Museums and Galleries Celebrate Reopening
Museums and galleries across the Santa Cruz County area join together to welcome visitors back during Museums Month.
Museums, galleries, and other cultural institutions are finally able to reopen their doors safely. Across the County these organizations invite you to reconnect and rediscover art, history, nature, and culture. In recognition of Museums Month in May, many local museums and galleries are celebrating with free or reduced admission and community members are encouraged to revisit the places that connect and inspire children and adults alike.
Though museums and galleries have been closed to visitors during the pandemic, behind the scenes they have continued to serve their missions throughout the shutdown in new and creative ways. Now is the time to celebrate their return as our gathering places, reflective spaces, and hubs of learning and creativity.
“If you feel like something has been missing from your life for the last year, you aren’t alone. It is so easy to underestimate the power of connection in shared spaces. That sense of wonder is something museums specialize in and we are ready to spring back into the lives of our community,” says Rhiannon Crane, Executive Director of the Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery.
Research conducted by Martin Kriegel and Anne Hartmann shows when open at reduced capacity, museums and galleries present half the risk of infection via aerosol particles as a visit to a grocery store. Along with vaccination rates and recent decreases in active infections in the county, that is great news for local museums who are ready for visitors to “Spring into Wonder!” with them this May.
Museums and galleries of Santa Cruz County and beyond have joined together in their call for people to come back to their favorite spots, while also discovering new places. These cultural institutions have worked together throughout the pandemic to stay informed, build effective safety protocols for when their doors reopen, and prepare to meet the needs of the community. As a group, they look forward to providing safe, healthy, and enriching experiences for all.
“Working with other museums and galleries in our area has helped us as we prepare to reopen. This group has been a fantastic team and I am sure that no matter where you visit, you’ll have a great time at one of our local institutions,” says Felicia Van Stolk, Executive Director at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History.
Participating organizations include the Agricultural History Project, Capitola Historical Museum, Curated by the Sea, Museo Eduardo Carillo, Pajaro Valley Arts, Pajaro Valley Historical Association, Radius Gallery, R. Blitzer Gallery, San Benito Historical Society and Museum, San Lorenzo Valley Museum, Santa Cruz Art League, Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery, Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz Mountains Art Center, Seymour Marine Discovery Center. Learn more about Museum Month at santacruzmuseummonth.org.
