Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History’s Newest Exhibit
A Whale of a View, Two Parks in One, Tyrrell City Park and Seabright Beach, April • pastel
The Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History announces its newest exhibit, Pathways Through our Parks, an extensive series of pastel and acrylic paintings highlighting nearly 30 of Santa Cruz’s parks, open spaces and beaches by local artist Ann Elizabeth Thiermann.
Over 30 paintings — produced over the past five years — will showcase the many paths and waterways that flow throughout Santa Cruz County and into the Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary. Pathways Through our Parks opens to the public Saturday, October 6 at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, with a Members-only reception held on Friday, October 5.
The San Lorenzo Giant, Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park, September • acrylic and pastel
Thiermann intends for the pieces to showcase local flora and fauna, explore the interconnectedness of our lands and entice others to both visit parks they’ve never seen and seek new views of familiar areas.
“When people see my park pathway paintings,” Thiermann said, “I hope they’ll experience my gratitude for the beauty of our local parks and be inspired to grab their map and hiking shoes, then set out to explore another local park treasure.”
Thiermann’s pieces are throughout Santa Cruz, from the colorful landscape in Downtown’s Pearl Alley to the Quiroste mural at the UCSC Native American Indian Resource Center. She has produced more than 70 murals for natural history and art museums, nature and cultural centers, and the City of Santa Cruz.
“We’re so excited for this partnership with Ann,” said Ami Davis, the Museum’s Development Manager and exhibit curator for Pathways.
“This series is so expansive, capturing intimate details from Santa Cruz’s Sandhills, redwoods, beaches, and more. It’s a wonderful way to showcase our county’s rich natural history,” Davis added.
The gallery features views as far north as Big Basin down to Sunset Beach in Watsonville. The works will be on display at the Museum, along with Thiermann’s new book featuring additional paintings with extended text on local and natural history.
“This project helped me to discover new corners of Santa Cruz’s parks through the artist’s eye,” Thiermann said. “Learning about each locale’s natural and social history, as well as its flora and fauna allowed me to capture the area’s unique spirit through keen observation. Creating this series has been a rich hiking, educational, and artistic experience.”