About the MAH
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Welcome to the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (the MAH), a place where there’s always something happening. All year long we host truly ‘only-in-Santa-Cruz’ events and exhibitions co-created with incredible community partners. The MAH is of, by, and for Santa Cruz County because our creative community ignites something new here every day.
Our mission is to ignite shared experiences and unexpected connections.
To do this, we find, spark, preserve, and trade stories, ideas, and elements of creativity drawn from people across Santa Cruz County. We bring people together around art, history, and culture to build a stronger, more connected community.
Read our 2019-2020 Annual Report here.
A portrait in numbers
Kind of like paint-by-numbers, these statistics draw an interesting picture of the MAH. Get the full picture by reading our 2019-2020 Annual Report.
The People of the MAH
Featured Team Member
Outreach Coordinator
Helen Aldana
Helen Aldana is a hybrid between a balaenoptera musculus and sequoia sempervirens who enjoys creating safe and inspiring spaces. Helen received a BA in Art and Philosophy at the University of California Santa Cruz and is grateful to have…
Featured Team Member
Exhibitions & Projects Manager
Whitney Ford-Terry
Whitney Ford-Terry received an MA in Museology from the University of Washington after studying Film and Philosophy at Humboldt State University. Whitney has had the opportunity to work in a variety of non-profits and museums including…
Featured Team Member
Dialogue Catalyst
Jeff Caplan
Jeff Caplan weaves 35 years as a Santa Cruz resident as a bilingual classroom teacher, social entrepreneur, meeting facilitator, graphic designer and community organizer. He founded the CommonLanguageProgram.com for safe schools offering…
Featured Team Member
Executive Director
Robb Woulfe
Robb grew up in Saint Paul, Minnesota and still has the accent to prove it. In his role here, he is responsible for providing vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the organization, which includes identifying opportunities,…
Featured Team Member
Marketing & PR Manager
Ashley Holmes
Ashley (she/her) is a digital native, caption curator, and a real-life baller. (She was UC Santa Cruz’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2016 due to her performance on the Women’s Basketball Team.) Prior to the MAH, Ashley worked for the…
Featured Team Member
Guest Services Manager
Laurel Maxwell
Laurel Maxwell is a Santa Cruz local who enjoys her work as an Igniter as she gets to listen to the stories of guests who visit the MAH. Her time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic made Laurel realize being part of a…
Our Storied History
The Evolution of The MAH
From our humble beginnings in the 1950’s to the ignited space we are today, the MAH has adapted to meet the needs of the Santa Cruz community.
Dig into our history of partnerships, perseverance, and resilience, and discover how we morphed into an internationally renowned museum.
Work at the MAH
Join the crew behind Santa Cruz County’s most creative events, exhibitions, and partnerships. Check out job opportunities or apply to be a volunteer or intern today.