California's museums provide diverse, meaningful and educational experiences

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Thursday, August 5, 2021
A look at California's vibrant, diverse museum culture
The Golden State's abundance of museums offer an incredible diverse selection of artistic places to explore.

Our special series "California Dreaming" takes a close look at the issues that are threatening the California Dream and the people working to keep the dream alive.

The Golden State is home to world-class museums and art centers. These cultural treasures provide diverse, meaningful and educational experiences for millions of visitors each year.

"When people think of California, you know, you typically think of Hollywood celebrities, beach life, tech, Silicon Valley, but we actually have one of the most vibrant and diverse museum and cultural institutions in the country," said Lucy Spriggs, president of SoCal Museums. "And I think it is one of those best kept secrets, but really anything you want, we've got."

From children museums and world-class art centers, aquariums and cultural institutions, the Golden State has an incredible diverse selection of enriching, artistic places to visit.

"California's museum culture is something that we probably don't think enough about when we think about who we are. But the fact is, it is changing all the time. And we change with it," said Selma Holo, an art expert from the University of Southern California. "The museum's mean more than just objects on a wall. They mean people in a community who care about things that are a little bit larger than themselves, about things of beauty, things of meaning."

"At the Museum of Latin American Art, also known as MOLAA, the only museum that focuses on Latin American and Latinx artists in the West Coast of the United States," said Solimar Salas, vice president of Museum Content & Programming at the Museum of Latin American Art. "It presents a powerful narrative so that people can visit MOLAA at the same time and find something here that will identify and speak to them."

Watch the video above for the whole story about California museums.

Our special docuseries "California Dreaming" explores the challenges, solutions and people striving to keep the Golden State great, and the California Dream alive. Download our app on Roku, AppleTV, FireTV or AndroidTV to watch the special now on your TV.