The Vallejo Museum’s annual gala has a new vibe

VALLEJO — The theme for the Vallejo Museum’s annual fundraiser gala planned for Saturday presented itself when the museum board unearthed posters in the archives featuring jazz legends Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, museum board member Maria Stats said.

“Vallejo was the place. It wasn’t just Con Funk Shun and Sly and the Family Stone,” Stats said. “It goes so much deeper and so much farther back.”

Every piece of music that will be played at the event was performed or originated in Vallejo. For the first time, all of the sponsors are Vallejo-based, and all of the food and beverages served will be sourced from Vallejo. “So it's like a complete celebration of what we are, and that's the Vallejo Museum,” Stats said.

The gala will feature a DJ, a cocktail bar and full dinner, and both live and silent auctions. Stats says people shouldn’t mind the “black tie optional” designation. “It’s Vallejo. ‘Optional’ is fun in this town,” she said, noting the city’s large steampunk community.

The museum’s official name, Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, is a mouthful. That’s been shortened to “Vallejo Museum” in recent promotional materials to convey the museum’s broader mission.

“There's been a beautiful shift in recognizing that our history tells our future. With a community like ours, it is equally important to make sure that all cultures and people are represented,” Stats said. “Our new director has been bringing in the vibe change for the gala.”

Executive Director Trevor Allen, who took the role in February, said there has been a misconception for many years that the museum is only about the Navy. “Diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, all those things,” he said. “What we're trying to do is include everyone in the community.”

Allen said the museum welcomes guest curated shows like last month’s “Reflective Art of an Indigenous People” exhibit curated by Askari Sowonde, and the upcoming “Hispanic Heritage Month” exhibit curated by Mario Saucedo and Marisela Barbosa.

Stats said there’s no other local venue that’s monetarily accessible for groups like Ballet Folklorico Moon Azteca and the Chon Reneé Dance Academy. “We work hard to make sure that there's always at least one or two events a year where these people are featured and it costs them nothing,” Stats said.

The museum also supports the annual Visions of the Wild event and hosts comedy, music, spoken word and theatrical performances.

Allen said he welcomes new event proposals. “We're land rich and dirt poor. We have this wonderful building at our disposal,” Allen said. “We want to have content, we want to have shows, but that means I need more volunteers.”

If there’s a good community incentive behind a proposal Allen said they’ll try to make it happen for free. “If we can make some money for the museum, even a 50/50 split, we’ll often do that,” Allen said.

Stats said that the only time the museum says “no” to a good proposal is because of lack of funding and personnel.

This current approach to hosting community event providers at little or no charge is an about-face from changes proposed by former museum director Melinda McCrary, who ruffled some feathers during her brief tenure in 2022.

But finances remain tight. The museum received $20,000 from the city this year for operational expenses, for which Allen said he’s very appreciative. But the museum’s PG&E bill for February was $6,000. They’ve been able to bring that cost down by installing LED lighting and implementing other energy saving practices, but still estimate that it costs about $1,000 in utilities, staffing and other expenses for every day the museum is open.

Stats said that the museum relies on the public to come to the fundraisers and purchase museum memberships to support their work with the community, and especially to support learning opportunities for kids.

“We also are open for field trips. We will be restarting the young docent program that we had before the [COVID-19] shutdown,” Stats said. “We are here to make sure those Vallejo kids aren't on the streets and that they have other alternatives. That is a huge part of any museum in a community, is to educate.”

The museum’s research library contains documents and newspapers going back to the 1800s and is indispensable to journalists and historians.

Allen said he has a long list of things to accomplish, some that longtime director Jim Kern aspired to before his retirement in early 2022.  The list includes everything from revamping the museum’s website, procuring modern lighting for the theater, to working with Cal Maritime students. “We're getting there slowly but surely,” Allen said. “I think people have been responding really well.”

This Thursday the museum is hosting a free talk by author Marie Silva Valljeo about her book “Dauntless,” that tells of the U.S. Army’s 1st and 2nd Filipino Regiments who fought in the Philippines during World War II.

Museum admission is free on the third Saturday of each month. The Free Family day includes a story time reading and free books for kids.

“In terms of going forward, we're trying to embrace the best of the past, reflecting the 50 years that we've been here,” Allen said. “And going forward we're trying to embrace all the community and have them feel like this is their museum. That's why it's the Vallejo Museum.”

Editor's note: This story has been updated to credit Marisela Barbosa as a guest curator for the Hispanic Heritage Month exhibit.