Museum of Art and History

The entrance gate of the Evergreen Cemetery

Commemorate Gravesites, Evergreen Cemetery, Santa Cruz

Silvia

A cross in the foreground overlooking the Evergreen CemeteryThere are three cemeteries named Evergreen in the Bay Area: Healdsburg, Oakland, and Santa Cruz. But only one is owned by a Museum of Art and History. MAH. The Santa Cruz Evergreen Cemetery created in 1858 is one of the oldest in California!

Chinese gate at the Evergreen Cemetery, Santa CruzWhat stands out at the Evergreen Cemetery in Santa Cruz is the 17-foot Chinese gate. It sits on a mountain top overlooking the gravesite. This memorial honors Santa Cruz’s early Chinese workers. It has five pillars inside; four depicting Chinese members of the community and one intentionally left blank commemorating all the Chinese buried here in unmarked graves.

“In Chinese folklore, if something is not settled during a lifetime, you have hungry ghosts, like angry spirits,” said Ow, a former Chinatown resident and major donor of the artwork. “By acknowledging these spirits, we’re kind of like feeding them.”

Entrance to the cemetarySince 2014 volunteers have stepped up and restored the gravestones to their former glory. You can download the self-guided tour, a great way to learn about former residents, the eccentric, the notable, and some sad stories.

Evergreen Cemetery is a peaceful place that invites you to wander and learn about local history. It is located at 261 Evergreen Street in Santa Cruz.

TombstonesOn Saturday, October 28th, 2023 from noon to 4 pm, the Evergreen Cemetery will celebrate Día de los Muertos, a community celebration with traditional music, dance and art.

Have you ever wandered around a cemetery?

 

Other cemeteries I wrote about:

Pay Respect at the Golden Gate National Cemetery, San Bruno

Uncover a museum and cemetery

Be alive in Colma

Locate Shirley Temple Black’s Final Resting Place

Ocean of Light: Submergence by Squidsoup at the MAH

Interact with Art, MAH, Santa Cruz

Silvia
Scene from Continuity at the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco.

We recently went to see teamlab’s Continuity exhibit at the Asian Art Museum. In 2016 teamlab showed off their immersive art in Menlo Park. In San Francisco they expanded their exhibit and I believe the rose smell was an added feature. I highly recommend the experience. It is a new way of connecting with art, by being part of it and even influencing the flow.

Ocean of Light by Squidsoup at the Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz.

But this blog is for experiences in the Bay Area outside of San Francisco. So, let me point you to another amazing exhibit at the Museum of Art and History (MAH) in Santa Cruz. Before we argue if Santa Cruz is part of the Bay Area, maybe we can agree that sometimes you have to bend the rules, like the immersive art that is displayed. 

I visited Santa Cruz’s MAH in 2017 and was pleasantly surprised about the multiple aspects they offer to their visitors. Recently, I came to see the Ocean of Light: Submergence by Squidsoup, an installation of over 5000 suspended lights.  I felt again satisfied with the different exhibits.This immersive art work lets the viewer walk into the art; it is not only focused on light, but also movement, sound, and the immersive feeling it invokes. 

A giant blue foam hand with a tongue sticking out in front of speed wheel posters.

Besides their ongoing focus on the history of Santa Cruz there are also exhibits on the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, and the Art of Santa Cruz Speed Wheels. To round it up I recommend chilling in the outside sculpture garden on the top floor. 

More information

Continuity at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco just got extended until November.  

Opening hours are:

Thursdays 1 pm – 8 pm, Fridays to Mondays 10 am – 5 pm. 

Tickets for Continuity are sold separately and allow you to see the rest of the museum. Adult admission is $20 weekdays $25 weekends, discounted tickets are $15/$20.

The Museum of Art and History in Santa Cruz is open Thursdays to Sundays 12 pm – 6 pm. General admission is $10, students, teachers, and veterans pay $8.

Would you like to be immersed in art?