CommonGround with the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History

SANTA CRUZ MAH ANNOUNCES THE INAUGURAL ‘COMMONGROUND’ FESTIVAL

Multi-arts celebration debuts September 16–25, 2022

Featuring works by BANDALOOP, Carolyn Chen, MCXT, Daniel Ruanova and Ignacio Ornelas, Hank Thomas Willis and Dr. Baz Dreisinger, and more

SANTA CRUZ, CA – The Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History (MAH) is pleased to announce the lineup for CommonGround, a new biennial festival of place-inspired, outdoor work, running September 16–25, 2022. From seafaring sculptures and music among the redwoods to aerial artistry performed high above Abbott Square, the event offers activations across the county, including downtown plazas, nearby waterways, forested hillsides, and local landmarks.

“We are thrilled to introduce CommonGround, a new multidisciplinary arts festival that uses the scenic vistas of Santa Cruz County as its canvas,” said Robb Woulfe, Executive Director of the MAH, the event’s producer. “Our debut season offers works and commissions exploring themes of conservation, activism, representation, and the writing and re-writing of history. We invite residents and guests to join us to celebrate and learn more about our rich coastal culture.”

Focused on temporary and performative public art projects in rural, urban, and architectural space, the mostly-free 10-day event features site-responsive installations and interventions across the area’s natural and built environments, connecting people, stories, and landscapes. While the majority of works can be visited at no cost, some festival performances are ticketed and there is a small admission fee to the MAH to view supporting exhibitions and installations.

For its inaugural year, the festival features an eclectic mix of works by local, national, and international artists and collaborators. Projects include: a floatable, handmade watercraft by Monica Canilao and Xara Thustra (aka MCXT) as an homage to local river carnivals at the turn-of-the-century; the premiere of an immersive piece by chamber composer Carolyn Chen inspired by birdsong folklore with sculpture, sound, and music; the gravity-defying choreography and vertical dance of BANDALOOP; a traveling installation by Hank Willis Thomas and Dr. Baz Dreisinger that explores the principles of freedom, justice, and humanity; a mobile pop-up gallery by Tijuana-based artist Daniel Ruanova and Stanford archivist Ignacio Ornelas about the legacy of Braceros; an exhibition in partnership with the MexiCali Biennial focused on the concept of agriculture; and works from two Santa Cruz-based artists: a large-scale fiber piece by Nigerian weaver and designer I.B. Bayo, and a multimedia installation on ecology and climate action by Martabel Wasserman.

Commonground—which rotates annually with the MAH’s other biennial festival, Frequency—supports the museum’s commitment to producing programs that extend beyond its walls and enhance the cultural vibrancy of Santa Cruz County. Many of the works are participatory or serve as natural draws to public spaces, sparking interpersonal connection through community storytelling and history-sharing. In addition to the core events listed above, the festival features a number of free workshops, artist talks, and other supporting programs hosted at the museum.

The MAH is a thriving community gathering place that offers a full slate of art and history exhibitions, visual and performing artworks, public festivals, education and outreach programs, and cultural celebrations in collaboration with its many partners. It maintains a permanent collection of regionally significant art and artifacts, a research library, a historical archive, and historic sites including the Evergreen Cemetery, Octagon Building, and Davenport Jail. It is also home to Abbott Square, a vibrant public plaza on the museum’s doorstep that offers food, social events, and year-round creative happenings.

CommonGround is supported by Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit Programs, the National Endowment for the Arts, and California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Additional funding is provided by City of Santa Cruz; Creative Work Fund; Indexical; New England Foundation for the Arts; The Humanities Institute at UC Santa Cruz; and the Institute of the Arts and Sciences at UC Santa Cruz as part of its Visualizing Abolition Initiative, funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

More information on CommonGround artists and projects is included in the attached release and on the website. For the most up-to-date information and schedule, please visit: santacruzmah.org/commonground.