Exhibits
Short-term Exhibits
In addition to long-term signature exhibits, each year the Museum presents multiple short-term exhibits about the state’s history, arts and culture, with an emphasis on its diversity and on stories not often told. Here’s what’s on view now.
Metaphor, Myth, & Politics: Art from Native Printmakers
November 25, 2022 - March 19, 2023
Vibrant works of art reveal contemporary Native and Indigenous printmakers’ diverse styles and perspectives.
“Metaphor, Myth, & Politics: Art from Native Printmakers” features 36 contemporary works on paper by 29 Native and Indigenous artists from California and around the world. The colorful and inventive pieces, all drawn from the C.N. Gorman Museum’s collection at UC Davis, reveal the diverse points of view and styles of art present in the world of contemporary Native printmaking.
Día de Los Muertos 2021: Espíritus Creativos de California
October 2 – November 7, 2021
Celebrating the state’s spirit of creativity, “Día de Los Muertos 2021: Espíritus Creativos de California” (“Day of the Dead 2021: Creative Spirits of California”) honored innovative Californians Eazy-E, Carrie Fisher, Ishi, Charles M. Schulz and John Steinbeck through original works by California artists Roberta Alvarado, Francisco Franco, John Hancock and Juan Ramos of John Juan Art, John S.
Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit 2021
August 5 – November 7, 2021
The updated traveling photography exhibit “Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit” returned for a second installation at the California Museum August 5 through November 7, 2021.
A visual exploration of the Japanese concept of “gambatte” (or to triumph over adversity), it featured contemporary photographs of Japanese Americans who survived mass incarceration during WWII taken by photojournalist Paul Kitagaki Jr. of The Sacramento Bee, paired with historic images by U.S. War Relocation Authority photographers including Dorothea Lange.
Fight for the Right: 100 Years of Women Voting
May 8 - August 29, 2021
“Fight for the Right: 100 Years of Women Voting” was developed in collaboration with First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, who served as California’s representative on the Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission, to celebrate the 19th Amendment’s centennial.