First-person quotes, overlapping dialogues, and built environments reveal the untold stories of people who have made their way to California throughout history. Designed to continually change over time, the gallery is more like a themed public space than a “permanent exhibition.”
Native Californians co-designed “Before the Other People Came,” a space that emphasizes their connections to places across California. In “Cultures Meet,” a pin-spotted Native Californian headdress and Spanish Conquistador helmet immerse people in the spirit of encounter. In “Coming to California,” visitors can locate the origins of their ancestors, and leave their own California stories in this unfolding history.
The Gallery won the AAM 2012 Excellence in Exhibition Award for Exemplary Inclusion of Community Voices.
Date: 2006 – 2011
Client: Oakland Museum of California
Role: Creative Director
Funders: Capital Campaign, National Endowment for the Humanities
Budget: $6,000,000
Footprint: 28,000 square feet
Collaborators: Lori Fogarty, Louise Pubols, Steve Briscoe, Dirk Dieter, Gordon Chun, Drew Johnson, Courtney Cunningham, Adam Nilsen, Dorothea Crosby-Taylor, Lisa Silberstein, Christine Lashaw, Dave Gottwald, Auburn Lahoski, Moises Olivares, Wesley Webb