June Free First Friday: Do It Together
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Make the MAH a stop on your First Friday Art Tour with a sprawling street festival, free exhibitions, and live music under the stars.
Enjoy hands-on crafts and participatory performances throughout Cooper Street to celebrate Nina Simon’s eight years as Executive Director of the MAH and send her off in style. All activities will fall under the 'Do It Together' theme–so, expect to make new friends as you get creative in the streets.
Why 'Do It Together'? Nina is known for bringing new energy and community participation to the MAH. This special First Friday is a tribute to her impact here and across Santa Cruz County.
Celebrate Nina Simon’s eight years as Executive Director of the MAH and send her off in style.
Help Fuel First Friday
Support and help spark creativity in Santa Cruz County.
More Event Details
Explore three floors of inspiring exhibitions diving into the art and history of Santa Cruz County. Take action to help senior loneliness in We're Still Here and trace Santa Cruz's Chinese history in Guided by Ghosts.
Support local youth artists. Walk through the Subjects to Change Youth Summer Art Market and shop one-of-a-kind, handmade gifts. All proceeds go to the artists.
Drop-in to make mini piñatas on Cooper Street and hanging them up in the trees.
Enjoy live music under the stars out in Abbott Square with SambaDa.
Join the Little Giant Collective for steamroller printing and help ink up the giant blocks for printing. Giant prints will be for sale and strung up on the street lamps down Cooper Street.
Visit the ecosexuals artists, Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle to explore their Pollination Pod.
Drop-in with Laura Macleod for a pom pom party in the Museum to make a giant pom pom of MAH memories for Nina.
Find the Magician. Join Santiago the Magician as he roams Abbott Square and Cooper Street performing impromptu magic tricks.
Event Schedule Starting at 5pm
6:30-7pm Sambada Live Music Performance
7-7:30pm Mayor's Proclamation and a farewell speech from Nina Simon
7:30-9pm Sambada Live Music Performance
5-6:30pm Ukelele Club Performance
6:30-6:40pm Power Prance Dance Performance
6:40-7:30pm Peggy Pollard teches a Waltz dance
8-9pm Senderos Dance Performance
Pollination Pod with Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle
- Beth Stephens & Annie Sprinkle will invite you into their Pollination Pod to add one sentence to a long collaborative poem called Exquisite Nina that will be gifted to her.
Steamroller Prints with Little Giant Collective
- Using a literal, driver needed steamroller LGC will be creating ginormous prints and they need your help. These prints are also for sale for $75 each. Buy 2 prints and get a free MAH membership.
Drop-in Games & Activities
- Bubbles, giant Jenga, hula hoops, and all the fun you could possibly want on a Friday Night.
Drop-in Crafts with the MAH
- Make mini pinatas as we prototype a potential exhibition activity for July.
Support local teens with the Subject's to Change Youth Art Market.
- The teens keep 100% of their profits, show them some love.
Make giant pom-poms with Laura Macleod.
- Write a message on pom-pom ribbons and answer prompts like "What's your favorite MAH moment? or When I think of Nina Simon I think of..." Laura will be teaching you how to make ginormous pom-poms out of ribbon and yarn.
Talk Back Central
- Answer fun prompts about the MAH and cover the museum in post-it note responses. We want to hear from you.
Explore the Pop-up Exhibit
- Former MAH intern and graduating UCSC student, Diego Torres-Casso, share his photography for his senior show. His art consists of creating discussions around discrimination, beauty standards, pressures of masculinity, migration, and other various social issues. As a queer person of color, he has experienced tremendous amounts of harassment and threats due to his identity. He uses art as a way to make sense of what he, along with many other marginalized groups, have experienced in life; it serves as a safe way to confront trauma.
Featured Exhibitions
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