990s are currently available at santacruzmah.org/financials
The MAH maintains the highest possible, four-star rating by Charity Navigator, America’s leading independent charity evaluator.
FISCAL YEAR 2023
"The project allows everyone who lives in the influence of the Monterey Bay exactly that kind of expanded vision. It’s a great gallery experience, but it will also compel you to get out of the confines of the museum, and to experience your psychic home with a new perspective."
—Lookout Santa Cruz, on Bay of LifeStrategic Plan 36
MAH 2026
In 2022–23, we successfully completed year two of our new 5-year strategic plan.
Titled MAH 2026, the plan expands on our proud 27-year history as a center for the intersection of art, history, and civic life. It builds on what we have learned, from our successes to our setbacks. In some places it continues our efforts to maintain and improve upon our standards of excellence in exhibitions, programs, collections, and publications. In others, it outlines new initiatives to advance and deepen our impact on individual lives, improve the wellbeing of our community, and ensure equity and vitality through diversity and inclusivity. It strives to set the MAH on a stronger financial and organizational course, increase our base of support, and strengthen our staff and governance.
Like all strategic plans, ours aligns ambitions and resources. It seeks to balance aspirational programming with fiscal sustainability and prioritizes experimentation with new models of engagement and growth. Each of the MAH’s new strategies has a series of measurable goals and time-based initiatives that are supported by specific tactics and actions, all of which will be integrated across the museum to ensure inter-departmental synergy and coordination. Some actions have begun; some are continuations of ongoing work; others are in the planning phases; and still others are geared for the future.
MAH 2026 is a living document, designed to be flexible and allow for agility. Each year, we will revisit the plan to evaluate our progress and use that assessment to develop annual work plans and budgets for board approval. While the plan will inform and guide our work, we will also remain nimble to take advantage of new opportunities and changing conditions.
Plan Overview
Again, our vision is to ignite shared experiences and unexpected connections that enrich our community, accomplished by a mission to bring people together through art and local history to explore our diverse cultures, and guided by five core
values:
1) engagement and collaboration;
2) diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility;
The Path Forward
3) innovation and experimentation;
4) excellence and rigor; and 5) accountability, integrity, and responsibility.
Our major strategies are to increase engagement and retention through innovative and time-tested programs that attract audiences, engage community, and spark connections; deepen relationships and collaboration through mutually beneficial partnerships that leverage resources and expertise to benefit the public; and build resilience and capacity through streamlined practices in all areas of management and operations. With organizational learning as a core operating tenet, we rely on data-based decisionmaking and measurable methodologies to improve, extend, and increase the impact of MAH experiences, while continuing to embrace the experimentation, risk-taking, inventiveness, and reflection the MAH is known for.
MAH 2026 is focused on the impact and outcomes between our organization and our diverse community—from the connoisseurs of art, history, and culture to the creative and curious explorers who seek inspiration through shared experiences and unexpected connections. We aim to nurture these relationships and serve our community in a way that is inspiring and thoughtprovoking while also ensuring long-term organizational sustainability.
To do so, the MAH must enhance its programs, operations, facilities, and resources—and the process to accomplishing this is laid out in the plan. Upon its completion in 2026, we expect more than ever to be a sustainable, vital, and resilient MAH, focused on audiences and bolstered by even deeper, more substantive community relationships.
The plan is a pathway that promises to build momentum and usher the MAH forward into the next era for our institution. We hope you will not only support us but join us on this exciting journey. Together, our potential knows no bounds.
To read the full version of MAH 2026, please visit santacruzmah.org/about.
“Santa Cruz boasts some incredible landscapes, from vast forest to laid-back beaches to a bustling downtown. The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History is hosting its first festival celebrating the varied terrains of the city."
—San Francisco Chronicle, on CommonGround
The Future
By cultivating a healthy and sustainable creative economy, we ensure that Santa Cruz County remains a great place to live, work, and play. Our achievements on this front are not the work of the MAH alone, but instead result from the exemplary collaboration of many partners. Together we have built a livable downtown (where livability refers to its tangible, physical attributes), and together we can ensure vibrancy (the positive emotional qualities of a community) for years to come.
The MAH contributes to this effort in 2023 and beyond by forging boldly ahead with our inventive offerings, and working with collaborators to breathe new life into our cultural scene and public spaces. This work has become more important than ever as we emerge from the pandemic, reconnect, and rebuild.
And yet, it is no secret that these are challenging times for arts and culture. Around the world, museums have experienced reduced funding, operational issues due to COVID, and other difficulties. In Santa Cruz County, too, our cultural landscape has been altered in unprecedented ways. At a time of such uncertainty, we believe it is crucial to recognize the enduring value of creative enterprise to drive community development. We need to celebrate our local cultural organizations and do what we can to support the sector. We need to develop vision, strategies, and priorities, and ensure long-term funding to sustain high-quality programs and facilities.
To continue moving this work forward, our plans for the future involve the following emphases.
Placekeeping
Similar to the placemaking movement in community development, placekeeping is an effort to recognize and celebrate a community’s extant cultural identity, history, and people by elevating local culture, heritage, and landscapes through artistic and historical interpretation. Not only do the MAH’s exhibitions, festivals, and programs encourage localism as well as the tourism that financially benefits businesses, workforce, and City and
County tax revenue, they also invest in our cultural profile in a way that enriches the lives of our local community, invites visitor participation, and ensures we remain attractive and relevant in these rapidly changing times.
Community Belonging
Nurturing a sense of belonging among all people contributes to healthy, meaningful lives and safe, inclusive neighborhoods. When we encourage culture and identity to flourish, civic participation increases. MAH programming enhances belonging by animating our museum, historic sites, and public spaces in a way that acknowledges and honors our diverse cultures and histories, while encouraging interaction and community building. We use interventions to engage people as active collaborators around art and history; to make and offer space that fosters encounter, dialogue, and social cohesion; and to build individual and collective capacity to sustain socially and place-connected, resilient communities.
Social Connectedness
Connectedness is key to growing a sense of belonging, and the experiences we craft around it are designed specifically to encourage people to come together, interact, and engage in mutual value creation through an exchange of knowledge and information. Residents who are engaged become invested in the MAH and one another. This builds the public value and perception of the organization, while contributing to the community’s wellbeing overall.
Here are some of the specific visioning, organizational, and programming approaches the MAH uses to increase creative capacity and competitive advantage within the aforementioned emphases:
• Articulating narratives that represent the beliefs, values, and ideals of Santa Cruz County to guide our programming
• Launching a biennial festival series to connect and inspire patrons and guests in and around the MAH and County
• Unveiling temporary public artworks that invite engagement and interaction while creating a draw to our civic spaces
• Creating new artistic work and cultural content in addition to preserving and presenting our collections
• Designing virtual activities that invite online interaction to serve our community during and after the pandemic
• Investing in local artists, historians, and creative practitioners via commissions, residencies, space, and resources
• Encouraging a shift toward regenerative economy within our community to capitalize on opportunities
• Building support for citizen artists and storytellers to increase involvement in creativity and cultural exchange
• Committing to accelerating diversity and equity in our cultural workforce and leadership pipeline
• Collaborating with other cultural organizations to strengthen our mutual impact
• Engaging in the global conversation by connecting local and regional initiatives to broader contexts
A renaissance of art, culture, creativity, and community is upon us. By recognizing and strengthening the institutions, businesses, and individuals who make our creative economy flourish, we can harness it to the benefit of all.
"Contemporary works by emerging artists from Mexico and California make up the exhibit, which features art that tells stories about farm workers and agriculture,."
—Next Avenue, on The Land of Milk and Honey
"Cannupa Hanska Luger creates a visionary Indigenous future using the methodology and tropes of science fiction. On display will be regalia, tools, shelter elements, means of transportation, and other technology Luger has created for this new world—fusions of traditional craft and imaginative futurism."
—American Craft Council, on Sé’sh Shóto’sh Psí’sh
Contributors
The lists on the following pages recognize the individuals, families, businesses, and organizations who contributed $20 or more in cumulative gifts between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023. We apologize for any omissions or misspellings. Please let us know of any errors so we can correct them.
Director’s Circle
The Director’s Circle is a giving society that includes the MAH’s most loyal and passionate donors. Members give $1,000 or more annually in unrestricted support.
Jasmine Alinder and Aims McGuinness
Mary and Harry Blanchard
Jenny and John Bost
John and Patty Brissenden
Linda and John Burroughs
Susan and Peter Canepa
Carla and Patrick Carstens
Andrew Church and Jennifer Boggs
Cloy and Bill Codiga
Val Cole
Freny Cooper
Rob Darrow
John and Karen Dowdell
Jennifer Eskenazi
Anna Marie Gotti
William Harmon
Frank and Anne Hayden
Kathleen Hilger
Stephanie Jacobs and Maxine Howard
Erik, Judy, Brian and Katie Johnson
Jo Lynne and Fred Jones
Lorri Kershner and Fearon Hosmer
Mehrzad Khajenoori and Maryam Shafaghi
Randy Komisar and Debra Dunn
Vance Landis-Carey and Robert Carey
Sara Lively and Doug Hopkinson
Judy Jones
Karen and Walter Loewenstern
Andrea London
Joanna Miller
Baldo and Kristen Marinovic
Cynthia Mathews
Mike and Bertie McElroy
Stephanie Mills
Meghan and Mike Morrissey
George Newell
David Newcomb
Wayne Palmer and Earleen Overend
Dianne and Stephen Pereira
Manuel and Halimah Prado
Lacy Rieber
Rowland and Patricia Rebele
Donna Reyerson-Keith and Rich Keith
Serena Rivera and Christopher Wilmers
Elio and Joy Rodoni
Carol and Frank Saveria
Patricia and David Schwartz
Jon and Margie Sisk
James Thompson
Gina Athena Ulysse
Jean Vlamynck
Alec and Claudia Webster
W. Todd and Corinne Wipke
David Yule
The MAH’s accomplishments are made possible by a growing community of supporters who value our mission and work.
Leadership Council
The Leadership Council is a network of former members of the MAH’s board of trustees, many of whom continue to dedicate time, energy, and resources to the institution and community. Their ongoing commitment and support of the museum is greatly appreciated.
1996–2023
Barbara Albright
Michael Allard
Allison Amadia
Bruce Arnold (d)
Bella Babot
Terry Ballantyne Brezsny
Carola Barton *
Cindi Baskin
Nancy Bertossa
Mary Blanchard
Traci Bliss
Karla Bogard (d)
Marie Bourget
Lawrence Brenner
Lisa Brewer
Judy Brothers
Bobbi Burns
John Burroughs
Darrin Caddes
Fred Caiocca
Dario Caloss
Ray Cancino
Susan Canepa
Cherri Canfield
Pedro Castillo
Janene Cayton
Louise Cecil (d)
Angela Chesnut *
George Cook
Richard Cropper
Betty Danner
Harriet Deck (d)
Sloane Devoto
Ken Doctor
Jim Dolkas (d)
Nancy Donovan
John Dowdell
Joan Dunn
James Emerson
Allyson Evans
Jane Faraola
Chuck Fetter
Patrick Fitz
Dan Floyd
Randi Foster
Antonia Franco
Carol Girvetz (d)
John Graulty
Jose F. Gonzalez
Jerri Hammond
Frank Hayden
Howard Heevner
Winnifred Heron (d)
Karlton E. Hester
Chuck Hilger (d)
Ted Holladay
Tom Honig
Betty Ippisch
Linda Israel
David Jacobs *
Mary James
Judy Jones *
Irene Juarez O’Connell
Gwen Kaplan
Tom Kelly (d)
Paula Kenyon
Cristina King
Lila Klapman
Bill Ladusaw
Anni Lai
Vance Landis-Carey *
Laura LaPorte *
Alan Levin
Patricia Lezin
John Lisher (d)
Bette Ludden
Rebecca Lundberg
Anne Lynn
Harriet Mainis
Shirley Manis
Patricia Marlo
Cynthia Mathews
Linda McPherson
Karl Mertz (d)
Drew Miller
Allan Molho (d)
Adrienne Momi
Sophie Moore
Ann Morhauser
Chris Murphy
Christine Murray
Joanne Nelson
Karen Nevis
George Newell *
Karol Niccoli
Bruce Nicholson
Arthur Nickerson
Rebecca Niven
Peter Orr * (d)
Wayne Palmer
Glenn Peters
Irena Polic
Phil Reader (d)
Gary Reece
Donna Reyerson-Keith
Jose Reyes-Olivas
Serena Rivera
John Rossell
Alison Ruday
Joanne Sanchez
Peter Sanford
Ronna Schulkin
Jerry Schumb
Lyn Sedenquist
Matt Shelton
Ann Simonton
Diane Simpson (d)
Maryjane Slade
Kris Smith
Ashley Spencer
David St. John
Heather Stiles *
Sally Suchevits
Nicole Taylor
David Terrazas
Jim Thompson *
Stuart Tripp
Wesley Van Camp
Judy Walsh
Hal Watts (d)
Linda Wilshusen
Charles Wolters (d)
Nancy Woolf
Bjorg Yonts
* Denotes emeritus status, a distinction created in 2018 to recognize select trustees for exemplary service, leadership, and contributions to the MAH.
$10,000+
Anonymous (3)
California Humanities
California Office of the Small Business Advocate
California State Library
Community Foundation
Santa Cruz County
County of Santa Cruz
William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation
Institute of Museum and Library Services
Kaiser Permanente
Andrea London
Joanna Miller
National Endowment for the Arts
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Santa Cruz City Arts
Alec and Claudia Webster
$5,000-9,999
Anonymous
Freny Cooper
The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz
Rise Together Fund
$1,000-4,999
Jasmine Alinder and Aims McGuinness
Arts Council
Santa Cruz County
Mary and Harry Blanchard
Jenny and John Bost
John and Patty Brissenden
Linda and John Burroughs
Susan and Peter Canepa
Carla and Patrick Carstens
Andrew Church and Jennifer Boggs
Cloy and Bill Codiga
Val Cole
Rob Darrow
James Dolkas and
Karl Mertz Memorial Fund
Jennifer Eskenazi
Anna Marie Gotti
William Harmon
Frank and Anne Hayden
Kathleen Hilger
History Forum
Stephanie Jacobs and Maxine Howard
Erik, Judy, Brian and Katie Johnson
Jo Lynne and Fred Jones
Lorri Kershner and Fearon Hosmer
Mehrzad Khajenoori and Maryam Shafaghi
Randy Komisar and Debra Dunn
Vance Landis-Carey and Robert Carey
Sara Lively and Doug Hopkinson
Karen and Walter Loewenstern
Baldo and Kristen Marinovic, Equinox Wealth Management
Cynthia Mathews
Mike and Bertie McElroy
Stephanie Mills
Meghan and Mike Morrissey
David Newcomb
Wayne Palmer and Earleen Overend
Dianne and Stephen Pereira
Manuel and Halimah Prado
Rieber Fohs & Associates
Rowland and Patricia Rebele
Donna Reyerson-Keith and Rich Keith
Serena Rivera and Christopher Wilmers
Elio and Joy Rodoni
Santa Cruz County Bank
Carol and Frank Saveria
Patricia and David Schwartz
Sereno 1% For Good Charitable Foundation
Jon and Margie Sisk
James Thompson
Gina Athena Ulysse
Jean Vlamynck
W. Todd and Corinne Wipke
David Yule
$500-999
David and Julia Apgar
Meghan Arnold and Sam Pederson
Bright Horizon Fund
Angela Chesnut
William Kempf and Suna Lock
Anni Lai and Scott Bennion
Frans Lanting and Christine Eckstrom
Patty Lezin
Cliff Maas
Bruce and Linda Nicholson
Sarah and Michael Ray
Lee Slaff
Robert Stephens
George Wanlass
Susana Wessling
Santa Cruz Parlor No. 26
Native Daughters of the Golden West
Jorian and Topher Wilkins
Marian Zeidler
$150-499
David and Julia Apgar
Thomas Ard
Cindy and James Bogard
Susan and Bob Bosso
Randolph Brock
Bobbi Burns and Ed Colligan
Maria Elena Caballero-Robb and Charles Ridgway
Barbara Canfield
Pedro and Shirley Castillo
Kathy Cavadias
Karen Coleman
Sean Concannon and Jessica Pigza
Dorothea Ditchfield
John and Karen Dowdell
Lenny Eiger
Eli and Angela Eisenpress
Christine Evans and Nicholas Ross
Jennifer Fraisl
Carol Fuller
Gregory Gilbert and Ingrid Parker
Wendy Gormly-Kester
Andrew Davis and Finn Gratton
Deborah Griffith
Dennis Hagen and Diane Sipkin
Sandy and Nick Hartman
Michelle Horton
Don and Cathy Iglesias
Marie and Kent Imai
Bill Ito
Barbara and Stephen Jackel
Wyatt Johnson and Meghan Hudson
Kevin Karplus and Michele Hart
Richard and Diane Klein
Diane Lamotte and Patrick and Liberte Reilly
Mike Landers
Jessica Lenth and Angela Ciandro
Nicholas Lenth and Courtney Mutz
Alan and Judy Levin
Susan Lisin
Leslie and Scott McGilvray
Susan and Michael McKay
Bruce and Mary McPherson
Kathryn and Marshall Miller
Marlene Mirassou and Steve Houlihan
Hans Wuerfmannsdobler and Teresa Mora
Tom and Kristen Morell
Robert Nelson
Muriel and Marci Prolo
Burt Rees
Gretchen Regenhardt
Andrea and Don Rich
Rebecca Rockom
Andrea and Paul Rosenfeld
Susan Ryan
Damon Shanle
William Spengemann
Karen M Storey and Steven Tedesco
Todd Tsukushi
Sue Wilson
Thomas and Connie Wilson
Margaret and Jan Ysselstein
Antonette and Robert Zeiss
$100-149
Nicole Adkison
Consuelo Alba-Speyer and John Speyer
Mary Alinder
Jeffrey Arlt and Stacey Smith
Linda Arnold and Ned Hearn
Andy Bacaylan
Jessica Badolato
Debbie and Steve Baloff
Judy and Frank Balthis
Tim and Terri L Barroca
Suresh and Karuna Basandra
Sheila and Murray Baumgarten
Jim and Kim Beckett
Maria Begin and Bill Schroeder
Gloria and Larry Behman
Matt Bell
Anne Berne and Eric Ferrante
Jeff Bernhardt
Leda and William Bishoff
Dan Blunk and Nancy Alstrum
Susan Bodenlos
Gail Borkowski
Dolores and Shayna Bornstein
Cheryl Bowers
Michelle and Mark Box
Noelle and Greg Brand
Corinna Brazil
Laurie Brooks and Tim Fitzmaurice
Jim Brown
Vivian and Michael Brown
Melissa Browning
David Brundage and Susan Stuart
Jessica Buck
Petrina Burkard and Gary Gehiere
Pat Busch and Dale Summer Busch
Sue Cashman
Dennis and Cheryl Caspe
Brianna and Michael Chambers
Lora Lee Chapman
Peter and Lindsey Chester
Mikala Clements
Joanne Clever
Karen Cogswell and John Maenchen
Carolyn and Curt Coleman
George Cook and Mary James
Freny Cooper
Robert and Catherine Cooper
Jill Cooper-Misunas
Kathleen Crocetti and Bill Lucas
Mary Culley and Scott Smith
Jennalee Dahlen
Cyndi Dawson
Pat Dellin and Chris Hogeland
Karen Dempsey
Joan E. DeNeffe and Gary Silberstein
Kevin Desmond and Michelle Close
Sean Devaney
Patrick and Martha Dexter
Sharon Dirnberger
Dennis and Judy DiSalvo
Robert Drake and Kate Adams
Bill Drulias and Jan Hill
David Egan and Emily DuBois
Lance DuMond
Nikolara and Donald Scott DunbarJansons
Lorraine Van Eaton and Catherine Chang
Chuck Elvert and Darleen Sutcliffe
Michele Estrin-Gelblum and Peter Gelblum
Fran Etow and John Livingston
Mike Falco
Daniel Fama
Adela Feran and J. Matt Wallace
Ian Ferguson
James Fey
Samantha Forde and Eric Danner
Ellen Fox and William Wright
Antonia Franco and Scott Strand
Steve and Patricia Fuller
Cindy and Jeff Furtado
Jaclyn and Michael Gadbaw
Suzanne Garcia and Robbie Brackett
Sigfrid Garman
Judy Geer
Linda Getz
Chantal Gibbs
James and Catharine Gill
Isabel Gilman
Megan Goddard and Kailen Wright
Katie and Mike Godsy
Ann Goewert
Douglas Goodell
Jessica Goodman and Victor Willis
Steve and Christina Graham
Susan Green
Vincent Grossi and Jessica Lopez-Tello
Jennifer Smith and Hugh Grubb
Joe and Marcella Hall
Julia Hartman
Tom Harvey
Bonny Hawley
Joanne and Matt Hayes
Tremain Hedden-Jones and Daniel Hedden
Carolyn and Anandi Heinrich
William Heiss and Patricia Fickett
Barbara and Will Hendricks
Rebecca Hernandez
Monica Hersch
Gail Hershatter and Mercedes Laurencin
Nita Hertel
Rebecca Hiett
Mark Hilton
Bonnie Holmer-Orange and Isaac Orange
Keith Holtaway
Kevin Hoshiko
Tom and Mary Housel
Virginia Hughes and Cecily Cahill
Mary Ellen Irons
David Jacobs and Emily Klein Jacobs
Patrick Jagger
Kim Jaxon
Jerome and Linda Jentz
Susan and Stephen Karon
Kyle and Carolyn Kelley
Mary Kelly and Kimberly Goddard
Jon Kersey and Alice Benet
Ellen Kimmel
Adele Kimple
Jim and Karen King
Jeff and Lisa Kirk
Casey and April Kirkhart
Kenyon Kluge and Heather Putnam
Uli Klumpp
Carole and Henry Klyce
Janet Kornblum and Rhys Pedersen
Nicolas and Melissa Kreisa
Patti Krieger
Matthew Krull and Stephanie Haddad
Sarah Kudela
Jessie Lacy and Troels Peterson
Michael Lamanuzzi
Dara Lampe
Alanni Lanni and William Winkler
Jeffrey Lapierre and Kelly Oppermann
Owen Lawlor
Jeanne Lazzarini
John Henry Ledwith
Thomas Lenosky
David Levan and Lysa Tabachnick
Cynthia Lewis and Thomas Swiss
Lance Linares and Laura Sutherland
Brooke Lipman and Brandy Ivener
Barbara Lish
Amy Locks and Kevin and Ava Klein
Christie Loguzzo
Andrea London
Emily Longnecker and Claudia Berolo
Lesley Louden
Tessa Luedtke
Tami Lynn and Stephen Joseph
Michael Lyons
Harriet Maglin
Suzi Mahler
Harriet and George Mainis
Loki Malak
Romi Manheim
Sandra Martensen
Joyce Masongsong-Ray and David Ray
Karent and Dom Massaro
Laura McClanathan
Bruce McFarland
Jean McIntosh
Robyn McKeen and J eff Dingman
Shawna McKenzie
Louis Arighi and Emily Meierding
Jason and Kari Meyers
Ginnie Mickelson
Sam Mintz
Don and Carol Monkerud
Katie and Forest Monsen
Kenneth Moodie and Ami Davis
Gary Moon
Don Moonshine and Christiane Holtzman
Maggie and Drew Moore
Matt Moore
Carol Morgan
Robert and Valerie Morgan
Alex Morgan and Debra Alexander
Stephanie Morse
Dawn Mortensen
Donal Murphy and Julie Orr
Madhavi Murty and J uned Shaikh
Molly Nance
Marlene and Burt Nanus
Matthew Nathanson and Elisa Breton
Jeremy Neuner
Gail Newel and Kelli Beingesser
Karol Niccoli
Richelle Noroyan and Jim Jensen III
Janis O'Driscoll
Kathleen Olsen and Johnny Simmons
Gayle and Joe Ortiz
Elisabeth and J effrey Ostrow
Julene Pansarasa
Janet Parker and Bruce Berwald
Gail Pellerin
Greg Pepping and Catherine Hsu
Janet Perry and Toni Rallojay
Chandra Peterson
Lilit Petrosyan and Kenneth Yambina
Stephen Pierce
Debra Popma
Patricia Poulos
Christopher Poulos
Rickey Ramseur
Lauren Reppy and Caitlin Reyes Brune
Mary and George Reynolds
Rosa and Mike Rezendes
Roy and Edwina Riblet
Justin Walker and Gretchen Riley-O'Hearn
Mariah and David Roberts
Kokoro and Mimish Robinson
Lisa and Tim Robinson
Tammy Rogers
Barbara Rogoff
Kathleen Rose and Paul Schoellhamer
Tessa Rosichan and Nate Essayas
Charles and Mary Jane Roskosz
Jeffrey and Sara Rossini
Craig Rowell
Armand and Cheryl Ruby
Cherri Rupert-Canfield
Christine Russell
Alison Russell and Walt Wadlow
Peter and Sandra Sanford
Kathy and Mark Santos
Tamara Santos and Rick Wright
Betsey Scheiner
Eva Schewe
Claudio Schnier
Luke Schwankl and Monica Hammer
Saarin Schwartz and Woody Farlee
Willard Schwartz
Lisa Scott and C Andrew Morcomb
John Sears and Freya Sands
Kara and Shane Seeger
Helen and Robert Shepherd
Eva and Doug Sherman
Ted Silveira and Lorraine Sintetos
Emily Sinclair
Sandra Skees and Mary Talpas
Allison and Jeffrey Smith
Kristin and Steve Smith
Teri Smith and Cypress Morales
Silas Snyder and Camila Snyder-Alaniz
David and Shelley Sonnenberg
Rachael Spencer and Kevin Rooney
Miriam Stombler and Kevin and Camille Kelem
Siegfried and Cheryl Storz
Sally and Tom Suchevits
Althea SullyCole
Keith and Sylva Swenson
Sara Swenson and David Hopkins
Melissa Targgart and Melissa Fritchle
Michael Terrien
Donna and Peter Thomas
Kimberly Thomas
Melissa and Richard Thompson
Susan True and Ben Wolfe
Kristen Truse and Enrico Ramirez Ruiz
Mari Tustin
Brady Umfleet
Ezekiel Ochoa Valdez
Mackenzie and Kevin Valentine
Rita Ferri and Kimara Vann
Charlyn Villegas
Steve and Liz Volk
Holly and Barry Walter
Don Weden
Kenny Welcher and Ilene Feinman
Andrea and David Welles
Brooke Wentz
John and Birgitta Wiebe
Pfotenhauer
Wilshusen Family
Abbey Wilson and Jonathan Francisco
Jon and Jill Winston
Charles Woodson
Megan Wynd
Jacob Young
Sarah Joy and Jordan Zell
Marty Zimmerman and Karie Sutter
$20-99
Anonymous
Marian Acquistapace and Sarah Levitan
Cindy Adams and Alexis Heath
Markus and Stephanie Affolter
Ruby Agresta
Erica Aitken
Joan and Joe Akers
Barbara and Peter Alaimo
Sharon and David Allshouse
Kate Alm
Melissa and Miguel Altamirano
Aron Altmark and Suzzanne Ordway
Elizabeth and James Amendolagine
Jennifer and Frank Anderson
Oscar Andrade
Sally Andrews and Dimitry Strove
Ginny Aragon
Susana Arias and Stephen Kolb
Erin Ashford and Lindsey Zimmerman
John and Linda Babcock
Dorma and Rowland Baker
Jone Balesteri
Sarah and Robert Balla
Javier Balloffet and Julie Graessle
Catherine E Banghart
Antoinette Barker and Andrea Randall
Kate Bateman
Thomas John Batley and Rami Hanna
Michael Baumgartner
Nancy Bavis
Mike and Jean Beebe
Melissa and Dan Begin
Steve and Sigrid Belcher
Jane Bell
Jane Anne Bendick
Jacquie Benetua-Rolens and Sam Rolens
Lisa Bennett
Daniel Berlin and Liz Beaumont
Stan Berman
Michael Bertoni
Connie and Sam Bertuca
Suzanne Geneste de besme
Elizabeth and Edeeq Betrous
Marta Betzler
Len Beyea and Antonina Hines
Allegra Bick-Maurischat and Corderro Sweeney
Steven and Mary Bignell
Linda Bixby
Lise and Cliff Bixler
Traci Bliss
David and Fay Bohn
Marlene Bondelie
Denise Booth and Michael Maikovich
Bill and Carrie Bottenberg
Brandon Bowen
Martha Breed
Mark Brewer and Teresita Hinojosa
Diane and Natalie Bridgeman
Heather Bristol and Charles Jalgunas
Miriam Brody
William Owen Brown and Mary Akin
Kat Brown
Betsy Brugler
Leslie Bruhn
Dianne Brumbach
Sandra Brunett
Debbie Bulger and Richard Stover
Brad Burkhart and Ann Duren
Linda Burman-Hall and Timothy Shea
Henry and Karen Burnett
Maggie and Sam Caldwell
Deborah Calloway
Scott Campbell and Alison Walsh
Sean Campbell
Nancy Campeau and Stig Neilsen
Bree Candiloro
Alix Cardenas and David Shamshoyan
Caroline Carney
William Casey
Will Cassilly and Julie Oak
Eileen Cavalier
Frank and Patsy Cavalier
Laura Centorriano
Linda Kittle and Dane Cervine
Cindy Chace and Marc Blumberg
Roger Chaffin and Mary Crawford
Ann Chapin and David Emanuel
Donna Cherie
Eric Child
Cristine Chopra
Marguerite Ann and Demi Christensen
Angela and Jim Christmann
Rika and Jason Cirillo
Carrie Clark
Derrick and Marilyn Clark
William Clark
Carne and Peter Clarke
Kris Clarke
Margie and Ed Claxton
Heather Clowser
Jane and Sheldon Cohen
Jody and Renny Colclough
S. LaVerne Coleman and Joyce Mangouney
Joseph Collins
Kimber Collins
Mary Coneway
Christopher Connery and Mary Scott
Mark Conover and Martha
Nitzberg
Charles Cook
Susan Cooper and Allan Dyson
Rob Corradetti and Sierra Siemer
Noelle and Shadja Correia
Bruce Cotter
Patricia Cox
Pam Coz-Hill
Karen Cozza
Erica Crawford and Kent Newbold
Celeste Crockers
Lauren Crux and Canon Western
Danielle Cruz
Shannon Cuff and Garrett Weinberg
Kelly Cuffe and Ann Gibbs
Sheilah Cummings
Barbara Dahlgren
Emily Dansker
Bruce Dau
Dinah Davis and Sally Jones
Gail M Davis
Jerome and Sylvia Deck
Ezzie DeGiovanni
Donna DeGrande
Fred and Nancy DeJarlais
Laura DeLaRosa
Kathleen and David Dettman
Celeste DeWald
Carla and Juan Dewar
Stephanie and Patrick Diaz
Louise Dickenson
Jack and Lisa Dilles
Robin Dinino
Angelee Dion
Ian Dixon
Tamara and Gerry Doan
Angela Dobkin
Ken and Kathy Doctor
Meredith and Patricia Dodge
Emily Donham and Alexander Snyder
Summer Doty
Susan Douglass and Carl Hild
Shane and Katie Dowling
Mary Doyle and David Greenwood
Cynthia Druley and Famy Diener
Angela Drury
Alasdair Drysdale
Suzanne and Mordecai Duckler
Lisa Duff and Rocky Allemandi
Joanne Duffield and Jim Fox
Lee and Emily Duffus
Patricia Duffy
Joan and Bill Dunn
Jorge Duque and Krystal Ibarra
Nicole and Jesse Dybenko
Cynthia Dzendzel and Ken Gorny
Vanessa and Matthew Eaton
Alan and Mimi Edgar
Sara Edwards-Marsh and Dave Marsh
Gerald and Nancy Eidam
Edna Elkins
Tom Ellison and Lawrence Friedman
Stan and Katy Emerson
Caroline and Steve Engel
Marina and Thomas Eovaldi
Shelly Errington
Elizabeth Evans and Joe Miller
Anne-Elyse and Adam Evans
David Evans
Vicki and Bob Fabbri
Kristin Fabos
Regina Falkner and David Reetz
Stacey Falls and Steve Schnaar
Mary Farr and William Murphy
Matt Farrell and Connie Croker
Victoria Farrell and Thomas Lyons
Paul Skenazy and Farnaz Fatemi
Judith Feinman
Jennifer Fernandez
Rose Filicetti and Neal Savage
Mark Firestone and Kate Turpin
Gina Firpo
Alex Fitzpatrick
David Fleming and Jeanne Lance
Peggy Flynn and Michele Pomroy
Meghan and Jeff Fohl
Emkay and Ally Forest
Kasha Forgette and Rocky Allen
Mary Gaukel Forster and Les Forster
Lesley Franz
Judith Fried and Bob Scowcroft
Patrick and Janis Fullan
Scott Galloway and Maria Marinos
Athena Gam and Eric Lake
Amber Gardea and Spencer Marshak
Don Gardner and Selene Johnson
Robin Garmann
Jessica and Drew Gaul
Kathleen Geerin
Paula Gerhardt and Anne Verga
Brian Gerkey and Leila Takayama
Mary Geyer
Renee Ghisletta
Nancy Gieringer
Shirley and Allen Ginzburg
Helaine Glick
Max Glickman and Danielle Cosgrove
Robert Goff and Eleanor Littman
Kathy and Flair Goldman
Marisa Gomez
Martha Gomez
Enrique and Abigail Gonzales
Stephen Gonzalez
Ron Goodman and Song Nelson
Barbara Gordon
Gail Goudreau
Jessica Granthom
Paul Gratz and Timmi Pereira
Barbara Graves
Amelia and Jevan Gray
Shirley Greenwood
Catharine Griffen and Mark Bernhardt
K. Groppi
Rose and Alberto Guarino
Steve Haddock
Anne Hafner
Kimberly Haines
Lani Hall
Terry Hall
Steph Hallinan and Nathan Gonzalez
Amy and Gildas Hamel
Emily Haney
Holly Harman
Amy and David Harrington
Alison and Seth Harris
Andy and Juel Hartmann
Tammy Hayes
Marcia and Brian Heath
Melody Heilmann and Carolyn and Hugo West
Marcia and Christian Heinegg
Douglas Hellinger and Val Leoffler
Gregg Herken and Aven Switzer
Perry Hernandez
Kelly Herrell and Juan Hernandez
Molly Hickey-Sinoway and Ron Sinoway
Steve Hicks and Geetha Raga
Tom Hicks and Kaitlyn Saia-Hicks
Jan Hilkert and Jeff Peck
Eric Hoffman
Bruce and Breta Holgers
Sue Holtby and Teddy Harris
Cindy and Francis Honey
Steven Hopkinson
Ingrid and Dennis Hostetter
Jana and Phil Hostetter
Taylor House
Jay Hughes and Juliette Bloxham
Steve and Gloria Hum
Kristina Hunken
Steve Hunt
Donna Hunter
Maren Sinclair Hurn and Ted Merrill
Towhee and Tim Huxley
Carolyn and Joe Hyatt
Rick Hyman and Robin Kraut
Chris Illes and Willow Munger
Mary Edith Ingraham
Leigha and Mihai Ionescu
Pamela K Iriguchi
Katherine Isbister and Rene Netter
Linda and Ron Israel
Eduardo Izquierdo
Paulina Izvorski
Roumi and Tom Izvorski
Audrey and Thomas Jacob
Susan Jacobs and Michael Staley
Rick Jacoby and Susan Brown
Cheryl Jacques
Linda Janakos and Doren Robbins
Lucille Des Jardins and John Blitz
Austin and Jeni Jelcick
Dobie and Ann Jenkins
Stewart Jenkins and Sofia Sorensen
Marvin Jensen
Anne Jensen
Charlie Jimenez
Aaron Johnson and Anne Cappiello
Lindsay Johnson
Tricia Johnson and Fred Thompson
Helen Jones
Janet Jones
Nealy Jones and Jake Alsobrook
Chris Jong
Genevieve Jordan
Glenn Joy
Pamela Joy
Heidi Jumper
Leah Kahn
Marty Kahn and Cheryl Guyer
Patricia and Adam Kaiser
Leslie Kalinksy
Stacy Kamehiro and Bob Stockwell
Pamela Kangas
Bridgit Marlo Karo and Marc Karo
Nancy Kashap
Willow Katz
Kate and Maor Katz
Peter and Jeanette Katzlberger
Beth Kawasaki
Deutron and Evin Arici Kebebew
Jane Keeffe
Jamie Keil and Zac Garfield
Jennifer Kelly
Maura Kelsea and Michael Brownlee
Nanette and Tom Kelsey
Michael Kennedy
Chris Kenney
Tim Kensit
Charity Kenyon
Roger Kern
Roberta and Alfred Keuter
Curt Keyer and Carlos Holquin
Amy Keys and Steve McKay
Bethany Kientzel
Elaine Kihara and David Sweet
Therese Kilpatrick
Bryan-Earl Kinchen
Ted and Alexander Kirkiles
Cristie Kirlin and Kendra Turk
Denise Kiser and JoAnne Winter
Barbara and Lewis Knapp
Eric and Yuriko Kneeland
Craig Kochersberger and David Newswanger
Adella Koenig
Nina Koocher and Bernard Elbaum
Wanda Kownacki
Keith and Dolores Kraft
Leila Kramer and Aaron Alden
Nancy Krusoe
Lucien Kubo
David Kunis and Lori Meiskey
Karen Kurokawa
Kenneth Kusumoto
Paula and David Kuty
Constantine Lackides
Andre Lafleur
Don Lane and Mary Howe
Emily Lansdale
Bryan and Hilde Largay
Catherine Larrick
Bruce Larsen
Cassady Latham and Julian Faulkner
Don Lauritson
Bob and Cookie Leaf
Cynthia Ling Lee
Erin Lee
Katrina Leestma
Bill Leff and Jesse Sweetwater
Tanya and Gabriel Lemmon
Irene Lennox
Nancy Lenz
Laura and David Leroy
Barney and Patricia Levy
Mark Levy and Lillian Bogovich
Robert and Barbara Lewis
Dotty Lieber
Homer Lighthall
Noreen and Todd Likins
Mark Linder and Mary Dean
Quentin Lindh and Emilyn Green
Eliza Linley and David Richardson
Marcia Lipsenthal and James Bierman
Kirsten Liske
Yalenda Listmann
Susan Longini and Muni Barash
Annette Longuevan
Christine Loose and Jenna Slovis
Ilse and Ben Lopes
Leisl and Paul Ludington
Cynthia Luedtke
Sari Luoma and Bill Eilfort
Julie Macecevic and Albert deKelaita
Sydney Mackey
Melissa Mahoney and Nash Stevens
Kevin Mann and Kim Davis
Katy Manning
Becca Mansergh
Sarah Mansergh
Lynn Marcus-Wyner
Cindy Margolin
Sally Margolis and Wendy
Martyna
Patsy and George Marinelli
Jean Markarian
Suzi Markham and Terry Olson
Catharina Marlowe
Marilyn Marzell and Patti Maxine Smith
Dana Massie
Jennifer Matlock
Sharon and Linsey Maxwell
Mary Jo May
Carol Maynard
Tammy McBride
Dolores and John McCabe
Craig McCroskey and Bronwyn Black
Christie McCullen and Jason Smyth
James and Suzanne McElwee
Maggie and Alan McKay
Michael McNamer and JJ Katis
Marylou McNay
Carole McPherson
Christina McQueen and Maria Sarile
CMA Medeiros
Josette and John Medina
Donna Mekis
Marcia Meyer
Sarah Michael
Toni Michelle
Reiko Michisaki and Patrick Lovejoy
Elizabeth Mier
Nada Miljkovic and Matthew Ammann
Tess and Sean Miller
Marije Miller and David Eyes
Tai Miller and Clayton White
Julie and Robert Minnis
Clara Minor
Lillian Miranda
Nana Montgomery-Bracht and Lance Bracht
Jack Moore
Alexis and Tom Morgan
Sarah Morris and Danny Hogan
Michele Mosher and
Maia Yates
Charley and Dawn Motyka
Linda Munn and Grant Parker
Linda Murphy and Doug Lockwood
Robin Murphy
Margaret Murray
Douglas Murray and Bernadette Glenn
Brian and Eilen Murtha
Deborah and John Muth
Pamela Myatt
Sue Myers
Sheila Namir
Kathryn Nance and Aaron Bartlett
Jacob Musgrave Nelson and Abigail Nelson
André Neu and Ellen Stuck
Tracy Neves and Christian Tidwell
Gary Niblok
Michelle and Daniel Nicely
Jesse and Christine Nickell
Sarah Nielsen
Henry and Nancy Niles
Laura and Anna Nisi
Patricia and Hayes Noel
Dorothea Copeck-Nolan and Roger B. Nolan
Alix Norton
Suzanne Novotny
Daniel Nowacki
Paul and Sally O'Brien
Eileen O'Connor
Samuel O Oastler
Charlene Oatey
Gina Odom and Adam Knight
Jerimiah Oetting and Anne Beulke
Erica Olsen and Maurice Leibenstern
Anne Olson
Annette Olson and Ethan Sanford
Jane Orbuch
Lucia Orlando
Mary Ann Orr
Greg and Linda Orr
Lisa Ortiz and Rosemary Allen
Deborah Osterberg
Ann Ostermann and Isaiah Williams
Judith Moon and Robert Otness
Karen Ottermann
Kathy Pacheco
Anandi Paganini
Laurie Palmer and Deborah Gould
Kathy and Louis Paolino
Jeremy Parker
Sharon Parker
Vicki Parry
Brian Parselle and Marilyn Huffman
Marilyn Patton and Sonya Drottar
Jon Pearce
Alice Pelletier
Kaylan Pereira
Celeste Faraola Perie and David Perie
Frank and Jill Miller Perry
Caitlin Phillips
Jennifer L Pitino and Daniel Pitino Fredrickson
Lisa Ferrone
Leslie Potenzo
Caprice Potter and Terence Welch
Bernard Pregerson and Natasha Fraley
Ellen Primack and Eric Schmidt
Amanda Profitt
Kathleen Puente
Autumn Purdy
Diane Putnam
Flo Queen-Stover and Charles Stover
Richard Rahders and Marcella Laddon
Heather and Ron Rasmussen
Rachel Reed and Sebastian Hankel
Debra Reiff
Susan Renison and Rob Milby
Marlena Revay and Zoe Elizabeth
David and Barbra Rhoades
Maureen and Al Richards
Steven and Gerry Rieger
Marilyn Rigler
Jeffrey Ringold
Neile and Miriam
Rissmiller
Sanra Ritten and Diego Felix
Leonardo De La Rocha and Jennifer De La Cruz
Burt and Joyce D. Rodgers
Ken Rodkey
Toni Rodriguez and Jamie Cutter
Mark Roemke and Anne Stephason
Janet Romanowski
Ron Ronconi and Jeanne Tillman
Chip Chapin and Kayla Rose
Dorah Rosen
Phyllis Rosenblum
Karen Rosewood
Melissa Ross and Rick Hochler
Deepika Ross and Gary Griggs
Sandra and Garret Rosslow
Suzanna Roth
Diana Rothman
Joel and Holly Rudnick
Terry and Roxana Rudy
Eva Holt- Rusmore and
Daniel Nemchonok
Linda Russon
Rosalind Ruth and Judy Luiz
Chris Ryan
Sierra and Mark Ryan
Brigitta (Gitta) Ryle
Jan Salas and Clay Wilson
Ezekiel Salazar
Dalia Salinas and Tsawá Povi Sanchez
Paula Sandas-Harvey
Ann Sansevero
Loretta and Gosie Sapino
Jo Ann Schaffner
Jessie Schecter
Andrew Schiffrin and Carol Brenner
Ronna Schulkin and Laura Pearce
Melisa Schwarm
Ann Schwartz
Daniel and Heather Schweikert
Janet and Kelsey Schwind
Gail Carhart Scofield and Cole Bryan
Kathryn and Stan Scott
Bob Scott
Tom and Frances Scully
Susan Seaburg and Judith Allen
Conrad and Anne Seales
Richard Seibert
Ronald and Cindy Sekkel
Anja Shandrew and Jenn Kortright
Melody Sharp
John and Nichole Shuler
Wendy Siegel and Melissa Braun
Kenneth Sievers
Pam Silbaugh and Russell Lerner
Marjorie and Wendy Simon
April Simpson
Bill and M Kathleen Simpson
Gloria Simpson and Erica Reitjes
Rhiannon Sims and Chris Spradley
Michael Singer and Sally Eastman
Ellie Skolnick
Henry Smith and Kerry Beth Hosley
Kimberly Smith
Brian Smith
Nathan and Diane Smith
Kimberly Snyder and Mathew Miller
Stephanie Sonnenshine
David and Mary South
Frank Souza
Sandi Spanfelner and Jessica Lowe-Wilson
Lonna and Dennis Speer
Debra Spencer and Jim Rolens
Nicole and Doug Stallard
Becky Stapp
Desiree and Michael Steber
Judith Steen and Joe Michalak
Thomas Stelling and Beverly Ritchey
Melanie Stern
Carli Stevens
Anudeva Stevens and Hanna Hammerli
Kelcey and Susanne Stone
Kim Stoner
Jim Sullivan
Rebecca Supplee
Jill and Marc Susskind
Stephen Svete and Mindy Lawrence
Nora Sweeny
Peter Szydlowski and Marie Brook
Josh Tabije
Kaoru Takahashi
Harriet Talan
Michelle and Keiko Taniguchi
Brooklyn Taylor
Jan Taylor and Robert Aegerter
Jeanene and Zachary Taylor
Angela Thalls and Neil McKenzie
Barbara Thomas
Mary Thomas and Thomas Hood
Lynn Thorensen
Lee and Bonnie Tinder
Damon Tkoch and Katie Fortney
Maria Gitin Torres and Samuel Torres
Emily Trexel and Amy Christey
Lyle and Maggi Troxell
David Twist
Linda Miranda and Ivy Tzimbal
Randy Uang
Michael and Elise Ulwelling
Patricia Unruhe
Alex Van Zyl
Maureen Raytis Vargas and Rick Vargas
Clyde Vaughn
Eugene Veteska and Margaret Inokuma
Leslie and Chris Viall
Katrina Viesca
Branwyn and Ken Wagman
Neil Waldhauer and Cara Lamb
T Mike and Terry Walker
Karen Wallace
Harrison and Julie Walls
Marilyn Walton
Dirk Walvis and Carolyn Dille
Christopher Wang
Karyn Warner
Karen and Sophie Warren
Michael and Susan Warren
Martabel and Martha
Wasserman
Mary Ann and Rich Waters
Sara Webb
Mary S. Weeks and James D. Phillips
Chris Weir and Sally Arnold
Tam Welch and Kellee
Matsushita-Tseng
Misty Wenisch and Greg Kouvaras
Linda Werner
GretchenLee Werner and Mark Block
Lizbeth and John Wesolowski
Linda Weyers
Peter Weyzen
Sean Wharton
Laney White
Selina Wightman and Jeremy Britton
Joe Wilcox
John Williams and Cynthia Baehr-Williams
Greg Williams
Suzanne Williams
Fiona Williams and Benjamin Matthews
Natisha Williams and James Weber
Bennett Williamson and Kate Dundon
Jill Wimmer
Renee Winter and Paul Roth
Claire and Sarah Wirt
Sarah Wise
Joy and Arthur Wood
Yalkin Yanik and Ayzin Uludag
Robert and Suzanne Young
Nicole Zahm and Jay Melena
Marc Zammit and Wayne Crabbs
Gilda Zelin
Jenna and Michael Zeller
Judy Ziegler
Frank Zwart and Julia Armstrong-Zwart
Tribute Gifts
In memory of
Joan Gilbert Martin
Helaine Glick
Lani Hall
Sandra Martensen
George Wanlass
In memory of Chuck Hilger
Kathleen Hilger
In memory of Ed Lawrence
Randolph Brock
In memory of Peter Orr
Linda and John Burroughs
Jill Cooper-Misunas
John and Karen Dowdell
Frank and Anne Hayden
Harriet and George Mainis
Kathryn and Marshall Miller
Debra Popman
Lee Slaff
Sally and Tom Suchevits
Clyde Vaughn
In memory of Cynthia Rees
Muriel and Marci Prolo
In memory of Stan Stevens
William Spengemann
For more information on making a gift, please visit santacruzmah.org/donate
“Lanting and Eckstrom's exhibition brings land and sea together for a unified view of Monterey Bay and its natural abundance.”
—Santa Cruz Sentinel, on Bay of Life
Acknowledgments
Funder Recognition
It is through the generous support of members, corporate sponsors, foundations, and government partners that the MAH is able to be a community resource and economic asset. To learn more about how to get involved with the institution’s work, please visit the MAH’s website to see our various engagement and philanthropic opportunities.
We thank our donors, volunteers, and collaborators for their tremendous support, and look forward to working with new friends as we continue to pursue new horizons.
Land Acknowledgment
The land on which we gather is the unceded territory of the Awaswas-speaking Uypi Tribe. The Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, comprised of the descendants of indigenous people taken to missions Santa Cruz and San Juan Bautista during Spanish colonization of the Central Coast, is today working hard to restore traditional stewardship practices on these lands and heal from historical trauma.
Photo Credits
The majority of images featured in this publication were sourced from the MAH’s portfolio and archives. Special thanks to photographers Crystal Birns, Daris Jasper, and Orbie Pullen.
In Memoriam
The MAH community mourns the loss of some of our longtime friends and supporters. They will be deeply missed.
Betsy Anderson (1956–2023)
Randall Brown (1951–2023)
Eric Child (1944–2023)
Rob Edwards (1938–2023)
Joan Gilbert Martin (1930–2022)
Juleen Lisher (unknown—2023)
Gloria Nieto (1953–2022)
Peter Orr (1947–2022)
Cynthia Rees (1940–2022)
Stan Stevens (1933–2022)