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Visitor Inspirations
Posted by Diana on September 22, 2012
The Visitor Services team is excited to share our visitor encounters from the front desk. We are (in no particular order) Mary Kopp, Sarah Groh, Katie Chrivia, Kai Hanson and Diana Kapsner. You will occasionally see a visitor encounter from some museum interns as well.
August 24, 2012
Kong rockin’ a Memory Jar
Today I had the pleasure of welcoming a number of really awesome people into the MAH. One in particular, was a first time visitor and UC Santa Cruz sophomore who just recently switched his major from Biology to History of Art & Visual Culture. I shared with him some of my favourite professors & subjects in the department. It was great that he had followed his passion for architecture and wanted to cultivate his newfound interest in the arts at the MAH. Shortly after our impromptu conversation, I suggested he join the creative process by making a Memory Jar in our interactive gallery. When we walked into the gallery, I noticed his expression switch from excitement to astonishment…”These are people’s memories?” he asked, somewhat bewildered, as he panned the wall of decorated jars.
I reassured him, “Yes, and you’re more than welcome to add your own”.
When he finished I was amazed by his unique and creative use of the materials sans glue, to boot. He had devised a clever way to balance a construction paper shadow man with its two rectangular hands and a jar lid.
The label read: I was helping a friend and wasn’t sure if I was strong enough to lift, but to my surprise I could.
His succinct comment was moving: here was a story of achievement and strength, and now he had a tangible reminder of it. I told him he could return November 25th when the exhibit concludes to reclaim his memory jar. Then, off he went, up the bird chirp staircase, to explore the rest of our installations.
-Natalie Benamou, Community Programs Intern
September 2
Two ladies came into the Museum, eager to check out what we had on display. They originally came to because they had heard wonderful things about the new Santa Cruz Collects exhibition. But instead they left with new ideas for their classrooms. They loved the interactive components to the exhibits, especially the memory jar activity on the first floor and the long scrolls for list making on the third. One of the ladies held up her phone and excitedly told me that she had already told two teachers about the interactive components and the ideas for the classroom she got for them.
- Katie Chrivia, Visitor Services
September 17
I was in the Courtyard yesterday afternoon about closing time and noticed what appeared to be ghosts in the lobby! Actually, they are patio umbrellas. Thought you might get a kick out of seeing them! (Maybe you could use them to promote a Halloween event!
I am new to Santa Cruz and hope to get involved with the museum as a member or volunteer. I visited it once, in June, when I was trying to determine if Santa Cruz was the right place for me to retire to. The museum went into the “pro” column—and ultimately I made the decision to move here.
- From an email sent by Andrew B.
