One week before the Hermosa Beach Museum’s annual gala on Saturday, August 16, the museum passed a significant milestone in its 18-year history. It hosted a delegation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM). The delegates will determine if the museum qualifies for AAM accreditation. Of the nation’s 35,000 museums, just 1,100 are accredited, and only 20 are in Los Angeles. Hermosa would be one of the smallest.
Hermosa has been working for five years to qualify for accreditation by hiring a full-time staff and completing a study spearheaded by board member Peter Hoffman, former chair of the Loyola Marymount University Urban and Environmental Studies Department.
Historical Society President Greg McNally said the AAM delegation was favorably impressed. Accreditation will qualify the museum for a wide range of grants, McNally said. The museum does not receive City financial support. The annual gala is its largest fundraiser.
Guests at the gala enjoyed dinner from The Bottle Inn, wine from Uncorked, beer from Hermosa Brewing, desert from Creamy Boys icecream, and coffe from Gaetano’s. Auction items included a Jose Barahona surfboard.
The museum’s next exhibit is “Skateboarding from the South Bay to the Smithsonian, with filmmaker Gerard Ravel and professional skateboarder Cinty Whitehead, on thursday, August 28, from 6 to 8 p.m.
For more about the Museum, visit HermosaBeachHistoricalSociety.com
