Abbreviation WMofC Founder Mary Maschal Phone +1 619-233-7963 | Formation 1983 Founded at Golden Hill, San Diego | |
Type Non governmental organization Purpose museum of women's history Address Liberty Station, 2730 Historic Decatur Rd #206, San Diego, CA 92106, USA Hours Open today · 12–4PMWednesday12–4PMThursday12–4PMFriday12–4PMSaturday12–4PMSunday12–4PMMondayClosedTuesdayClosedSuggest an edit Similar Visions Art Museum, Point Loma - San Diego, ARTS DISTRICT Liberty St, Veterans Museum and Mem, Barona Cultural Center Profiles | ||
3 sisters promote u women s museum of california
The Women's Museum of California (WMofC) is a nonprofit museum located in San Diego, California and dedicated to women's history. It was first organized under the names the Women's History Reclamation Project and then the Women's History Museum and Educational Center. It was founded in 1983. In addition to exhibits and programs offered, the WMofC also co-founded and hosts the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame. The museum is located at Liberty Station and has exhibit space, archives, a library and a store that features items made exclusively by women. Other museum offerings include speakers and monthly lecture series.
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3 sisters promote u women s museum of california
History
The museum had its roots with the women's rights activist, Mary B. Maschal who collected items from women's history in her home. The home had formally belonged to a suffragist, Veronica Burke. Maschal had been collecting artifacts relating to women's history since the 1970s. She finally opened her collection to the public in 1983, naming it the Women's History Reclamation Project (WHRP). Maschal felt a passion for collecting artifacts because of her "own disappointment over the lack of knowledge about women's history among the younger generation." Maschal also received a grant in 1984 in order to conduct and collect oral history interviews.
Maschal moved her collection to the Art Union Building in Golden Hill in 1997. Maschel died in 1998, and Sue Gonda took over the museum. In 2000, the museum sponsored a Women's History Poetry contest, which was held at the same time as an exhibit titled In Our Own Voice: women's History through Women's Poetry. The museum co-created the San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2003, the project changed its name to the Women's History Museum and Educational Center (WHMEC).
The Women's History Museum and Educational Center changed its name again, this time to the Women's Museum of California (WMofC) in 2011. They concurrently updated the museum logo. WMC also moved to the Liberty Station Promenade in Point Loma in 2012. The new location was three times larger than their former location at Golden Hill.
Helen Hawkins Memorial Library and Research Archive
Part of the museum is a library and archive. The Helen Hawkins Memorial Library and Research Archive includes books and several special collections. Part of the special collections is the Alice Park Archive which collects artifacts from the women's suffrage movement from the late 19th century and early 20th century. The special collections also include papers documenting the career of Lucy Killea, a collection of materials relating to the UN Conference on the Status of Women and the Neff-LeClair Collection of period women's clothing dating from the 18th century on.
San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame
The Hall of Fame was created in 2001, partly through the WMofC and other organizations. Some organizations that have partnered with WMofC for the hall of fame include the Girl Scouts, MANA, A National Latina Organization and Executive Women International. In other years, other groups, such as the Commission on the Status of Women, San Diego State University's department of Women's Studies and the Women's Center of the University of California, San Diego have participated. Inductions into the hall of fame take place during Women's History Month. Each year about five women are inducted.
The San Diego County Women's Hall of Fame mission is "to acknowledge and honor women who have significantly contributed to the quality of life and who have made outstanding volunteer contributions in San Diego County."