Annenberg Foundation | News | Expanded Public Hours for the California African American Museum

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Expanded Public Hours for the California African American Museum

Date: August 17, 2006

Source: California African American Museum

Contact Name: Jai Kensey

Contact Phone: (213) 738-9240 ext. 201

More Information: http://www.caamuseum.org

LOS ANGELES, CA: The California African American Museum (CAAM) has received significant grants from the Annenberg Foundation and Bank of America in support of Access to CAAM, a new initiative designed to bring more visibility to the specialty museum and to increase accessibility by expanding its hours of operation. In 2002, statewide funding reductions cut the museum's budget by nearly 50 percent, which forced CAAM to reduce the days and hours that it was open. However, since then, the museum has made great strides in garnering private support to restore what has been otherwise limited access to CAAM for the general public and for school groups. Last year, CAAM's doors reopened on the first Sunday of each month as part of the increasingly popular Target Sundays at CAAM -- the lively themed performances that celebrate the diverse influences and achievements of art and culture from the African American Diaspora.

Now, utilizing just a portion of a multi-year one million dollar gift gratefully received from the Annenberg Foundation for programmatic and institutional expansion, and a significant community support grant from Bank of America, the California African American Museum has gained more than 950 hours annually for a full six-day per week schedule. “We are thrilled to have two additional days and extra hours for the community to enjoy all that CAAM has to offer. No longer will school field trips be turned away because we are closed on Tuesday, a prime school day. No longer will family visitors to Exposition Park find our doors closed on Sunday, says CAAM Executive Director Charmaine Jefferson.

“With strong believers like the Annenberg Foundation and Bank of America supporting our Access to CAAM initiative, coupled with our long-standing friend and sponsor, Target, we are honored to be able to swing our doors open wider and provide our community and the public with the full access to the California African American Museum that they deserve…and because of their help, we are still free to everyone,” adds Jefferson. The museum is now open from 10:00 - 5:00 pm every Tuesday through Saturday and every Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

The new hours provide visitors greater access to interactive programs and current exhibitions, such as. “Orphans of the Rwanda Genocide: Portraits of Survival and Hope.” Co-sponsored by the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, “Orphans” opened August 10 with contextual history and a collection of portraits by photographer Jerry Berndt. Opening on August 17 is “¡Azucar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz.” Originating at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of American History in Washington, DC, the costumes and music of the “Queen of Salsa” will remain on display through November 4 in a bi-lingual (English/Spanish) exhibition that covers Celia Cruz' six decades as one of the few women to be part of the Salsa music movement of the 1970s.

ABOUT THE ANNENBERG FOUNDATION
The Annenberg Foundation exists to advance the public well being through improved communication. As the principal means of achieving its goal, the Foundation encourages the development of more effective ways to share ideas and knowledge. The Annenberg Foundation has offices in Radnor, PA and Los Angeles, CA. www.annenbergfoundation.org

ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY
In 2005, the Bank of America Charitable Foundation embarked on an unprecedented $1.5 billion philanthropic goal over the next 10 years. The bank has announced it will donate $200 million in 2006, making Bank of America one of the most generous corporate donors in the country. The bank approaches giving through a national strategy called "neighborhood excellence" under which it works with local leaders to identify and meet the most pressing needs of communities. Through Team Bank of America, bank associate volunteers contribute more than 650,000 hours each year to improve the quality of life in their communities nationwide. For more information about Bank of America Corporate Philanthropy, please visit www.bankofamerica.com/foundation.

ABOUT TARGET
Minneapolis-based Target serves guests at 1,444 stores in 47 states nationwide by delivering today's best retail trends at affordable prices. Target is committed to providing guests with great design through innovative products, in-store experiences and community partnerships. Whether visiting a Target store or shopping online at Target.com, guests enjoy a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to thousands of unique and highly differentiated items. Target (NYSE:TGT) gives back more than $2 million a week to its local communities through grants and special programs. Since opening its first store in 1962, Target has partnered with nonprofit organizations, guests and team members to help meet community needs. Through Target Sundays at CAAM, the eyes and voices of traditional and contemporary artists, community leaders, cultural historians, activists, and educators, give guests opportunities to explore the African American experience with storytelling, theatre, poetry, dance, quilt making, spoken word, films, roundtable conversations, and live musical performances.

ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM
The mission of the California African American Museum is to research, collect, preserve and interpret for public enrichment, the history, art and culture of African Americans with emphasis on California and the western United States. CAAM is a collecting institution with over 3,500 holdings including one of the premiere collections of work by California visual artists of the 60s and 70s. The museum occupies a 44,000 sq. ft space with three full size exhibition galleries, theatre gallery, 14,000 sq. ft. Sculpture Court, conference/special events room, an archive and research library, administrative space and limited artifact storage areas. The museum is located at 600 State Drive in Exposition Park. Admission to the museum is free with on-site parking available for $6.00 per vehicle. The California African American Museum is a State of California Museum, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor.
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