Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History Find your space amongst the curious & creative. Linktr.ee/santacruzmah.org
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Welcome to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (the MAH), a place where there’s always something happening. All year long we host truly ‘only-in-Santa-Cruz’ events and exhibitions co-created with incredible community partners.

06/19/2026

In honor of Juneteenth, the MAH has partnered with the London Nelson Center to present a temporary exhibition honoring Black Presence in Santa Cruz County. Stop by the London Nelson Community Center today to explore the exhibition and learn more.

What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth marks the day the last group of enslaved African Americans learned that they were free on June 19, 1865. That day is known as Juneteenth (“June” and “nineteenth”) and is African American Independence Day. Celebrations began in 1866 and have grown, with Juneteenth becoming a state holiday in Texas in 1980 and a U.S. federal holiday in 2021. 

Learn more about Juneteenth at the link in our bio🔗

06/18/2026

"To get masterful at all parts of building is going to take a really long time. Wouldn't it be beautiful if we did that as a team?"

That philosophy of collaborative mastery and lifelong practice, from founder Richard Hoover, has shaped everything Santa Cruz Guitar Company builds. For fifty years, we have built every one of our guitars by hand in Santa Cruz, the town we call home. Every Santa Cruz guitar is a love note to its eventual owner and to this town.

In partnership with Kuumbwa Jazz and the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, we invite our community to celebrate fifty years of local craftsmanship and musical legacy.

June 18 to October 4: Santa Cruz Guitar Company: The First 50 Years, on exhibit at the MAH. Come see the history, the artistry, and some very special builds up close.

Monday, June 22, 6:00 PM: an intimate night of music and stories at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center, with Keith Greeninger, Vicki Randle, and Richard Hoover.

Come celebrate the hands and hearts that shaped our local music history.

Reserve your tickets for the Kuumbwa Jazz evening and learn more about the MAH exhibition here: https://www.kuumbwajazz.org/calendar/kuumbwa-jazz-santa-cruz-mah-present-santa-cruz-guitar-company-the-first-50-years/

Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
Kuumbwa Jazz

Today marks the opening of our newest exhibition, Santa Cruz Guitar Company: The First 50 Years!Showcasing the beautiful...
06/18/2026

Today marks the opening of our newest exhibition, Santa Cruz Guitar Company: The First 50 Years!

Showcasing the beautiful craftsmanship of this iconic company, the exhibition tells the story of how a handful of dedicated luthiers transformed a small Santa Cruz business into one of the world's premier makers of acoustic guitars.

Come see it now through October 4, 2026.

Art & Ecology Camp was a blast here at the MAH! Our happy campers spent their days enjoying art activities inspired by n...
06/18/2026

Art & Ecology Camp was a blast here at the MAH! Our happy campers spent their days enjoying art activities inspired by nature and painting a large scale mural 🎨🌿

A big thanks to Jessica Carmen and the MAH education team for the best first week of camp! Stay tuned for our Dance As Moving Art camp starting up soon!

DAVENPORT DAY • JULY 11, 2026 | 12-4 PM 🐐🐚Archival photos of Davenport, CA 🎞️Join the MAH for a one-day community celebr...
06/16/2026

DAVENPORT DAY • JULY 11, 2026 | 12-4 PM 🐐🐚

Archival photos of Davenport, CA 🎞️

Join the MAH for a one-day community celebration taking place adjacent to Historic Davenport Jail in North County Santa Cruz. Visitors can get a final look at Joshua Moreno’s installation at Davenport Jail, take a historic walking tour of downtown Davenport, enjoy music by local musicians and DJs, and support the art, creativity, and culture of local artists and nonprofit vendors.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS🗒️:
12:30pm: Historic Walking tour of Davenport (meet at Davenport Jail)
2pm: Private tour of Rogue Art Gallery led by Andre LaFleur (meet at St. Vincent DePaul Church, 123 Marine View Avenue)
2:30pm: Open house at St. Vincent de Paul Church, 123 Marine View Avenue
2pm-4pm: Glass Blowing Demos at Chris Johnson Glass, 131 Old Coast Road

MUSICAL PERFORMANCES🎵:
12pm-1pm: Face Urchins
1pm-2:30pm: DJ Big Fun
2:30-3pm: Musical Soulmates
3pm-4pm: Konceptualizer

ARTISTS & VENDORS🎨:
Avery Maltz
Chris Johnson Glass
Cin
Maria Ayllon
Mitchell Neto
Tessa Hope Hasty
Davenport Resource Center
Musical Soulmates
Rogue Art Gallery
Santa Cruz County Sheriff
Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History
St. Vincent de Paul Church
AND MORE!!

Call to Vendors☎️:
There is still room for more vendors and artists to participate in Davenport Day! We are calling clothing vendors, jewelry vendors, tarot readers, performers, etc. to join in! If you are interested in signing up, please send an email of interest to [email protected].

Welcome to another awe-inspiring week at the MAH. Join in on the fun!🎸✨
06/15/2026

Welcome to another awe-inspiring week at the MAH. Join in on the fun!🎸✨

🎉 82 donors. 2 days remaining. 1 community. 🎉For nearly 30 years, the MAH has partnered with our community to create mom...
06/12/2026

🎉 82 donors. 2 days remaining. 1 community. 🎉

For nearly 30 years, the MAH has partnered with our community to create moments of awe, connection, and belonging. As we celebrate our 30th anniversary, we’re inviting you to join our 30 for 30 Challenge.

A gift of $30 supports exhibitions, bilingual programming, educational resources, and community collaborations. Your name will also be included on our 30th Anniversary Supporter Recognition Wall.

❤️ Help us create the next 30 years of art, history, and community in Santa Cruz County.

This hand-colorized photograph is a part of a larger collection of images that were taken around the San Francisco 1918 ...
06/11/2026

This hand-colorized photograph is a part of a larger collection of images that were taken around the San Francisco 1918 earthquake. These prints were then painted on to produce vivid, unique interpretations of these landscapes.

See more of these prints in our current exhibition, The Things We Did and Didn't Do, by artist Joshua Moreno.

Honoring Our Relatives: Amah Mutsun Botanical Illustrations has come to a close 🍃🌸This exhibition transformed the bonds ...
06/10/2026

Honoring Our Relatives: Amah Mutsun Botanical Illustrations has come to a close 🍃🌸

This exhibition transformed the bonds of kinship between people and plants into art. It reminded us that when we love our plant kin we our relatives, we help ensure their survival for the benefit of all future generations.

A massive thank you to the intergenerational cohort of Amah Mutsun tribal members and UCSC undergraduates who created this exhibition, and to our wonderful MAH exhibitions team for putting all the pieces together.❤️

We are beyond grateful for everyone who visited the Honoring Our Relatives exhibition. We hope you left the museum inspired to protect California’s unique flora, which has been cared for by California’s Indigenous people for millennia, and with a deeper awareness of the reciprocal relationship we share with the land around us.

Honoring our Relatives: Amah Mutsun Botanical Drawings is supported in part by the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History, The Amah Mutsun Relearning Program at the UCSC Arboretum & Botanic Garden, and the UC Santa Cruz Foundation Board Opportunity Fund.

Who’s ready!!??This year, watch the FIFA World Cup with your community at the MAH! ⚽️We at the museum are thrilled to ho...
06/09/2026

Who’s ready!!??

This year, watch the FIFA World Cup with your community at the MAH! ⚽️We at the museum are thrilled to host game screenings all throughout World Cup season!

Check out the dates and make a plan to swing by this June & July! Everyone is welcome. 💛❤️💙💚

Address

705 Front Street
Santa Cruz, CA
95060

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 1pm
Thursday 12pm - 8pm
Friday 12pm - 8pm
Saturday 12pm - 6pm
Sunday 12pm - 6pm

Telephone

+18314291964

Website

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