The Los Gatos History Project is NUMU’s unprecedented effort to catalog and dive deeper into its permanent collection. This exhibition, the first to come out of the project, will present a selection of objects that have given the museum more questions than answers. By taking a critical look at these objects and the stories they tell, the exhibition will prompt visitors to ask: Who made these objects? Why did the museum collect them? What can we learn from them? And whose stories are missing? Through this exhibition, visitors will gain a greater understanding of museum collecting practices, and a greater appreciation for the hidden complexities of Los Gatos history.

We have officially opened our long-awaited Collections Lab - a demonstration and prep lab that serves as a dedicated space to display artifacts, conduct conservation efforts, and present public educational programs, open to the public during regular museum hours. Through this project, NUMU aims to demonstrate that history is anything but static! The Collections Lab is closed on Thursdays.

In partnership with Local Color, we’ve invited muralist Tomas ‘Wisper’ Talamantes into the museum for a dynamic look into his creative process. Wisper will create an original mural at the museum, exploring the untold stories, people, events, and variety of cultures that have contributed to Los Gatos and its surrounding areas. During three live sessions, visitors will enjoy the special opportunity to see Wisper in action and learn about his creative process and philosophy. Alongside the developing mural, visitors can see photographs of the artist’s past work, Freedom, as documented by photographer Buggsy Malone

ArtNow is an annual juried Santa Clara County high school art exhibition and educational program, presented by New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU). The ArtNow Exhibition and supporting programs offer opportunities for high school student artists, from Palo Alto to Gilroy, to gain real-world experience in participating in a juried museum exhibition. Each year, a new theme is chosen for the exhibition and students are asked to submit works based on that theme. $11,000 in scholarships and awards are given to participating students.

New Museum Los Gatos invites Santa Clara County high school students to create an original work of art that reveals the complex journey of being In Transition.

Each year the Executive Director, in partnership with the Curatorial Team, commissions a Bay Area artist to create a limited edition series of works as part of the Director’s Circle Program. The artist chosen to participate in this annual program also donates two pieces from the commission to the museum: one which stays in the Permanent Collection, the other is used for fundraising. In this way, the Director’s Circle program not only supports personal collecting, but also helps to build NUMU’s Permanent Art Collection. See past works in this retrospective exhibition and the reveal of this year’s work by artist Kiana Honarmand in an upcoming event (details coming soon)!