When
Saturday, April 19, 2014
How many people exhibited objects?
14
How many people came but did not bring objects?
210
Organizers
Santa Cruz Harbor
Port District
Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History
Posted by Pop Up Museum Intern Lauren Benetua
What was it about?
The Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History celebrated the Harbor’s 50th Anniversary with a Pop Up Museum on Harbor History and Memorabilia–complete with photos, documents, and artifacts!
How did it go?
Celebrating 50 years of the Santa Cruz Harbor was a community-wide event. From afar, it appeared as a fun gathering for friends and residents of the harbor to share how we sail, we surf, and we tell stories. Being able to pay closer attention and really slow down to listen to one another allows us to encounter the many lives of the harbor's history. Carried through the memories and items of the people, this pop up museum was not only fun and lighthearted, but informative of a tight-knit community within Santa Cruz.
Inhabitants and users of the harbor, along with members of the Yacht Club mingled and united with museum visitors. We gathered items from those who have worked on or around the harbor through generations, including full albums showing how the landscape of the harbor has transformed over the years. We got to see full family trees and photos of Santa Cruz historical figures hanging out together. We listened to stories from those who helped clean the harbor when it was swept away in vicious storms - most recently the mini-tsunami in 2011. Of course we can't forget the life-and-death survival stories of those who have navigated through choppy waters in sailboats and lived to tell the tale ala Niels Kisling.
The beauty of a pop up museum that centers on both history and locality is that it creates a sense of unity within diverse, inter-generational perspectives. On a nice sunny day near the water, a weekend out with the community makes for a successful pop up museum.