The new wing was celebrated with a block party featuring a variety of indoor and outdoor events at NHM Commons and throughout the museum.
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County recently cut the ribbon on its new wing, the NHM Commons. The new wing was celebrated with a festive, block party featuring a variety of indoor and outdoor events at NHM Commons and programs throughout the museum and a community ceremony with local officials.
“This has been a passion project for the last seven years and NHM Commons is meant to be a place for all Angelenos,” said Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, president and director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County.
“The Judith Perlstein Welcome Center is free for everyone so, that they can understand what the museum is all about, but more importantly, the welcome center is about discovering together the three main exhibits we have in here: Gnatalie, the only green colored dinosaur skeleton mount in the world—75-foot, long sauropod, discovered by our scientist Dr. Luis Chiappe, excavated over 12 to 15 years with community members, volunteers, students, so, it’s our community dinosaur.
“Then you have Barbara Carrasco’s incredible mural “L.A. History: A Mexican Perspective,” which she did for the 1981 bicentennial for L.A. The attempt to whitewash 14 of the vignettes because they were painful and she was like, ‘Nope that’s not happening, this is my mural, this is the story that needs to be told’ and for the first time, it’s permanently displayed.
Bettison-Varga continued, “We have our new theater, which we’ll be doing a lot of fun programming, we’re going to co-curate programming with community partners. We’ll also have our own programming, a new 3D T Rex film, coming soon.”
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“We’re in a time now where, nationally, we’re looking at a very public erasure of culture and facts that acknowledging the beautiful work of Barbara’s mural, an accurate depiction of LA’s history,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell, 2nd District.
“As a parent, I believe we have a responsibility to teach our young the truth about where we’ve come from so, they will understand the importance and the role they play in guiding a future that is welcoming and acknowledges the contributions of every Angeleno in our past and going into the future.”
“It is truly an intersection of science, culture, history and art and wow, how important are all of those things?” said Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove.
“If you woke up, each day, without science or culture or history or art, how empty would your cup be? How hard would it be for you to tap in and fill someone else’s reservoir? How challenging would it be for you to contribute and bring meaning to the tapestry of the human condition? It would be so hard, that’s why it is so important that we celebrate moments like this, facilities and venues like this and also each other.”
Visitors will get a first look at Collective Knowledge, a photo-based exhibition featuring some of NHM’s extensive collection as seen by photographer Craig Cutler. The brand-new NHM Commons Theater hosted a day of free events, including live performances, engaging discussions about art and science, with a special performance by Tierra Blanca Arts Center.
“It is so joyous to be in this moment after so many years of hard work on this project and to be having this discussion in this incredible theater and hearing the music outside and seeing all of the children and the wonder and excitement and the curiosity is really magical to me,” said Megan McGowan Epstein, president of the board of trustees of the National History Museum of Los Angeles County.
Epstein continued, “NHM Commons is a public, private and community partnership. Philanthropy works best and it thrives when it’s advanced by true partnerships between public and community partners and private institutions.
“This is what the board of trustees strives to do and it is fulfilling to have this commitment come to life in this dream of opening the NHM Commons and I really do want to say it’s the result of generosity, hard work and collaboration of many, many partners.”
The NHM Commons location of South LA Cafe, run by NHM’s food and beverage partners South LA Cafe (SLAC) Hospitality opened on November 18. Located on the plaza, looking out into Exposition Park, the new cafe is open to the public and accessible without a museum ticket.
The new cafe will offer South LA Cafe’s famous coffee, including espresso drinks, and an assortment of healthy and affordable light bites and “grab ‘n’ go” style offerings for Museum guests, Exposition Park visitors and the local community.
South LA Cafe is founded by Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace.
“This new addition is really meant to showcase for our community who we are, what we do and that we’re better when we work together with community,” said Bettison-Varga.
For more information, visit nhmlac.org
