The Bowers Museum finally bowed to community and Orange Juice pressure, and will now allow Santa Ana residents to visit the museum the 1st Sunday of each month between 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. for free. The Bowers also allows Santa Ana residents to visit the museum for free on the third Tuesday of each month.
However, when you consider that the people of Santa Ana pay for all of the operational costs of the Bowers, this is akin to paying for caviar and getting peanuts. They ought to let us in for free ALL THE TIME. Or at the very least allow us to pick the days WE want to go. Otherwise, give us back our tax money so we can spend it on things we really need…more parks and libraries and more road and infrastructure improvements.
The Orange Juice took a lead on pressuring the Bowers over the last year. We wrote about:
- How the director of the Bowers flew to China 54 times
- We asked our readers to “Keep pressuring Bowers to do the right thing“
- We pressured the Bowers into letting Santa Ana residents see ALL the exhibits, not just the old ones.
- We told our readers that the Bowers had hired a new V.P. of fundraising
- We questioned whether the Bowers should receive public funding
- We let our readers know that the Bowers was awash in cash
- We looked at the exorbitant salaries of Bowers administrators
- We wrote about Carlos Bustamante’s “Night at the Museum” and revealed his past as a security guard at the Bowers
- We looked at how an arts museum in Long Beach gets by without public handouts
- And we discussed why the Bowers agreement with Santa Ana ought to be canceled
Finally, go take another look at the Bowers Board members. You won’t find many Santa Ana residents, or many Latinos for that matter. But you will find Bustamante and Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido. Let them know what YOU THINK about the Bowers. It is a fine facility…but the taxpayers either should get more for their money, or the Bowers ought to make do without a public subsidy. You can also contact the Bowers at this link.
Incidentally, the Bowers has a Dia De Los Muertos event scheduled for November 4th. This is about the only time they celebrate Latino culture, so be sure to go…since you will finally be able to do so for free.
It’s a start. Thanks OJ!
An upgrade in Santa Ana dividends.
I hope to see more neighbors show up now that a weekend day has been added.
Also if you bring the little one’s the Kisuesum is a block south, and everything there is for the touching and holding and playing with.
Does that mean we get in free to see the new wing of the museum and the current shows or is this another free chance to see the arrowhead collection and Madame Mojeskas dress for the 57th time?
Mr. Cook,
What is the Kisseum and is it really a proper place to take kids? Seems to me it’s located on Habor Bld but I may be wrong.
The Kidsuesum is part of Bowers and located about a block south.
It uses the same entry ticket as Bowers and it is all hands on items.
It is open Sundays 11am to 4pm.
http://www.bowers.org/kidseum/kidseum.asp
Kidseum located at: 1802 North Main Street, SA
Even if you disagree with the way these Museum’s are funded or managed.
It will be your lost if you boycott one of your Santa Ana dividends.
I used to bring my children to the Kidseum all the time when they were young. It is loaded with hands-on, touchable and interactive exhibits. I have not been there in over 10 years, but we all enjoyed it very much.
Another OUTSTANDING and very kid-friendly museum is the La Habra Kids museum. Again, have not been there in over 10 years, but it was a little kid wonderland. A big bee hive housed in a plexiglass “room” that allows the bees to be seen doing all their work, while also allowing them to go out of the building to get pollen. You can see them coming and going and building their hive.
There was also parked train cars on a track. Clothing to try on like huge firefighter helmets and hot suits. Stuffed wild animals that you can touch etc… To adults, it can appear ho-hum, but if you bring kids who are 9 or younger…. they really love the freedom of touching and handling all the cool stuff there. It was modestly priced admission, too. Worth a visit.
We own the Bowers. Peter works for us. Now you know why there’s never Mexican art there.