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
Archives & Library Coordinator
Wyatt Young
Wyatt's research interests include Public History, US Southern History, The Philippines, Transnational Museum Studies, Performative Identity and Representation in Professional Wrestling, History of The Grateful Dead, Phish Studies, Digital…
Featured Team Member
Education Coordinator
Oscar Paz
Born and raised in the land of eternal spring, Guatemala, Oscar brings his passion for teaching to the MAH. Before coming to the MAH, Oscar was teaching Spanish here in Santa Cruz. During weekdays, you can catch him leading school tours…
Featured Team Member
Membership Coordinator
Jenna Clancy
Jenna was born and raised in Los Angeles before heading to the University of Colorado Boulder for college. She graduated with a degree in Psychology and spent a decade exploring the Rockies before making her way to Santa Cruz. Her career…
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
Director of Exhibitions & Programs
Marla Novo
Marla Novo earned a Master of Arts in Art History from San Jose State University and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from UC Santa Cruz. She has over 25 years of experience curating exhibitions at non-profit institutions as well as at…
Featured Team Member
Private Events Manager
Claudia Oblea
Claudia Oblea graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a bachelor's degree in Art and Psychology. During her time at the MAH, she leads Private Rentals and helps plan events from business gatherings to weddings and leads conversations around…
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.