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Arcadia Weekly Oct 30, 2019
Paleontologist Gabe Santos displays dinosaur bones and other artifacts. – Photo by Galen Patterson / Beacon Media News
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New staff, exhibits and activities for all ages.
By Galen Patterson
2019 has been a turbulent year for the Gilb Museum in Arcadia. The city-sponsored museum has launched a wide variety of programs and activities for the community to enjoy, thanks to new staff and friends of the museum.
Staff
“I get to do more [at the Gilb Musuem], whereas before I was kind of tucked away in the back,” said Curator Stevy Acevedo. – Photo by Galen Patterson / Beacon Media News
“I like educating people on California,” said Director of Education Brittani Alberto. – Photo by Galen Patterson / Beacon Media News
Museum Education Coordinator Brittani Alberto oversees many of the new programs the Gilb offers. She holds a bachelor’s in history from Humboldt State University and is currently working on her master’s degree at CSULA. Alberto plans to earn a Ph.D. in history as well.
Programs
Pop-Up Museum offers children a different learning experience every week. – Photo by Galen Patterson / Beacon Media News
Pop-Up Museum
Every Wednesday, the Gilb Museum hosts Pop-Up Museum with arts, crafts, and activities to teach children about different careers and areas of exploration generally involving science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM).
Pre-School Program
Fridays the Gilb offers a pre-school program for young children to learn and socialize with others.
Features
New exhibits
The Gilb has regularly scheduled new exhibits too showcase for the public. The next exhibit is called Arcadia’s Flourishing Artists; it opens on Nov. 2 and will run through Jan. 4. The exhibit will feature contributions from local professional artists interpreting California lifestyle. Opening day will have many of the artists on site to meet their neighbors and discuss their work.
Expanding Kids Corner
The museum has undergone small scale reconstruction to add a room for children’s activities. Kids’ Corner is a place for young children to read and learn about their local and regional history.
Multilingual Books
Kids’ Corner has recently been acquiring books written in different languages to match the many spoken languages at Arcadia High School.
Recent Events
Dino-Day
Paleontologist Gabe Santos displays dinosaur bones and other artifacts. – Photo by Galen Patterson / Beacon Media News
Hosted on Sept. 28, Dino-Day at the Gilb saw paleontologist Gabe Santos presenting Arcadia with some of his dinosaur bones, castings and videos, including major discoveries within the world of dinosaur research. The museum also held a scavenger hunt with dinosaur related arts and crafts.
Archaeology Day
Archaeologists Cyrene Cruz and Jocelyn Acosta show off their tools and findings at Archaeology Day. – Courtesy photo / Gilb Museum
Archaeology Day was chosen to coincide with National Archaeology month and took place on Oct. 19. Attendees were given the chance to practice their excavation skills by removing chocolate chips from cookies without damaging them, and were challenged with re-building a broken clay pot. Archaeologists Cyrene Cruz and Jocelyn Acosta came to educate with their tools and expertise in the world of archaeology.
What’s Next?
Dia De Los Muertos
Dia de los Muertos celebrates life and death on Nov. 9 with an ofrenda, an altar decorated to honor the dead. Patrons are encouraged to bring in pictures of loved ones whom have passed on, so they can be placed on the shrine.
Swazzle’s Holiday Extravaganza
Swazzle’s Holiday Extravaganza is scheduled on Dec. 7 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. The event is a live-action puppet show about a self-centered reindeer that is sent on a quest to find the true meaning of Christmas.
