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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAM Agenda: 03/04/2026 MUSEUM COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING AGENDA Wednesday, March 4, 2026 5:00 P.M. Location: Floretta K. Lauber Museum Education Center, 382 W. Huntington Drive Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, persons with a disability who require a disability related modification or accommodation in order to participate in a meeting, including auxiliary aids or services, may request such modification or accommodation from the City Clerk at (626) 574-5455. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to assure accessibility to the meeting. 根据《美国残障人法案》，需要调整或提供便利设施才能参加会议的残障人士（包括辅助器材或服务）可与市书记官办公室联系（电 话：(626) 574-5455）。请在会前 48 小时通知市书记官办公室，以便作出合理安排，确保顺利参加会议。 Pursuant to the City of Arcadia’s Language Access Services Policy, limited-English proficient speakers who require translation services in order to participate in a meeting may request the use of a volunteer or professional translator by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at (626) 574-5455 at least 72 hours prior to the meeting. 根据阿凯迪亚市的语言便利服务政策，英语能力有限并需要翻译服务才能参加会议的人可与市书记官办公室联系（电话：(626) 574- 5455），请求提供志愿或专业翻译服务，请至少在会前 72 小时提出请求。 CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL: Dale Carter, Chairperson Ginny Blitz, Chairperson Pro Tempore & Liaison to the Friends of the Museum Marilyn Daleo, Commissioner Angela Ayala, Commissioner Vacant, Commissioner SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM STAFF REGARDING AGENDA ITEMS PUBLIC COMMENTS (5-minute time limit per person) Any person wishing to speak before the Museum Commission is limited to five (5) minutes per person; any changes to the allotted time will be announced prior to the Public Comment period. Under the Brown Act, the Museum Commission is prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item not listed on the posted agenda. The matter may be referred to staff for appropriate response or action or may be placed on the agenda of a future meeting. REPORTS FROM MUSEUM COMMISSION MEMBERS / LIAISONS Announcements / Statements / Future Agenda Items DIRECTOR REPORTS a. Director’s Update b. Curator’s Report and Updates c. Museum Education Coordinator’s Update d. Grants e. Interns and Volunteers f. Programs g. Exhibits h. Collections i. Flyers  Preservation Workshop Series  Educational Kits  Preschool Programs Spring 2026  Reel Reflections Spring 2026  Hidden Histories CONSENT CALENDAR All matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and can be acted on by one roll call vote. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless a member of the Museum Commission, staff, or the public requests that a specific item be removed from the Consent Calendar for separate discussion and action. a. Approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of January 7, 2026 Recommended action: Approve ADJOURNMENT The Museum Commission will adjourn this meeting to Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the Museum Education Center at 382 W. Huntington Drive, Arcadia. 1 The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage Museum Curator’s Report January – February 2026 January 2026 February 2026 In-person Visitors: 220 In-person Visitors February 1-18: 208 Virtual Visitors: Virtual Visitors: Facebook: 1,528 Facebook: 967 Instagram: 2,833 Instagram: 1278 HIGHLIGHTS The Gilb Museum opened its Lunar New Year Exhibit on February 7 which contains artwork decorated by members of the community highlighting The Year of the Horse. The first Preschool program took place on February 13 with 13 participants and 16 new registrations. COLLECTIONS AND INTERNS Volunteer Ms. Deborah Cordano continues to work on the Museum’s Collection, specifically doing an inventory of the Arcadia Historical Society Collection. She has inventoried four boxes in the collection. Intern Mr. Zackary Ostrowski continues to work on the Arcadia Woman’s Club collection, adding additional photographs and information to the Museum’s database, Catalog-It. Volunteer Mr. Andrew Bermudez continues to work on the Museum's collections by digitizing and cataloging items on the Museum’s database, Catalog-It. He has now completed the additional artifacts part of the Floretta K. Lauber Collection. Volunteer Mr. Bob Levia and Mr. Pat Matsutani continue to help staff at the front desk every Tuesday afternoon. They have been helping staff with educational kits for outreach programs. Volunteer Wendy Xiang continues to help the Museum staff on the weekends with different projects. Ms. Xiang is responsible for helping the Museum transcribe its flyers to simplified Chinese to accommodate the Arcadia Community. She has been working on a new website page with the Museum’s exhibit panels in Mandarin. Intern Justin Mercado continues to assist with digitizing collections, along with providing hands- on support for the Preschool Program. Mr. Mercado is coming to the Museum from the California Resource Services for Independent Living organization. City Intern Ms. Nicole Kreuzer has been working on several projects at the Museum with the Curator. She has been working on accessioning new artifacts for 2026 that have been donated to the Museum or have been purchased. Ms. Kreuzer was recently accepted to the San Jose State University Master of Library and Information Science program for the Fall and will be graduating from California State University Fullerton in the Spring of this year. Kreuzer also was the recipient of the California Association of Museums Conference Scholarship. Curator Ms. Stevy Acevedo received a request from Foothill Middle School Librarian Ms. Lisa Lucas to help digitize all the yearbooks for the school that range from the 1950’s to the present. 2 Due to the recent wildfires near Arcadia last year, Ms. Lucas thought it would be important to digitize the collection of yearbooks since it is the only complete set that the school has and possibly in the district. The Museum completed this project also for Dana Middle School last year. Intern Kreuzer worked on this project and was able to produce JPEG, PDF, and TIFF files for all the yearbooks. Ms. Lucas will be picking up the yearbooks on February 19. Ms. Christina Chen was a previous teen volunteer in 2023. She is now in her second year at the University of California Riverside as a history major. She has returned to volunteer at the Gilb Museum and has been learning how to digitize audiovisual media from the collection, including VHS and cassette tapes. An inventory of all items donated during this time period:  Mr. Pete Siberell donated a Santa Anita Park 50th Edition Calendar for 2026.  Mr. Jim McKellar donated three books on the Pacific Electric Railway.  Ms. Darlene Bradley donated Boy Scout Cards previously owned by John Born.  Mr. Art and Ms. Mary Escobedo donated the Arcadia Little League Official Program 1954. EXHIBITS Staff went to the Arcadia Public Library to uninstall the Little League exhibit on January 9. The exhibit seemed to be well received by the community, especially highlighting the items of community members. The Camp Santa Anita exhibit closed on January 17. Staff began to install the Lunar New Year exhibit, highlighting The Year of the Horse. The exhibition opening was on February 7. Some items were loaned to the Museum by community members, including Ms. Mei Ying Low and Ms. Lily Mak. Ms. Low loaned her wedding dress that is hand embroidered, which highlights a dragon and phoenix on it. Paintings from both Ms. Low and Ms. Mak are also on display. The exhibit will close on February 28. The Museum is currently working with First Avenue Middle School teachers Ms. Karalee Nakasuka, Ms. Erika Speed, Mr. Raymond Sierra, and Ms. Jessica Green. This exhibit will be highlighting the artwork of students representing the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Their exhibition opening will be on March 21 with a reception at 1pm. ADMINISTRATION The Friends of the Arcadia Museum (FAM) met on February 4. Museum staff discussed current and ongoing projects and events with the Board members. Curator Acevedo is working with the 3 Board to create this year's membership letter that will be sent out to new and previous members. The Board also discussed upcoming events at the Museum, including the Holly Avenue school field trip on March 18. The next FAM meeting will take place on March 5. Curator Acevedo and Education Coordinator Lauren Porras attended the OC Performers Showcase in Mission Viejo on January 15. This event allowed staff to see potential performers that can be used at the Museum for outreach programs to the community. Staff won a half price performance from Science Heroes that has been scheduled for June 20. The City of Arcadia website was recently updated and launched on January 16. Curator Acevedo has been working on the new website updates. The new layout includes sections on About, Collections & Exhibits, Research & Resources, Programs, and Military Banner Program. Curator Acevedo attended the State of the City by Mayor Ms. Sharon Kwan on January 22. Curator Acevedo had a meeting with East Los Angeles Community College Museum Studies Program students on January 23. The Museum will be the site to host two interns during the Spring 2026 semester. Interns will have the opportunity to work with collections and construct and install exhibits at the Museum and around the City of Arcadia. They will begin their new internship at the Museum on March 6. Staff had a meeting with Mr. Lance Midley on February 5 from the California Resource Services for Independent Living, formerly known as Southern California Resources for Independent Living. The Museum has been the site for several interns in the past and they have new clients also interested in an internship at the Museum. Curator Acevedo and Education Coordinator Lauren Porras attended the Arcadia Unified School District PTA Founders' Day Luncheon on February 10. At the meeting, Ms. Porras shared what the Museum has been doing with programs and promoted the Museum’s Educational Kits, Hidden Histories Documentary Series, and our current and upcoming exhibits. Staff is preparing their presentation “The Little Museum that Could: Tiny Team, Mighty Mission” for the California Association of Museums conference in March. Curator Acevedo was also voted as a new member of the Board of Directors for the California Association of Museums and attended orientation on February 4. She is also participating in the Programs Committee for the conference. This helps provide good exposure for the Gilb Museum, make connections, and learn best practices, across the Museum communities Staff at the Library and Museum have been involved with preparing a list of events and exhibits starting in February, highlighting America 250 leading up to the City’s Fourth of July Celebration at Santa Anita Park. EDUCATION and PROGRAMMING On January 17, the Museum hosted the Girl Scout program, Celebrating Communities with 12 girls in attendance. The next program is scheduled for February 21 and Educator Porras will be conducting the Dino Excavation Program for 9 Cub Scouts. The Museum completed five school programs at Hugo Reid Elementary School and Highland Oaks Elementary School during the month of February, offering Tongva Storytelling and Then vs Now. Staff is also currently preparing for Holly Avenues’ annual field trip to the Gilb Museum. This event will take place on March 18 and the Museum is expecting around 150 students to attend. Preparations are also being taken for additional school programs that are scheduled up until May. 4 On February 11, the Museum kicked off their new program of Reel Reflections, in efforts to create deeper community engagement through film and thoughtful dialogue. This program invites community members to view a short PBS film that is connected to local history or culture. It is then followed by a guided discussion and short reflection activities. Staff will continue to offer the program monthly for the next two months while assessing community participation. The Preschool Program will continue weekly until April 24. Each week will feature a new topic of learning and engagement. The program consists of playtime, circle time, and a special craft to do at the end. Due to its rise in popularity, staff are looking to upgrade and update new supplies, toys, and learning equipment to better prepare for the needs of this program and its continuous growth. Hidden Histories has also returned to the Museum’s Saturday programming. This program continues to focus on elevating stories in traditional historical narratives. Like Reel Reflections this program features selected documentaries from PBS that highlight diverse community experiences. On February 21, the Museum will screen From Little Tokyo to Crenshaw, an episode of PBS SoCal’s Lost L.A. series. This film explores the experiences of Japanese Americans returning to Los Angeles after World War II incarceration and the rebuilding of community life beyond Little Tokyo, particularly in the Crenshaw district. The first Preservation Workshop of the year will be on February 28, which introduces a new topic focusing specifically on collectibles and memorabilia. The participants will receive hands-on guidance and practical tips for protecting items such as stamps, comic books, photographs, and other cherished keepsakes from damage caused by handling, light, or environmental conditions. Curator Acevedo demonstrates proper storage techniques, cleaning methods, and ways to document collections to ensure long-term preservation. This new focus within the series allowed attendees to engage directly with their own collections, ask questions, and learn strategies to maintain and protect personal treasures for years to come. Preparations are also underway for upcoming community events, including the Lunar New Year celebration at the Arboretum on February 28 and the Arcadia Goes Green event taking place at Arcadia Public Library on April 11. The Museum has prepared a special Lunar New Year kit to accompany the exhibit as well as to distribute at the L.A. County Arboretum event. Staff created a Route 66 stamp for guests to receive at the Museum. Since Route 66 is celebrating its Centennial Celebration this year, staff is working on other giveaways for the community since Arcadia is a part of historic Route 66. VOLUNTEERS Ms. Porras has kept applications for adult and teen volunteers open since the new year. The Museum has welcomed three new teens and two new adults to the volunteer team thus far with two more applications processing. She will also begin scouting for new Teen Leads in these upcoming months as many present Leads will be graduating this upcoming spring. Volunteers have continued to be very busy with the production of kits. This includes all the Preservation Workshop kits and Educational Kits for 2026. The next kit is called Arcadia’s First Settlers which will be highlighting the Tongva and it will be made available beginning March 10. Ms. Porras has also had volunteers begin assembling kits for the Arcadia Goes Green event and for the Lunar New Year event that is taking place at the Arboretum. Volunteers have constructed 137 Kits for Earth Day and 390 Lunar New Year Kits for these outreach events. They have also constructed another 150 Kits to prepare for Holly Avenues annual field trip to the Museum which will take place March 18. Lastly, they have also constructed 300 goodie bags for students once for school program visits which consisted of a free museum tour ticket, sticker, pencil, and a Gilb Museum flyer. These are very well received by teachers and students. 5 On Valentines Day, staff brought donuts to share with the Saturday volunteers as a small token of appreciation. The first half of the shift focused on tasking and prepping for upcoming events. During the second part, volunteers took part in a Valentine card exchange activity, where they created thoughtful, anonymous cards for one another which created a supportive and positive environment for our group. Volunteer hours: January 1 – February 18: 436.67 hours Submitted by Curator Stevy Acevedo and Director of Library & Museum Services, Darlene Bradley PRESERVATION WORKSHOP PRESERVATION WORKSHOP T H E G I L B M U S E U M O F A R C A D I A H E R I T A G E P R E S E N T S : Series Join Museum staff in a series of workshops and demonstrations on how you can preserve your personal and family history. Learn preservation methods used by museum professionals and see examples from the Museum collections. All workshops begin at 10am. BeginnerBeginner PHOTOGRAPHS AUDIOVISUAL MEDIA DIGITIZATION & STORAGE COLLECTABLES & MEMORABILIA ADVANCED PHOTOGRAPHS & DIGITIZATION The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage 380 West Huntington Drive Arcadia, California 91007 (626)574-5440 Museum@arcadiaca.gov www.ArcadiaCA.gov/Museum A D V A N C E DADVANCED GENEALOGY ADVANCED GENEALOGY DISASTER PREVENTION 101 BOOK & PAPER MARCH 28 MAY 9 FEBRUARY 28 MAY 23 OCTOBER 17 NOVEMBER 14 APRIL 18 DECEMBER 12 SEPTEMBER 19 All participants in Museum programs, events, and classes may be photographed or or videotaped for Museum promotional purposes. Notify Museum staff if you prefer not to be photographed or videotaped. 保存⼯作坊保存⼯作坊 亚 凯 迪 亚 吉 尔 布 博 物 馆 呈 现 ： 系列 与博物馆⼯作⼈员⼀起参加⼀系列研讨会和演⽰，学习如何保存您个⼈和家族的历史。 学习博物馆专业⼈员使⽤的保存⽅法，并观看博物馆藏品的案例。 所有研讨会均于上午 10 点开始。 初级初级 照⽚ 视听媒体 数字化和储存 收藏品和 纪念品 ⾼级 摄影和 数字化 The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage Presents: 380 West Huntington Drive Arcadia, California 91007 (626)574-5440 Museum@arcadiaca.gov www.ArcadiaCA.gov/Museum ⾼ 级⾼ 级 家谱 ⾼级 家谱 灾难 预防初级 书籍和纸张 3⽉28号 5⽉9号 2⽉28号 5⽉23号 10⽉17号 11⽉14⽇ 4⽉18号 12⽉12号 SEPTEMBER 19 所有参与博物馆项⽬、活动和课程的⼈员均可能被拍照或录像，⽤于博物馆宣传⽤途。如果您不希望被拍照 或录像，请告知博物馆⼯作⼈员。 The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage Educational Kits January 13- March 3Dinosaurs of Arcadia's Past Lucky Baldwin &the Wild West T h e G i l b M u s e u m i s o f f e r i n g F R E E k i t s ! E a c h k i t s c o m e s w i t h a s h o r t h i s t o r y l e s s o n a n d m a t e r i a l s n e c e s s a r y t o c o m p l e t e s o m e f u n c r a f t s ! A p p l i c a t i o n s f o r k i t s c a n b e f o u n d o n t h e M u s e u m w e b s i t e . Arcadias First Settlers March 10- May 5 May 12- June 30 2 0 2 6 380 West Huntington Drive Arcadia, California 91007(626) 574-5440 Museum@arcadiaca.govwww.ArcadiaCA.gov/Museum More 2026 Kits Coming Soon! Come discover, explore, & learn new things with the Gilb Museum! Every Friday starting February 13 - April 24 10:00 am - 11:00 am PRESCHOOLPROGRAM THE GILB MUSEUM OF ARCADIA HERITAGE Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage 380 West Huntington Drive Arcadia, CA 91007 (626) 574-5440 ArcadiaCA.gov/Museum A g e s 2 -5 All participants in Museum programs, events, and classes may be photographed or or videotaped for Museum promotional purposes. Notify Museum staff if you prefer not to be photographed or videotaped. ReelReel ReflectionsReflections Doc um en tary Seri es FEBRUARY 11 The Gi l b M u s eum of A r ca d i a H eri t age P r es ent s : MARCH 11 APRIL 8 Join us on select Wednesdays at the Museum Education Center to uncover the hidden stories of Southern California’s history. Following the film, join us for an engaging craft activity. Screening starts at 10 am MAY 13 The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage 380 West Huntington Drive Arcadia, California 91007 (626)574-5440 Museum@arcadiaca.gov www.ArcadiaCA.gov/Museum All participants in Museum programs, events, and classes may be photographed or or videotaped for Museum promotional purposes. Notify Museum staff if you prefer not to be photographed or videotaped. Join us on select Saturdays to uncover the hidden and forgotten stories of Southern California’s history, complemented by exclusive documentary screenings and engaging crafts. Open to all ages and begins at 2PM. H I D D E NHISTORIES T he G i l b M u s e u m o f A r ca dia H erit a ge P r ese nt s: Documentary Series 2026 February 21 May 30 The Gilb Museum of Arcadia Heritage 380 West Huntington Drive Arcadia, California 91007 (626)574-5440 Museum@arcadiaca.gov www.ArcadiaCA.gov/Museum MUSEUM COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES Wednesday, January 7, 2026 ____________________________________________________________________________ CALL TO ORDER – Chairperson Dale Carter called the meeting to order at 5:02 p.m. in the Museum Education Center. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE – Chairperson Dale Carter ROLL CALL – Chairperson Dale Carter; Commissioner, Angela Ayala, Virginia Blitz, Marilyn Daleo; Library Director Darlene Bradley, Museum Curator Stevy Acevedo, and Museum Education Coordinator Lauren Porras. PUBLIC COMMENTS: None ELECTION OF OFFICER: Commissioner Marilyn Daleo nominated Ginny Blitz as Chairperson Pro Tempore. This was seconded by Chairperson Dale Carter and the nomination was accepted by Commissioner Blitz. REPORTS FROM MUSEUM COMMISSION MEMBERS/LIAISONS: Blitz informed the Commission that during Make Your Own Snow Globe event, the Friends of the Museum hosted a Snow Day booth where they distributed the Museum’s custom candy canes to visitors, adding a festive touch to the event. Commissioner Daleo shared that the Arcadia Lions Club will be coming to a close, marking the end of a long-standing community organization. Additionally, Carter informed the Commission that a well-known painting previously displayed in the Santa Anita Depot has been removed due to sensitivity concerns. REPORT FROM THE DIRECTOR Director Bradley shared that the Elks Lodge will be hosting a Celebration of Life for Don Fandry, a valued Friends of the Museum board member. They also mentioned that the City is currently conducting its mid-year budget review and noted that City of Arcadia has launched a new website that includes new integrated AI features. Additionally, the Library’s Seed Library continues to grow in popularity, offering residents the opportunity to take seeds home and cultivate their own gardens. REPORT FROM THE CURATOR The Curator shared updates on continued collections work supported by staff, volunteers, and interns. An inventory of the Arcadia Historical Society Collection is underway, along with the success and completion of the Military Banner Program. Cataloging and digitization efforts in Catalog-It remain ongoing, with interns and volunteers helping process materials and accession new donations. Additional training was completed to ensure accurate updates to the Arcadia Veterans Registry kiosk, strengthening the Museum’s understanding of community records. Several meaningful donations were received during this period. These include Arcadia National League materials from 1969 and 1972, panoramic photographs from First Avenue Middle School’s classes of 2010 and 2012, Arcadia Little League photographs from former Mayor Gary Kovacic, and 1952 Arcadia High School sports team photographs featuring track, basketball, and football. Together, these additions continue to expand the Museum’s sports and education-related collections and preserve important community memories. Exhibit work is ongoing in collaboration with local community members on a temporary Arcadia Little League exhibit, including a newly installed display at the Arcadia Public Library. Community members have generously loaned personal memorabilia to enrich the exhibition, with representation from both Little League and Girls Softball teams. These partnerships highlight the Museum’s continued focus on community-driven storytelling and preserving Arcadia’s shared heritage. The Friends of the Arcadia Museum (FAM) met on November 6 and discussed upcoming programs, including the Make Your Own Snow Globe event and Snow Fest. Volunteers created 500 custom snowmen for FAM to distribute as giveaways, and Board members assembled bags with candy canes, snowmen, and flyers. Curator Acevedo also attended the Arcadia Unified School District PTA meeting to promote the Museum’s Educational Kits, Hidden Histories Documentary Series, and upcoming programs. Curator Acevedo also stated that the Museum submitted its application for the 2026 Getty Marrow Undergraduate Internship grant to fund two paid summer internships. Staff will be notified in Spring 2026. Additionally, the Museum was accepted to present at the 2026 California Association of Museums conference in Los Angeles with the session “The Little Museum that Could: Tiny Team, Mighty Mission,” highlighting how the Gilb Museum continues to grow its impact through creativity and strong community partnerships. REPORT FROM MUSEUM EDUCATION COORDINATOR Coordinator Porras stated that in November, the Museum continued in-classroom visits for the Tongva Dictionary program, reaching nine classes at Longley Way and Camino Grove Elementary. A total of 36 classroom visits have been scheduled so far for the 2025–2026 school year, and Holly Avenue Elementary has already requested its annual spring field trip to the Museum. Educational kits remain a strong point of engagement, with all 200 Architecture in Arcadia kits distributed to the community. Athletes in Arcadia kits were assembled with volunteer support and released in October, and 400 of the final 2025 kit, Movies in Arcadia were all distributed. Public programs continued throughout the season. The final Preservation Workshop of the year, focused on genealogy, was held on December 13 and led by Museum Intern Kreuzer and Curator Acevedo. The Museum also hosted a Hidden Histories Documentary Series screening on November 1 featuring “Artbound: Día de los Muertos/Day of the Dead.” The 2025 Military Banner Program has concluded with 74 banners displayed along Huntington Drive and Baldwin Avenue, including 10 new applicants. The banners were installed in time for Veterans Day and remained on display throughout November. Volunteers played an essential role in preparing for the Make Your Own Snow Globe event, assisting with decorations, event logistics, and a full mock run-through prior to the program. Their efforts resulted in the successful preparation and distribution of 600 snow globes and 500 decorated snowmen. Volunteers also assembled 400 Movies in Arcadia kits, with 300 distributed during Snow Day, and have already begun developing the Museum’s first educational kits for 2026. A Holiday Volunteer Party was held on December 20 to recognize their dedication and contributions. CONSENT CALENDAR: a. Approve the Regular Meeting Minutes of November 5, 2025, AT 5:00PM in the Museum Education Center at 382 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia. Recommended action: Approve Commissioner Daleo moved to approve Consent Calendar Item “a” which was seconded by Commissioner Ayala. The motion carried. Ayes: Chairperson Carter, Chairperson Pro Tempore Blitz, and Commissioners Ayala and Daleo Noes: None ADJOURNMENT: Chairperson Dale Carter adjourned the meeting at 5:38 p.m. to Wednesday, March 4, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. in the Museum Education Center at 382 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia. Approved: ________________________________________________ Darlene Bradley, Director of Library and Museum Services Prepared by: Lauren Porras, Museum Education Coordinator