The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is celebrating its 30th anniversary with two concurrent exhibitions: “This is Thirty: Celebrating the MAH and Our Creative Community,” which mixes permanent collection works with new acquisitions, and “The Things We Did and Didn’t Do,” an archival installation by local artist Joshua Moreno. The museum originated from a merger of the Santa Cruz Historical Society and the Art Museum of Santa Cruz County, delayed by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, and opened in 1996. The exhibits feature earthquake-related artworks, pieces by founding director Charles Hilger, and contributions from the family of Executive Director Ginger Shulick Porcella, including wearable art by her late mother-in-law Yvonne Porcella.
The anniversary matters because it highlights the MAH’s unique dual mission as both an art museum and a history museum, serving as a community anchor in Santa Cruz for three decades. The exhibitions demonstrate the institution’s active collecting and commitment to displaying its holdings publicly, while also honoring local history—from the earthquake’s impact to Filipino American heritage—and fostering emerging artists like Moreno. The celebration underscores the MAH’s role in preserving regional memory and supporting creative expression, setting it apart from more traditional museums.