Blog posts by emily
The Legacy of Evergreen Research
Posted December 4, 2012
The following was written by Sangye Hawke, Evergreen Volunteer and Historical Researcher at the MAH. Sangye has dedicated this post to all the members of The Evergreen Cemetery Association, HELP, and the MAH.
The legacy of Evergreen research continues with a docent and student making a grave stone rubbing
Once in a while, Evergreen Cemetery receives requests for locations of family headstones, usually from a family genealogist . Happy to oblige, our investigations sometimes reveal that the relative in question is often interred somewhere else. Such was the most recent request, from a case that came via Ancestry.com. The request? A great grandfather who could not be found on our burials roster, but, as fate would have it, his wife Mary, was.
Our procedure is relatively simple at this point. We go to our file cabinet, pull out the person’s file, then scan and email contents to the family genealogist. This time, like Alice, I did not know how far this particular rabbit hole would go. Mary’s file, my ‘ white rabbit’, had a reference to the Archives, where I found documents that came from the beginning of the very first Evergreen Cemetery Association, incorporated in 1929. Mary was its secretary. Her name was on all important correspondence and documents of the ECA. Her careful signature revealed someone who, I imagined, cared and quite possibly, loved Evergreen as much as I do today. The Association slowly wound down and eventually closed. All this discovery came from our file cabinet.
I have marveled over this wondrous collection of research since I came here. Who compiled this? Why? How? In its countless files and Archive materials, names of several historians are scattered through its documents like gold nuggets in a stream. Someone had gone to enormous trouble to catalog, research, and create this wonderful index so that I could simply pull open a drawer, remove a file and flip open a page to find what I needed. Even more amazing is that when I DO need any answer about Evergreen, I find my answers within this cabinet. How did they do this?
My predecessors went to Libraries and Collections, Records Offices, family members, and spent thousands of hours organizing the data they uncovered so that I, the volunteer, could go to a roster, look up the name, find the plot number, and then go on site and photograph it. (This is often an important step for out of town family members, a virtual gravesite visit, so to speak).
In 1979, Historian Renie Leaman made a video (available here on YouTube) about Evergreen’s historic internees. Her preservation group was called: Help Evergreen Live Permanently (HELP). Today we refer to this video as a training tool. A few of the original (and most passionate) historians that gave Evergreen Research Group (our ’new’ name) its masonry to build on, continue to help us refine and preserve this vital data as it moves from one method of storage to another.
We are grateful that we have all their hard found research to educate and reignite the passion, the love , and most importantly the history of our community. We owe you so much. Thank you.
(c) Sangye Hawke 2012
Wheel Appeal
Posted November 14, 2012
Tarp Surfing, as seen during 3rd Friday: Art That Moves 
When in the planning phases for September 3rd Friday: Art that Moves, one of our staff members brought up tarp surfing, which originated here in the heart of Santa Cruz and has reached as far as Japan. So, we decided to make waves here in the MAH atrium as some of the founding fathers, Homer Hernard and Omar Etcheverry laid a giant tarp down and facilitated participants in this act that brought out the inner surf in many. People of all ages rode the “gnarly blue” upon skateboards all night long; even a puppy friend joined in on the totally tubular experience. By the end of the evening “Tarpe diem” was the coined phrase on several participants minds.
The Happening Couch as seen during 3rd Friday: Trash to Treasure 
The same night that tarp surfing was making waves, Greg McPheeters, local bike enthusiast, brought over his custom bikes that transport surfboards. He told us about his “Happening Couch,” an old 76 inch long couch that almost saw its end at a Santa Clara dump—until Greg put it on wheels and attached it to a tandem bike. We realized that this would be ideal for our upcoming October 3rd Friday: Trash to Treasure; a perfect representation of repurposing something old into something new, innovative and downright cool. On October 19th, The Happening Couch hit the streets and took 3rd Friday goers on a spin around downtown Santa Cruz. Perhaps the most magical part of the experience was not only the smiles that emerged of those riding the couch, but the faces that smiled back as the couch potatoes rolled by, encouraging onlookers to visit the MAH.
The Moveable Type Truck as seen during October 4th Friday 
When we got word that the Moveable Type Truck wanted to make a stop at the MAH, we were absolutely thrilled. The Moveable Type Truck is a mobile print shop built in the back of an old delivery truck. On October 26th, creator Kyle Durrie parked the print mobile right outside our Front Street entrance, put out her “Print Here” sign, and awaited for our community to come aboard. Kyle not only gave demonstrations on printing the old fashioned way, but carved an extra special lineoleum block in honor of our upcoming Dia de los Muertos celebrations with the personalized line, “MAH: This is Your Museum.” Loads of people lined up to explore what the Moveable Type truck had to offer and learn the basics of letterpress. Kyle noted that she felt something a little different in this community; a stronger sense of openness and willingness to learn this old fashioned technique. “I often don’t find that when I park in other cities,” she said.
And, with that, good news: the Moveable type truck will return to the MAH (stay tuned for dates).
And so it seems the general public responds well when we put a literal spin on things. With our upcoming Radical Craft Night, you would think we would have something super extreme planned involving wheels. Though we do indeed have some pretty extreme stuff in the works, we must confess that at the current moment: we do not have anything reeling in the wheel department.
Taking suggestions on something that radically rolls starting now…
A Dig that led to a Ghostly Discovery
Posted October 18, 2012
The headstone of A.J. sloan recently dug up by Sangye Hawke at Evergreen Cemetery
The following is written by Sangye Hawke, Evergreen Volunteer and Historical Researcher at the MAH.
Research is my adventure. It led me to the Ghost of Arana Gulch. His real name was Andrew Jackson Sloan and he was buried at Evergreen Cemetery. I needed clues about his life, I told myself, as I wandered into this cemetery looking for his ghost.
Time to get my hands dirty because the truth was buried there, I thought. I had no idea how literal this phrase would become in the next few months working as a Cemetery Cleanup volunteer. This renovation project was a renewed ambition of preservation that started back in the late 1970’s.
Several historians, over the course of forty years, organized information gleaned from collections and old media. They did on-the-ground surveying and had compiled an extensive file system that outlined plots, their owners, and their relationship to each other. Little did I know how valuable this information would be until I joined the Archival Volunteers to help with an event called Legacy Day. The Internet tool Ancestry.com assisted our efforts in locating LIVING descendants of those buried there! Imagine, someone related to the Ghost, still alive! I was hooked.
My personal quest was to understand who Andrew Jackson Sloan really was. I’d spent a year in research. (The newspapers called him “Jack”. My gut told me he might have gone by AJ.) The Veteran’s Memorial headstone, placed in 2007 was all that remained of this legendary figure. The original headstone had broken off, its top, lost to the elements.
AJ was buried next to his mother, whose headstone had also suffered a similar fate. From its stylistic structural components, the same maker carved both of them. They held their shape and incised information clearly as if carved yesterday. It was expensive material, both back in the 1860’s and today.
Legacy Day produced satellite descendants, but no interest in AJ’s specific plot, except for Evergreen historians Joan and Bob Nelson. When they learned of my research interest, they shared some incredible information about AJ and his mother’s site.
“You’ll find the headstones buried just under the mud between the newer one and the old one, but closer to the Veteran’s memorial,” they added emphatically: “That was back in the 80’s.”
I showed up at Monday work party ready to dig by Sloan’s Veteran’s headstone. After six inches of hardpan, there was nothing. I wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the first time stones had gone missing.
Someone tapped me on the shoulder and said: “Other side.” I turned, startled. No one was there.
Heart pounding, I lost my balance, bumping into to AJ’s original headstone. Breathless, I studied it again. The Other Side!! Falling to my knees, I excavated frantically past six inches. Fearing failure, I wondered if, after a year of digging into AJ’s life, this was proof to let things be? Then I hit rock.
Using my hands , the dirt gave way to smooth red stone. Letters appeared: A.J. A final caress of my rough, dirt caked fingers revealed the rest: SLOAN.
©Sangye Hawke 2012
Our Top 10 Reasons Why to Participate in Family Art Day
Posted September 6, 2012
We are thrilled that this Saturday kicks off our Fall Family Art Day series. For this season’s lineup, all of our workshops have been designed to connect to our current exhibitions. Our September guest artist, Linda Cover, will share how you can turn found objects—everything from buttons, bottle caps, shells, corks and more, many of which appear in our Santa Cruz Collects exhibit, into faces. And not just any faces; family member faces. For October, in conjunction with Rose Sellery’s exhibition, Passages, Esmeralda Rivas from Women’s Crisis Support – Defensa de Mujeres will lead a family tree art project using the acclaimed A Window Between Worlds program. Santa Cruz Collects Artist, Stacey Grant, will share her collection of collections in November, and then work with socks and clothespins to create the most fun and unusual critters of the sea. And in December, Elijah Pfotenhauer will teach the basics of cartooning and demonstrate how to turn your family members into humorous visual characters through comic strips.
So, why spend your time making art with your family here at the MAH?
Here’s our Top 10 Reasons why to participate in Family Art Day:
1.) Not just your little sister, but your entire family can experience creative hands-on fun together
2.) There is a good chance you might learn new art methods, techniques and tools that you cannot find anywhere else
3.) Haven’t seen Santa Cruz Collects or Passages? This is the perfect opportunity, as the workshop fee includes free admission to the museum
4.) Experience a workshop led by incredibly talented artists that are local to Santa Cruz
5.) Make connections; all kinds of connections. Connections to your family members, to the exhibitions, and with new friends of the Santa Cruz community
6.) We provide a great space to make memories, and all the fun stuff that goes along with it
7.) It’s not your house; you can get as messy as you want in our classroom!
8.) In need of inspiration? These workshops in particular will demonstrate how you can make something awesome out of simple everyday objects
9.) There are absolutely no boundaries for your imagination here
10.) You will learn, laugh, and leave with a one of kind piece of art made in collaboration with your loved ones
You can register here for this weekend’s Family Art Day. We look forward to having you and your family create something here at the MAH this Fall.
Put the Pedal to the Metal at the MAH
Posted August 17, 2012
Photo Credit: Shmuel Thaler | Santa Cruz Sentinel
Visitors have expressed an interest in working more in-depth with artists here at the MAH. This weekend during Experience Metal, we will be offering several opportunities for community members to explore the wide range of what can be created, crafted, and performed with metal through several artist led-workshops and demonstrations. We are excited to share a variety of ways working with metal during this three day event that includes welding, blacksmithing, bronze bell casting, junk metal art, jewelry crafting, wire art, robots, cuttlefish casting, fold forming, bike art, a Plasma CNC machine, heavy metal music, motorcycles…and yes, there will be hot rods. We kick off the weekend this evening by dedicating 3rd Friday as a special preview night of stellar metal performances in prelude to the Experience Metal weekend. Come to the MAH this weekend to link, twist, weld and fuse together a metallically monumental experience!
And hey, we are not the only ones thrilled about experiencing metal in the most usual and unusual ways; so is the Sentinel. Check out yesterday’s article here
Interested in a more hands on experience with metal? Below you will find the line up of demonstrations and workshops we are offering here this weekend…sign up today.
Kirk McNeil from Freedom Forge will demonstrate the art of black smithing on our Front Street entrance.
Progressive technical metal band, G.U.M. will play in Abbott Square from 6:30-8PM.
Ed Martinez will be demonstrating his creative techniques in junk metal art throughout the evening.
Pierre Riche will be presenting “Metaface as Gaia” as a live multi-arts-discipline theatre experience from 8-9PM. This performance incorporates video image mixing and projections with live dance and movement. The performances take place in an eight foot tall welded metal mask sculpture incorporating shadowdancing from within.
Demonstrations by: Ed Martninez – Scavenged Art | Nora Dougherty – Cuttlefish Casting | Wendy Ballen – 3D Wire Sculptures | Michael Wood – Blacksmithing | Paul Hempstead, Chris Cravey, Steve Schnaar, Ari Finklelstein & Benjamin Osen – Freak Bikes | Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild & Cabrillo Seahawks Metal Arts Club – Crazy Metal Quilt Participatory Demo | Aaron Van De Kerchove – Oxy Acetylene Welding | Liz Judkins, Daniel Yasmin & Nick DeFillipo – Bronze Bell Casting | Re-Cycle Santa Cruz , Liza Miller – Motorcycles
Laamie Young from Blank Verse: Chain Mail Necklaces Time:11AM-1PM | Location: Classroom | Price: $35 | Ages 8 and up, 10 students maximum
Mend broken jewelry in a workshop that creates new necklaces from old metal scraps. Register here.
Pat Accorinti: Silver Clay Charm Making Time(s): 2 sessions: 11-1PM and 2-4PM | Location: Auditorium | Price: $45 | 12 Student Maximum
Learn how to shape, texture and fire clay made from fine silver particles and an organic binder to make charms that can be used for pendants, earrings or bracelets. Kids are welcome as long as they accompanied by an adult. Register here.
Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild & Cabrillo Seahawk Metal Arts Club: Make-A-Bracelet
Time(s):1:30-3PM and 3:30-5PM | Location: Classroom | Price: $25 | 12 Students Maximum each session, all ages welcome
Start with a strip of copper and learn how to texture, stamp, emboss and decorate your own cuff bracelet. Learn techniques in applying patina and buffing copper for your own finished bracelet to take home. Register here.
Experience Metal: SUNDAY
Demonstrations by: Joshua Muir – Art Bikes | Alan Ziegler & Celise Clevenger – Plasma Cutter | Monterey Bay Metal Arts Guild & Cabrillo Seahawks Metal Arts Club – Crazy Metal Quilt Participatory Demo | Dawn Nakanishi – Fold Forming | Clark Vineyard – Rockability Hot Rods | Yehuda Tassa – Filigree Jewelry
Workshops by:
Ed Martinez: Create Scavenged Art Time(s): 11-12:30, 1:00-2:30 and 3:30-5:00 | Location: North Court | Price: $20 | 10 students maximum per session, Ages 8 and up
This workshop will work with an array of materials, tools, found objects and aluminum to create different textures and shapes in metal. Register here.
Wendy Ballen: 3D Wire Ornament Time(s): 11AM – 2PM | Location: Auditorium | Price:$30.00 | 16 students maximum, Ages 16 and up
Learn how to make an embellished 3D wire ornament using different combinations of metal wire, copper, brass, anodized and galvanized steel. Register here.
Laamie Young from Blank Verse: Chain Mail Necklaces Time:11AM-1PM | Location: Classroom. Price: $35 | 10 students maximum, ages 8 and up
Mend broken jewelry in a workshop that creates new necklaces from old metal scraps. Register here.
Nora Dougherty: Cuttlefish Casting Time: 12-3pm | Location: North Court | Price: $45 | 12 students maximum, ages 10 and up
Learn one of the earliest forms of metal casting with cuttlefish bones. This technique produces metal objects that have a beautiful, rich and aquatic texture. All materials will be provided for each person to make at least one piece out of copper. Students are encouraged to bring their own tools and metal. This process does produce a slight burning smell; consider yourselves warned! Register here.
Jeff Caplan: Make a Face: Calder’s Wire Cartoon Workshop Time: 2:30-3:30PM | Location: Auditorium. | Price: $25 | 14 students maximum, All ages welcome
Enjoy this playshop of wire trick; a spool of wire will become your everyday face, your eyes in disguise or your smile as superhero. Hang your creation on the museum wall during the day and take it home later. Optional artist photos will invite others to puzzle “Can you match the sculpture to the Face that made it?” Register here.
Jeff Caplan:Whimsical Wire – Portrait Earrings and Figure Sculptures Time: 4:00-5:30PM | Location: Auditorium | Price: $35 | 12 Students Maximum, Ages 8 and up.
Beginning and advanced artists will solve the puzzle of sculpting an expressive face in one continuous strand of color; draw in crimson copper or brilliant brass! Following your passion,you may choose to make a dazzling pair of personalized earrings, or you may create a personal icon of active inspiration for your desk, dinner table or dashboard. Register here.
Michael Wood: Metal Foil Embossing Time(s) 1-2:30 and 3-4:30PM. Location: North Court. $45. Ages 6 and up. 14 student maximum.
Metal Foil Embossing is a form of sheet metal embossing that uses a series of hand tools to work the metal into a relief form. We will be exploring the different techniques necessary to achieve that relief, and each participant will create their own piece utilizing those techniques. Copper and aluminum are the metals we will be working. We will also address a number of finishes that can be applied to those particular metals. Register here.
Yehudah Tassa: Filigree Jewelry Time: 2-5PM | Price: $75. | Ages 8 and up. | 10 students maximum Location: Classroom
Make a pair of earrings worth $100 for the workshop price of $75! This workshop will allow participants to construct the frames, fill with filigree elements, use soldering tools and experiment with personalized de corations. Walk away with a beautiful pair of earrings and the knowledge to make them again yourself! Register here.
Angela Gleason: Pewter Casting Time(s) 11-1:30PM and 2-5:00PM | Location: Front Street | Price: $45 | Ages: 15 and upr. 8 students maximum.
Angela Gleason – Proprietor of Jewelry Toolery at the Tannery Art Center and Adjunct Instructor of Art at Cabrillo College, will instruct a pewter casting workshop. Bring a shape(s),for e xample a seashell, a toy, or found object; that is flat on one side and approximately 1” x 1” x ¼” deep. Or you can use the ones provided. We will pack sand around the shape in a frame. Once removed, the shape creates an impression or mold in the sand. Molten pewter is then poured into the mold; it is cooled and finished with sandpaper or files. The finished object can be a pendant, small tile or a paperweight or whatever you wish. We will experiment beyond the basic method for your second piece. Written handouts will be available. Each participant will have two finished pieces. Register here.
All registration for metal workshops can be found here.
Special thanks to our sponsors, AmeriGas, Geo H Wilson and New Leaf Community Markets.
