Celebrating Cultural and Historical Gems in the Natural Resources Agency
Many don’t realize that the Natural Resources Agency is responsible not only for managing California’s natural resources but its historical and cultural resources as well. I’m proud that one of California’s cultural gems is part of our Agency – the California African American Museum (CAAM), located in Exposition Park in Los Angeles.
Founded in 1977, CAAM is the first African-American museum of art, history, and culture fully supported by a state. Its fo
cus on researching, preserving and interpreting those cultural resources is manifest in more than 6,000 objects of art and historical artifacts and a research library with more than 20,000 books and reference materials.
In addition to permanent collections of paintings, photographs and sculptures, CAAM’s special exhibitions are highly regarded. A recent exhibition called LA Blacksmith, for example, highlighted the rich history of metalwork by black artists in Los Angeles and traced how the Watts Rebellion and other political ideas shaped that work.
Check out this short video about the exhibition by Spectrum News 1.
If you’re located in greater Los Angeles or just visiting, please check out CAAM, as well as our renowned California Science Center that is also located at Exposition Park. There is so much to learn about the culture and history of our state.
