About the MAH

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The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is a thriving community gathering place that offers a full slate of art and history exhibitions, visual and performing artworks, public festivals, education and outreach programs, and cultural celebrations in collaboration with our many partners.

Our vision is to ignite shared experiences and unexpected connections that enrich our community.

To achieve that, our mission is to bring people together through art and local history to explore our diverse cultures. We are guided by the following values:

• Engagement & Collaboration
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility
• Innovation & Experimentation
• Excellence & Rigor
• Accountability, Integrity & Responsibility

Read MAH 2026, our latest strategic plan.

A portrait in numbers

These statistics paint an interesting picture of the MAH. Get the full view by reading our 2022-23 Annual Report.

Visitors

17,000

2011

85,000

2023

Budget

$700K

2011

$2.0M

2023

Events

25

2011

200

2023

The People of the MAH

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Featured Team Member

Exhibitions Manager

Natalie Jenkins

Natalie Jenkins (she/her/they/them) received an MFA in Visual Art from the University of California, Riverside, after studying Fine Art and Craft with an emphasis on Woodworking at the Oregon College of Art and Craft. As a visual artist…
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Featured Team Member

Archives Specialist

Jessie Durant

Jessie Durant (she/her) earned her BA in History of Art and Visual Culture from UCSC and MLIS from San Jose State. She fell in love with the archival profession when she interned in the MAH archives during graduate school. She is excited…
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Sebastian Zamora2
Featured Team Member

Assistant Archives Coordinator, THI Fellow

Sebastian Zamora

Sebastian Zamora (he/him) is a fourth year History major and Classical Studies minor at UCSC. He is from a city in Los Angeles County named Pico Rivera where he was embraced in his Latine community which remains as a motivator for all his…
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MAH Staff Portraits Pt 2 33
Featured Team Member

Director of Operations & Facilities

Kevin Coullahan

Kevin Coullahan (he/him) has over 20+ years of design and creative experience from West Marine and frog design. Kevin received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Design from San Jose State University. Kevin enjoys spending time with his…
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Miles Backer
Featured Team Member

Guest Services Representative

Miles Backer

Miles Backer (he/him) is a recent graduate from UCSC with a major in history and minor in anthropology, specializing in the ancient world and the concept of magic. He hopes to eventually curate historical wonders and inspire new ways of…
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Shanti Nagwani
Featured Team Member

Preparator

Shanti Nagwani

Shanti Nagwani (she/her) earned her BA in Art from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She is a public artist, painter, printmaker, muralist, henna artist, art instructor, and ceramicist. As a visual artist, Shanti provides a…
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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.

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