Free First Friday

Celebrate a brand new exhibition featuring Native American photography and artifacts by Dugan Aguilar and the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. Enjoy live music and get hands-on with an all-ages art activity.

AUDITORIUM TALK | 5:30-6:30PM | Auditorium | Don’t miss a talk with Amah Mutsun Tribal Band Chairman Valentin Lopez for the opening of She Sang Me a Good Luck Song. Chairman Lopez will discuss the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band’s history and current day activities.

ART ACTIVITY | 5:00-9:00PM | Classroom | Get messy in the classroom making seed bombs with native California wildflower seeds.

LIVE MUSIC | 6:30-9pm | Atrium | Still Searchin’ | Still Searchin’ has been serving up undistilled bluegrass, country, and acoustic classic rock to the fine people of Santa Cruz for over a decade. Their current lineup features a tight trio with three-part harmonies, driving rhythms, and searing originals locally brewed for your listening pleasure.

FREE EXHIBITIONS | Explore three floors of exhibitions for free.

We Who Work; Prints and Tapestries by Hung Liu– What does “work” look like? Explore vibrant, mixed media portraits of laborers by Hung Liu. Learn about low wage work in Santa Cruz by Working for Dignity. Learn stories from workers in Santa Cruz County.

She Sang Me A Good Luck Song – Native American photographer Dugan Aguilar’s self-described purpose is to “show Natives alive and well.” For almost forty years, he has traveled across California to photograph gatherings where California Indian people meet.

Chamber of Heart & Mystery — Dive into this imaginarium for all ages. The Chamber of Heart and Mystery invites you to explore the mysteries surrounding the human heart. Staged as a fictional study for Dr. Cora X. Crux, renowned explorer of the heart and its mysteries, this exhibition is filled with curious objects and art work.

Vital Current- Seeking the San Lorenzo by Camille Utterback- Dip your fingers into San Lorenzo River history with Camille Utterback’s interactive installation. This large-scale river-shaped projection in the MAH lobby windows shows an ever-changing collage of historic and contemporary images of the San Lorenzo River. Explore the river’s history by “dipping” your fingers into the river via a touchscreen surface.

Movements for Change: Bob Fitch Photographs

New Section in History Gallery

Watsonville’s own Bob Fitch began his career as a photojournalist in 1965. Trained as a minister, he joined the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr.’s organization, The Southern Christian Leadership Conference. During a long career, Fitch documented the U.S.’s civil rights movement in the South, as well as local activism. These powerful images reveal how communities organized for the cause of freedom.