06/10/2026
Museum-in-Residence 📍 Starting next week on June 15th, the Venice Heritage Museum will be presenting photographs and other materials from our historical archive at a much older local institution: Hama Sushi on Windward Ave! 🌊
As many of our supporters know, a series of classic, mostly 20th-century portraits sourced from community members and curated by VHM founder Todd von Hoffmann have been on display at Hama, tying the restaurant and its patrons' experience to the history of Venice. This summer, VHM will be placing additional elements in Hama alongside of the existing portraits in order to give supplemental context for diners looking back on the area's past. From a massive 1913 panorama photograph overlooking the Venice lagoon (nowadays the traffic circle where Hama sits) to recent oral history interviews featuring Guy Okazaki and Esther Chaing, the aim is for the museum to be present at the restaurant through subtle new details.
Venice has a long history of food and beverage establishments playing host to local cultural activities, all the way up to today. VHM at Hama is another experiment in this tradition, with items sourced from the museum collection introduced for an exhibition project that begins in June and unfolds over the next three months.
Join us for an opening event on Saturday, June 20th from 3–5pm as we spend time at Hama prior to the restaurant's open hours and discuss what's been brought in and what it can teach us about Venice.
Support for this effort comes from the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.
2nd image: Hama Sushi postcard, c.1980s. Donated by Paul Tanck.
