Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History

In recognition of the Hewlett Foundation’s 50th anniversary, the Hewlett 50 Arts Commissions initiative supports the creation and premiere of 50 exceptional works of performing arts. This grant will support the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History at the McPherson Center in developing and presenting lead artist Susana Ruiz’s “The Last Chinatown.” The project will culminate in a performance and augmented reality experience that will explore the erasure of Santa Cruz’s historic Chinatown and its connections to xenophobia and anti-Asian violence.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History spent 2011 reinventing itself as a thriving, central gathering place where local residents and visitors can experience art, history, ideas, and culture. A core component of these activities is a suite of free and low-cost community programs, in which performance and performing artists play a central role. In the museum’s most recent fiscal year, 63 percent of its 37,000 visitors attended participatory events. With this grant, the museum plans to deepen the role of performing arts in community programs and create a residency and training program for performing artists interested in strengthening their community engagement practices.

The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History is a vibrant cultural hub, presenting not only art and historic artifacts, but also offering a robust year-round calendar of performances, workshops, and community events. The Museum’s community engagement strategies have drawn national and international attention, and it is a leader in training other organizations to better engage, inspire, and include communities with which they seek to work. Through active participation in the arts, free programming in public spaces, and thoughtful community engagement, the museum reaches 148,000 people each year.