HERstory
The “HERstory” display is inspired by the popular annual HERstory event hosted each year at the MAH to kick off Women’s History Month. HERstory celebrates the important women of Santa Cruz County—past, present, and future.
November 21, 2025- Permanent Exhibition
History Gallery
2nd Floor
WOMEN’S HERSTORY EXHIBITION
The MAH is pleased to announce a new addition to the History Gallery. The “HERstory” display is inspired by the popular annual HERstory event hosted each year at the MAH to kick off Women’s History Month. Hosted in collaboration with the Santa Cruz County Office of Education, Bay Federal Credit Union, and Lookout Santa Cruz, HERstory celebrates the important women of Santa Cruz County—past, present, and future.
This addition to the MAH’s History Gallery will feature significant moments in women’s history through the lens of important Santa Cruz women and events. This interactive exhibition will include features on important women such as:
Yaquenonsat, a Native woman who in 1812 led the local indigenous resilience to colonization
Heather Edney who founded one of the earliest harm reduction programs in the United States in 1990
Dr. Rebecca Hernandez (Mescalero/Warm Spring Apache and Mexican American), the first nominee and recipient of the annual HERstory Award in 2024 for her work as a Community Archivist and previous Director of the American Indian Resource Center at UC Santa Cruz
See all honorees and learn more about HERstory here!
Artist Credit: KOAK
The HERstory exhibition will also include a section on recent HERstory awardees, such as Bettina Aptheker, founder of UCSC’s Feminist Studies Program, and Madeline Aliah, a local trans femme teen poet.
We invite the public to join the MAH as we come together to celebrate and inaugurate this important exhibition from 5pm-7pm on Friday, November 21st for an official ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony. Nominations will be open at that time for 2026 HERstory nominees. Could the next chapter in Santa Cruz HERstory be written by YOU??