Media Room Strategic Initiative General Museum

Voyage to Vietnam Returns Home After National Tour

October 1, 2018

After a two-year national tour to promote understanding of the Vietnamese culture, the exhibition Voyage to Vietnam: Celebrating the Tet Festival returns home. The exhibition was developed by the museum with the help of 10 community leaders who consulted on the two-year process to ensure cultural authenticity. It was made possible through a highly competitive national initiative by the Freeman Foundation Asian Culture Exhibit Series. Learn More

Creativity through the Arts, Early Childhood Development, Exhibition Development, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Learning Research, Partnerships & Resource Development

Two-Year Initiative with Immigrant Families Culminates with Traveling Installation

The Mercury News
June 3, 2018

The museum continues its cutting-edge work with immigrant communities. The latest is a compelling visual and performing arts pop-up, A Seat at the Table, traveling to South Bay events this summer. The exhibit sparks conversations and art activities around the meaning of home, heritage, identity, and shared values. It's the culmination of Common Ground, a two-year initiative funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Sciences to promote cultural understanding amongst immigrant families from Mexico, China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam and the greater South Bay communities. Learn More

Community Service Learning, Creativity through the Arts, Early Childhood Development, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence

Shortino Foundation’s $25,000 Award Makes a Difference for Local Youth

May 3, 2018

Local at-risk youth from low-income families will learn about video and digital media, experience the joys of community service, and make new friends in the museum’s youth programs, thanks to a $25,000 grant from The Shortino Foundation. The funds will support free and subsidized registration for teens in three museum youth programs. Learn More

Community Service Learning, Creativity through the Arts, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development

Local Hero and Former Astronaut Steve Smith to Receive Legacy Award

May 1, 2018

This year's Legacy for Children Award honoree is out-of-this-world. Former astronaut and local resident Steve Smith is a remarkable role model who inspires young people to pursue their dreams with confidence, tenacity, and courage. After four rejections from NASA, Smith was accepted into the astronaut program at age 33. At 35 he traveled into space and became one of America's most experienced astronauts who now captivates audiences around the country as a motivational speaker. Learn More

Early Childhood Development, General Museum, Partnerships & Resource Development, Science Learning

Museum Joins “Museums for All” National Access Program

February 22, 2018

Now even more families from all backgrounds can visit the museum through Museums for All, a national access program that enables qualifying families to visit the museum for the low rate of $2 per person for up to four people. Families simply present one of the following: Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card, Medi-Cal Benefits Identification Card (BIC) card, or a Women, Infants and Children Nutrition (WIC) folder. This national initiative represents a huge step in the goal of reaching more children and parents, especially those living in poverty, with the valuable educational resources of hands-on learning. Learn More

General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development

Thousands Celebrate 20th Anniversary of The Three Kings Event

The Mercury News
January 7, 2018

Twenty-one years ago the museum launched The Three Kings Celebration as a way to introduce the museum to the large Latino community. This success served as a model for helping the museum meet the changing needs and demographics of Bay Area families and children. Learn More

Creativity through the Arts, Early Childhood Development, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development

Ringing in the New Year Across the Time Zones Draws Huge Crowds

The Mercury News
January 1, 2018

New Year's Eve may be for adults, but not at the purple museum. Created in 2006 so families could ring in the new year together, the Noon Year's Eve event highlights the diverse community the museum serves with three LED-lit ball drops coinciding with time zones around the world. Fashioned after the famous New York City Times Square Ball Drop, the celebration provides a joyful occasion for all ages. Learn More

Creativity through the Arts, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence

Proud of My Family Aug. 17 & 18

August 1, 2018

The fourth annual Proud of My Family weekend celebrates all families, especially members of the LGBTQ+ community. The event supports the museum’s Inclusion and Cultural Competence strategic commitment to build awareness and understanding among people of diverse ages, backgrounds, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, socioeconomic situations, religions, abilities, and family configurations. Learn More

Early Childhood Development, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development

El Día de los Tres Reyes Magos 20th Anniversary Celebration

January 5, 2018

Freddie, the camel, and Beverly, the mini-donkey, will be the star attraction in a ceremonial procession to kick off the 20th anniversary of the Three Kings weekend. The festivities will bring to life rich traditions and colorful customs of family, gift-giving, music and the arts, based on the Three Kings observances in many Spanish-speaking countries. Visitors can try their hand at papel picado, tortilla-making, sample Rosca De Reyes bread, and enjoy captivating music and dance performances. Learn More

Creativity through the Arts, General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development

Noon Year’s Eve Across the Time Zones: Our Version of the Ball Drop in Times Square

December 29, 2017

Celebrate the arrival of 2018 with the whole family by participating in the “countdown to noon across time zones” with family hugs, a noisy celebration, and the Museum’s version of the famous Ball Drop in Times Square with lots of confetti. At the ball drops, we give “shout outs” to different countries and what people in those countries might be doing at these times. Learn More

General Museum, Inclusion & Cultural Competence, Partnerships & Resource Development