Located
just blocks from the State Capitol, the California
Museum shows the public, educators and those who
work for California communities our state’s best
features – our cultural treasures, our
historical milestones, and our diverse people.
Yearly, the California Museum proudly hosts
international, national, and local crowds, and
over 50 thousand California children. By
showcasing to 1000’s everything from women’s
artwork from the 19th century pioneer migration to
the breathtaking collections in the California
Hall of Fame, the California Museum offers
California’s past as inspiration for an even
better future.
The
California Museum’s thematic exhibits draw on
items from organizations and museums statewide.
For example, precious objects in the California
Hall of Fame exhibit, such as John Steinbeck’s
typewriter, and Elizabeth Taylor’s Oscars, are
loaned by inductees, their families, their
Foundations, and other entities. The 40 riches
from Hearst Castle in Treasures from Hearst
Castle (now through April 2008), and a baby
coverlet made by Tamsen Donner on display in Treasures
from a Trunk: California Pioneers Quilts and
Textiles (now through June 2008) belong to the
California
Department of State Parks.
The
California Hall of Fame at the California Museum,
according to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger,
“provides a wonderful opportunity to honor
leaders, and legends, whose imprints are stamped
forever on our history and our lives. I want
people of every age to be inspired by the stories
of Californians who have shaped and continue to
shape this state and the world.”
2007’s
California Hall of Fame, launched on December 6,
dazzles with the “imprint” of the careers of
its 13 inductees: Ansel Adams, Milton Berle, Steve
Jobs, Willie Mays, Robert Mondavi, Rita Moreno,
Jackie Robinson, Jonas Salk, M.D., John Steinbeck,
Elizabeth Taylor, Earl Warren, John Wayne and
Tiger Woods. “This astounding group…represents
the vast contributions Californians continually
make to our state and beyond,” says Maria
Shriver. “I am so thrilled their stories and
accomplishments will be shared and celebrated so
that everyone will be inspired to make their own
mark on history.”
John Steinbeck’s
typewriter and signed first edition of East of
Eden from the Steinbeck display at the 2007
California Hall of Fame exhibit.
At
the 2007 California Hall of Fame press preview,
curator Amanda Meeker remarked that the 13
inductees’ eclectic treasures will never be
under the same roof again. Only at the California
Museum, and only during the 2007 run, will Ansel
Adams’ original prints, Elizabeth Taylor’s
tiny “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf”
costume, Jonas Salk’s vials of the polio vaccine
from 1954, the Steinbeck typewriter, and East
of Eden manuscript pages, Earl Warren’s
Supreme Court Robe, and Tiger Woods’ golf clubs
be steps from each other.
California
Museum Deputy Director John O'Connor states,
“Directing [the 2007 California Hall of Fame]
has been an inspirational journey. Maria's broad
vision and leadership has brought to life this
vivid illustration of California's rich and
diverse culture and accomplishments. The inductees
individually are inspirational -- and collectively
they are a powerful showcase, worthy of enormous
state pride. California is truly a special place
and I believe the California Hall of Fame
articulates that in a unique way.”
Remarkable
Women
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Elizabeth
Taylor display at the 2007
California Hall of Fame exhibit.
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The
California Museum’s Remarkable Women exhibit,
launched in 2004 by First Lady Maria Shriver in
collaboration with the California Department of
State Parks, sheds light on the nature of
Californian cultural and professional success.
Museum community relations manager Kelly Bitz
says, “Our Remarkable Women move our visitors to
go after their own dreams.”
The
Juicy Couture girls’ story in California
Dreamin’ for example, reveals to young girls
that business smarts are cool. The
Sesquicentennial Quilt (created by 200 master quilters) in Women
Working Together shows visitors the skill and
patience inherent in traditional craftsmanship.
Latinas, the first California exhibit to honor
the many contributions of outstanding Latina
women, hails Hispanic women’s enduring role in
California’s development.
The
museum’s over 200 Remarkable Women are either
native Californians or people who have made
California their home. 2007 California Hall of
Fame inductee, Elizabeth Taylor moved to Hollywood
as a child, and legendary Amelia Earhardt, who
found her love for flying in San Diego, came to
California after boarding school. One surprisingly
native Californian is the great “French Chef”
Julia Child, a Marin County local.
Though
originally scheduled to last a year, Bitz reports
the popular Remarkable Women is now a
permanent museum exhibit.
California
Cultural and Historical Endowment grants
A
non-profit historical and cultural institution,
the museum has raised the money for its renovation
and renewal through individual donations and
fundraising campaigns. The California Cultural and
Historical Endowment (CCHE) housed at the
California State Library provided $375,000
for museum renovation planning. The
Governor and First Lady’s Conference for Women also
provided funding for Museum exhibits and programs.
Because the museum is at the site of the old
California History Museum, the museums’ trustees
can devote its resources “to building and
maintaining what’s inside” and not on the
structure itself.
The
sale of Proposition 40 bonds has provided funds to
CCHE to "protect and preserve California's
cultural and historic resources" through
award of grants to nonprofits, public
organizations, and Indian tribes for eligible
capital asset projects and project planning. The
CCHE Board divided its program funding into three
separate competitive rounds, and eligible organizations
could apply each time a round was announced over
the years. In August 2007, the
Board reserved funding to support 41 round 3 projects.
The
California Museum was awarded a Round 1 planning
grant in late 2005 that enabled the museum to
fully plan new installations to reflect an
expanded vision and direction: to move from being
a California History Museum to a California Museum
of History, Women, and Arts. The 2005
CCHE planning grant to the California Museum was
$375,000 with a $375,000 match by the museum.
John
O’Connor says the CCHE funding for the Round 1
grant will enable the museum to transform itself
into an engaging, state-of-the-art cultural
institution that will continue to inspire visitors
by telling California's unique history in a very
special way.
As
the California Museum developed its
renovation plans, they decided to apply for a
CCHE Round 3 construction grant to implement their
plans. In August 2007, the CCHE Board reserved
$1,935,000 for a museum renovation grant that
should be in place in 2008. The Round 3
grant will fund part of the complete
overhaul of the two main gallery interiors on the
first floor, including the signature spiral
staircase, exhibit infrastructure, key
architectural elements and all permanent exhibits.
This renovated space will engage and educate
students and the public about California's diversity, history,
and unique influence on the world of ideas,
innovation, art, and culture, including the impact
of California women in the arts.
For
more information about the California
Museum for History, Women and the Arts, please
visit www.californiamuseum.org.
To
arrange a tour of the California
Museum for History, Women and the Arts please
call (916) 654-1729 to or email reservations@californiamuseum.org.
