CALIFORNIA HERITAGE MUSEUM

Mission Statement

The California Heritage Museum has spent the past 45 years celebrating California’s diverse contemporary artists and rich history through dynamic, multicultural exhibitions, lectures, concerts, and workshops. As Southern California’s demographics have shifted, we are committed to offering high-quality programming that reflects and serves the increasingly diverse communities around us, particularly those whose voices have been underrepresented. Research reveals that 85.4% of artists represented in major U.S. museums are White, and 87.4% are male. In contrast, our museum has long prioritized inclusivity. Since 1977, we have exhibited more women artists than men, and our exhibitions actively address the needs of minority and LGBTQ+ communities. Recent highlights include a "Black Lives Matter" quilt exhibit by Alice Beasley, and “Arte Chicano Hecho En Los Angeles,” a retrospective of Chicano art spanning five decades. In 2025, we will feature "Michael C. Thorpe – Quilts & the Celebration of a Black Life," a project that highlights Thorpe's connection to his bi-racial heritage through quilting, and the Gee’s Bend community of African American quilters. Additionally, we have presented retrospectives of underrepresented Asian artists like Suong Yangchareon, and Dr. Lou D’Elia who is a Santa Monica resident, LGBTQ+ assemblage artist and photographer as well as a local historian. Our “Young Women in the Arts” initiative encourages young women to engage with the arts, offering exhibitions and lectures that connect high school students with opportunities for artistic growth. Seven local schools have incorporated the program into their extracurricular offerings, ensuring a lasting impact beyond high school. The museum’s efforts have earned national acclaim for our exhibitions, particularly our watercolor shows, which celebrate both past and present California artists. We have also published several books and catalogs, distributed internationally by Schiffer Publishing and Amazon. The museum’s programming serves a wide audience, including K-12 students, college groups, and international tourists. Our exhibitions are promoted through targeted outreach to diverse communities. For example, we use bilingual media to promote shows like “Treasures of Mexican Folk Art” to Spanish-speaking audiences. The California Heritage Museum’s commitment to diversity and inclusivity ensures that our programming continues to reflect and celebrate the vibrant communities of Southern California.