New exhibits at The California Museum celebrate cultural diversity in the Golden State

Posted by Molly on Feb 23, 2010

This year, The California Museum in Sacramento will introduce several new exhibits, aiming both to explore the many cultural traditions of the Golden State, and to celebrate California’s uniquely hybrid nature.

Among the first of these new exhibits is Under the Dragon: California’s New Culture (on view through July 31, 2010), a collection of action photography that reveals California as a place of congruence and juxtaposition: Latino immigrants converting to Islam; an African American teenager in a Chinese lion dancer’s costume celebrating St. Patrick’s Day; a young Persian girl jumping over a Duraflame log at the vernal equinox; black cowboys and Native Americans together commemorating Western history.

The photographs are mounted on sailcloth suspended from the ceiling, inviting visitors to lose themselves within the kaleidoscope of color and ironic imagery. The centerpiece of the exhibit is a mechanical Chinese New Year golden dragon that sways with the photos.

Based on the book Under the Dragon by Lonny Shavelson and Fred Setterberg, the exhibit vividly depicts the cultural melting pot of California. "It all happens at once, making America a messy place," explains photographer/writer Shavelson, "with California ranking among its most gloriously disordered corners."

Also on view is African American Treasures: History and Art from the Collection of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey (through May 2). The Kinseys, Los Angeles-based collectors, are intent on preserving and presenting key aspects of America’s black heritage. Their extremely diverse collection spans three centuries of politics, art, literature, and culture as it tells a remarkable story of hardship, courage, and resilience.

Visitors can view a copy of the first cookbook written by an African American woman, and read a letter that a slave girl carried, unaware that its contents dictated that she be sold away from her family. Other highlights include a rare Mathew Brady portrait of Hiram Rhoades Revels, the first black U.S. Senator, letters from Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, several historical documents from the era of slavery, and artwork by African American artists dating from 1870 to the present.

Other exhibits celebrating California’s cultural diversity include American Masterpieces: The Artistic Legacy of California Indian Basketry (through March 14) and Uprooted! The Japanese Americans During World War II (ongoing).

Visitors can also check out the California Hall of Fame, and ongoing exhibits highlighting California’s Remarkable Women.

The California Museum is located in downtown Sacramento, 7 blocks from the Sacramento Hostel. It’s open Monday - Saturday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon - 5 p.m. Admission is $8.50 for adults, $7 for college students and seniors 65+, $6 for children 6-13. On May 20, get free admission when the museum hosts IndieSacramento.