New Museum Los Gatos


New Museum Los Gatos, formerly the Los Gatos Museum Association founded in 1965, is a public non-profit art and history museum located in the Civic Center Plaza in downtown Los Gatos, California. NUMU’s mission is to engage the community at the intersection of art, history and education through innovative, locally connected and globally relevant exhibitions, programs and experiences.

History

Formerly The Museums of Los Gatos, New Museum Los Gatos opened in June 2015 with three times more exhibition space than the previous main location, allowing it to build facility to serve as a community hub for all ages with fresh perspectives on San Francisco Bay Area history, art and the innovation of our times. The Museum Association’s 50th anniversary occurred in 2015.
The rebranding, redesign, and reopening was led by Executive Director Lisa Coscino, who assisted in the change and rebranding of the Museum of Monterey in 2011. NUMU consists of the collections of former Art Museum of Los Gatos on Tait Avenue and the History Museum at Forbes Mill, previously known as the Museums of Los Gatos, which were established in 1965.

Mission

The mission of New Museum Los Gatos is “to engage community at the intersection of art, history and education through innovative, locally connected and globally relevant exhibits, programs and experiences.”

Exhibitions

New Museum Los Gatos contains 6 gallery spaces, 9 rotating exhibitions annually, an interactive, permanent Los Gatos History exhibit, as well as weekly workshops, youth programs, classes, and lectures. The 6,000 square foot building is located in the Los Gatos Civic Center at 106 E. Main Street.

Studio

The Studio houses two educational programs, the MakerSpace and the Atelier. The MakerSpace is a multifaceted studio where students and their families can explore, discover, and create. This space offers hands-on workshops, family art days, and open studio days for all levels to learn new methods of creation under the guidance of expert artists and designers, as well as opportunities for the entire family to explore a variety of materials, art forms, and expressions. Programs are inspired by current exhibitions and the art and history on view in the galleries.
The Studio also houses the Atelier, which offers traditional artistic training through full curriculum studio classes for artists of all levels to learn new skills and further develop those they already have. Each student works individually with the instructor to determine their course of study. Drawing and painting workshops include: After school art studio, morning or night classes, summer art studio, and visiting artist workshops.