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July – September 2021 Exhibits & Events
JULY
BANK OF AMERICA MUSEUMS ON US® FREE ADMISSION
7/3/21
Free admission for all current Bank of America®, Merrill Lynch® and U.S. Trust® cardholders through Museums On Us® with valid photo ID. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/mou-2021.
INDEPENDENCE DAY – MUSEUM CLOSED
7/4/21
CALIFORNIA TIME TRAVELER CAMP
7/12 – 7/16/21
Young adventurers are invited to explore over 150 years of history, arts and culture in the California Time Traveler Camp. Ideal for kids ages 6 to 11, this week-long day camp offers engaging learning experiences as participants travel back in time to some of the state’s significant eras. A combination of exhibit tours, excursions to nearby sites and hands-on activities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily itineraries begin on Monday in modern California and end on Friday during the Gold Rush over 150 years ago. Admission: $275 per time-traveler. The program is limited to a maximum of 15 participants following rigorous COVID-19 protocols under state and county guidelines. For details on protocols or to book a passage, visit https://californiamuseum.org/time-traveler.
CALIFORNIA MUSEUM LIVE: GOLD MOUNTAIN II
7/31/21
Discover the history and contributions of Chinese Americans in the Golden State on a Zoom-based tour of “Gold Mountain: Chinese Californian Stories” at 11 a.m. on Sat., July 31, 2021. This 30-minute docent-led virtual tour of the Museum’s long-term exhibit will focus on the period from WWII to the present and include 15 minutes for Q&A. Free for the first 100 with advance registration by 5 p.m. on Fri., July 30. For more information or to register, visit https://californiamuseum.org/ca-museum-live.
AUGUST
“GAMBATTE! LEGACY OF AN ENDURING SPIRIT 2021”
8/5 – 11/7/21
“Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit” is a traveling photography exhibit recently updated and returning for its second installation in 2021. A visual exploration of the Japanese concept of “gambatte” (or to triumph over adversity), it features contemporary photographs of Japanese Americans who survived mass incarceration during World War II taken by photojournalist Paul Kitagaki Jr. of The Sacramento Bee, paired with historic images by U.S. War Relocation Authority photographers including Dorothea Lange. For more information, go to https://californiamuseum.org/gambatte-21.
BANK OF AMERICA MUSEUMS ON US® FREE ADMISSION
8/7 & 8/8/21
Free admission for all current Bank of America®, Merrill Lynch® and U.S. Trust® cardholders through Museums On Us® with valid photo ID. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/mou-2021.
13TH ANNUAL CALIFORNIA HALL OF FAME
THROUGH 8/8/21
Inspiring visitors to make a mark on history, the 13th Annual California Hall of Fame exhibit explores the lives and legacies of the newest inductees. The display features artifacts and ephemera on loan from the collections of Maya Angelou, RuPaul, Brandi Chastain, Dr. France Córdova, Tony Hawk, Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston, Rev. James Lawson, George Lopez, Wolfgang Puck and Helen Turley, accompanied by historic photographs. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/artifact-exhibit.
CALIFORNIA MUSEUM LIVE: FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT
8/28/21
Celebrate the 19th Amendment’s 101st anniversary on a virtual tour of “Fight for the Right: 100 Years of Women Voting” at 11 a.m. on Sat., Aug. 29, 2021. This Zoom-based program includes a 30-minute docent-led tour of the Museum’s temporary exhibit documenting the struggle for the women’s vote from the mid-19th century to the 19th Amendment’s ratification on Aug. 26, 1920, along with 15 minutes of Q&A. Free for the first 100 with advance registration by 5 p.m. on Fri., Aug. 27. For more information or to register, visit https://californiamuseum.org/ca-museum-live.
“FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT: 100 YEARS OF WOMEN VOTING”
THROUGH 8/29/21
Featuring artifacts, historic photographs and interactive activities, this online exhibit chronicles women’s struggle for the right to the vote from the mid-19th century to the ratification of the 19th Amendment on Aug. 26, 1920, drawing parallels to the ongoing fight for women’s equality that continues today. Developed in collaboration with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who served as California’s representative on the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, the project launched on Aug. 26. 2020, marking the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment’s ratification. For details or to view, visit https://californiamuseum.org/fight-right.
SEPTEMBER
BANK OF AMERICA MUSEUMS ON US® FREE ADMISSION
9/4 & 9/5/21
Free admission for all current Bank of America®, Merrill Lynch® and U.S. Trust® cardholders through Museums On Us® with valid photo ID. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/mou-2021.
BLUE STAR MUSEUMS
THROUGH 9/5/21
A partnership between the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families, Blue Star Museums provides free admission to all active duty, National Guard and Reserve military personnel and up to 5 members of their family at the California Museum from Sat., May 15 (Armed Forces Day) through Sunday, Sept. 5, 2021, when a valid military ID is presented at time of admission. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/bsm-2021.
SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE MUSEUM DAY
9/18/21
Free admission with advance registration during Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day at the California Museum on Sat., Sept. 18, 2021. Ticketholders are also invited to participate in the Museum’s #ExperienceAmerica activities celebrating the return of visiting the nation’s history, arts and culture institutions as participants in the 2021 program. Special activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. include self-guided tours of the temporary exhibition “Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit” on view through Nov. 7, 2021; docent-led tours of the long-term exhibition “Uprooted! Japanese Americans During WWII” and hands-on activities including folding origami cranes and scavenger hunt exploring California immigration appropriate for ages 5 and up. For details or to register for tickets starting Wed., Aug. 18, visit https://californiamuseum.org/smd-2021.
ONGOING SIGNATURE EXHIBITS:
“CALIFORNIA INDIANS: THE FIRST PEOPLE”
Initially developed under the direction of a Native Advisory Council in 2011, “California Indians: The First People” is the only exhibit of its kind in the state to present the unique contributions of California’s Native Peoples in their own voice. Through artifacts, original art, oral histories and an interactive language kiosk, the exhibit chronicles the histories and cultural legacies of over 100 tribes. Highlights include the Chipped Stone Bear, California’s official prehistoric artifact; baskets woven by Native artists; a fur cape owned by Ishi; and more. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/california-indians.
“CALIFORNIA MISSIONS: A JOURNEY ALONG THE EL CAMINO REAL”
Designed to correspond with State standards for 4th-grade students, this exhibit includes rare artifacts from Missions across the state, such as iron tools handmade at Mission Santa Barbara, a marriage registry document written by Father Junípero Serra, an 1893 painting of Mission San Luis Rey on an original tile from that mission and more. In addition, oral history brings this pivotal chapter of history into the present through the modern perspective of Andrew A. Galvan, the first Native curator of Mission Dolores in San Francisco. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/california-missions.
“HEALTH HAPPENS HERE”
Learn how and why your zip code determines how long and how well you live in the multimedia exhibit “Health Happens Here.” Discover what Californians are doing to build health in communities across the state in this interactive journey through all the places and all the ways health happens in California. Through a series of high-tech games and interactive stations, visitors explore key factors that affect health beyond traditional diet and exercise while earning points that can be donated to one of 10 charities to make health happen for all Californians. Winner of the American Alliance of Museum’s “Excellence In Exhibition” award, visit https://californiamuseum.org/health-happens-here for more information.
“GOLD MOUNTAIN: CHINESE CALIFORNIAN STORIES”
Discover the overlooked but significant history and contributions of Chinese Californians from the Gold Rush to the present in “Gold Mountain: Chinese California Stories.” This ongoing exhibit explores the history of Chinese immigrants who came to California in search of a better life and helped build the modern state while triumphing over racism and other obstacles with ingenuity and perseverance. In their stories, visitors will see the contributions Chinese Americans have made to our state’s economy, governance, and culture. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/gold-mountain.
UNITY CENTER AT CALIFORNIA MUSEUM
Initiated in 1999 in response to a series of Northern California hate crimes and launched in 2017, the Unity Center at the California Museum celebrates the state’s diverse people, customs and cultures. Featuring multimedia exhibits exploring significant chapters of California’s civil rights history and a state-of-the-art classroom, the interactive 4,000 sq. ft. gallery encourages visitors to find common ground while embracing their own individuality. Through advocacy tools and engaging educational programs, visitors are empowered to be Unity Activists, exercising their rights and standing up for the rights of others – regardless of belief, background, identity or gender. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/unity-center.
“UPROOTED! JAPANESE AMERICANS DURING WORLD WAR II”
Highlighting members of the Sacramento Japanese American community, this exhibit presents the history of immigration and mass incarceration during World War II, as well as their successful fight for redress. Featuring replica barracks and guard tower, the display includes rare artifacts along with a video introduction by George Takei, an interactive map of the incarceration sites and oral history video kiosks. For details, visit https://californiamuseum.org/uprooted-japanese-americans-during-wwii.
“WOMEN INSPIRE: CALIFORNIA WOMEN CHANGING OUR WORLD”
Developed in collaboration with California First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom and a statewide advisory council of historians, this all-new long-term signature exhibit features the stories of Golden State women from the 1700s to present who inspire change and reflection on the ongoing struggle for equality. For more information, visit https://californiamuseum.org/women-inspire.