History of the Bolinas Museum & Museum Buildings
From the beginning, the Bolinas Museum has been nurtured by generous supporters and the volunteers who contribute their time, money and diverse skills to make this Museum such a success. Families and individuals donate historic material to be preserved for posterity and invited artists have contributed exceptional works. Donations, whether as major donors, single memberships or a dollar in the donation box, are important to us. It is because of volunteers, dedicated staff and public support that the museum is able to continue to offer excellent exhibitions and programs and to continue to have free admission to the galleries and our public events.
The Story of the Bolinas Museum
The Bolinas Museum was established by David Van Dusen (left) and Craig Ayliffe in 1983 as the Bolinas Memorial Museum. Both men owned historical Bolinas buildings and knew families whose roots went back to the first Bolinas settlers. They saw the need to have a repository for preserving and sharing this history. Townspeople immediately responded by contributing historically significant objects, photographs, and memorabilia that are the core of today’s history collection.
Though the new incorporated museum was housed in a tiny building, Craig as Director/ Curator, mounted sophisticated exhibitions of both historical objects and 19th Century art. He did extensive research and organized events and educational talks. David gathered histories and objects for the collection, raised money and awakened people to the importance of preserving and sharing the town’s history.
The dynamic Board of Directors, was joined by Joan Bertsch who served as financial organizer until 2006. A leader in developing the museum, Margi De Greeve contributed many treasures from her family whose Bolinas history stretched back to the 1860s. She and energetic Peggy Duncan established a popular thrift store to support the little museum.
About that same time, Ray Moritz and Dotty Le Mieux founded the Bolinas Historical Society. Endless hours went into assembling an invaluable collection of images, oral histories and materials. With that research Dotty produced the Bolinas Historical Quarterly. As the Museum grew, the Historical Society donated its collection and continued to contribute to the history archives.
In time, when David Van Dusen and Craig Ayliffe each moved from Bolinas for other pursuits, they left behind a thriving museum, a gift to the community. Original Board members, Margi De Greeve and Sandy Madgid, guided the museum into its next phase.
It was sculptor Joyce Clements, as President of the Board of Directors, who expanded the scope of the Museum to include art and brought in a coveted national grant. Recognizing the wealth of talented local artists, the Museum’s mission statement was revised in 1988 to include Coastal Marin artists. Joyce also established The Living Artist Project, listing local artists and providing regular exhibits in a side room of Gallery Route One in Point Reyes Station. At that time, she and the Board invited Linda Samuels to become the museum’s curator. Though the museum was housed in a building that was approximately 8’x15’, Linda created both art and history exhibitions that drew a growing and appreciative audience.
In 1988, Ewan Macdonald had restored the complex of historic buildings that now house the museum. (see below) Ewan offered the little museum a new gallery space in the main building, saying “yes” was the commitment to become a professional museum. The Bolinas Museum's grand opening in 1989 revealed a handsome one-room gallery; the Museum’s Thrift and Gift store moved into the adjacent building. To organize the history collection, Sara Pusey, Superintendent of Bolinas- Stinson School, stepped in as archivist. Linda Samuels created exhibitions that ranged from fine art to environmental and historic issues and established a tradition of popular fund raising events that have continued to be successful into the 21st Century. In 1993 Linda left the museum to pursue other career interests.
After an interim, Dolores Richards became the Executive Director and proved to be a visionary, developing the Museum as we know it today. In 1996, when Ewan Macdonald offered to sell the building complex, Dolores led a capital campaign that had legendary success. Before her retirement, she oversaw the final payment on the mortgage. Many people gave significant donations to ensure that this goal came to fruition and the Museum now has its own home and footprint in downtown Bolinas. Dolores expanded the exhibition space into five gallery spaces--several supported by individual donations-- including space devoted to Coastal Marin artist exhibitions and the popular history room where history buff Phil Frank created exhibits for that room for over a decade. Dolores also established the Museum's Permanent Collection of locally relevant fine art and photography. Several Board members were invaluable in this period of development: Sue Wright, Timothy Maxon, Jim and Beth Wintersteen, Ralph Camiccia and Sally Robertson. In June of 2006, after 12 years, Dolores retired as Executive Director of the Bolinas Museum. She had guided the evolution of a small-town museum supported by a thrift store, to its current polished standard of professionalism and reputation for excellence.
In 2006, Lucy Van Sands Seeburg (Vandy) became Executive Director.
A long time Bolinas resident, she brought a background in the arts, and heart-felt dedication to continued excellence and development of the organization. One of Vandy's first actions was to renovate the Museum's history room with funds donated in the memory of Amy Jordan, who spent most of her ninety-plus summers in Bolinas. At the crowded opening celebration for the new light-filled exhibition space, descendents of old Bolinas families gathered for a happy reunion. Vandy enlivened the use of the courtyard with free concerts and dynamic events that drew in members of the local communities and visitors from far and wide. She is instrumental in bringing special exhibitions to the Museum, applies her fine aesthetic to every element of the museum’s operation.
Assistant Director and History Curator Elia Haworth, who joined the staff in 1999, serves many facets of the organization including creating the history room installations and exhibits. Elia welcomes and informs visitors as she manages the museum on weekends. In 2008, artist Dieter Tremp, a master of exhibit installation, joined the staff as Curator of Exhibitions. Christine Borg joined the staff as Office Manager and Registrar. With her gift for organizing and background in the arts, she manages office matters, the Permanent Collection and the history archives. The small staff and Board members work together to bring diverse high quality exhibitions and events to the community and visitors. Volunteers serve as Board Members, docents, event volunteers, researchers, historians, guest curators, organizers, project workers, exhibitors, and much more. All contribute to this thriving Museum and membership continues to grow.
Bolinas Museum's Historic Buildings
The Museum’s complex of historic buildings is the stage for our visitors' experience. They house our five galleries, a suite of offices, art and history archives storage and spaces for other community businesses. These buildings have their own interesting stories that date back to the late 1800s at a time when Bolinas was a little town growing around it's embarcadero with an economy that was, until 1933, dependent on busy schooner traffic between Bolinas and the markets of San Francisco. These structures have served the community for many purposes including as saloon and boarding house, meat market with post office, antiques store, county library, restaurant, water department office, surf board fabrication shop, woodshop, beauty salon, galleries, art studios, offices, stores, apartments and more.
Over the decades, Bolinas residents have picked up and moved many of the town's buildings including the Museum’s structures. This photograph shows the original setting of our buildings. Left, the big saloon with its distinctive doorway facing the street corner. After the 1906 earthquake, the little market building (right) was moved behind the saloon and today it serves as our Photography and Coastal Marin Artists galleries. In 1935, it was Henry Hoirup who had the big saloon building picked up and rotated ninety degrees, to join it to a hotel that had been built next door. Today, visitors enter the main gallery through that corner doorway, which is now in the courtyard.
By 1988, this complex of buildings had suffered from years of neglect. Empty and rotted, it was put up for sale and seemed fated to be torn down. But, Ewan Macdonald understood the importance of preserving historic structures. Bolinas downtown architecture, with a handful of more modern exceptions, dates from between 1851 to early 1900s - and a few from the 1920s. Ewan purchased the complex and oversaw its challenging and massive restoration. He also created the lovely courtyard where there had been a rubbish filled swamp. The result is the handsome buildings that anchor the corner of downtown Bolinas.
It was a significant gift to the community.
As the restoration neared completion, Ewan offered little Bolinas Museum the large room in the main building. Linda Samuels helped design a floating display wall that provided separate space for art and history exhibitions in the same room. The Museum opened there in 1989, supported by it’s thrift shop across the courtyard.
In 1996 Executive Director Dolores Richards led a successful capital campaign for the Museum to purchase the entire complex. Many people gave significant donations to ensure that this goal came to fruition. Dolores expanded the museum to five galleries, some facilitated by designated financial gifts:
-The Floyd Russell Family History Room, for Bolinas history, was established with the support of Susie Russell Buell, who spent much of her youth in Bolinas and named the room for her family parental family.
-The Helene Sturdivant Mayne Photography Gallery was the gift of Lesly Mayne with his daughter Chrissie Mayne Crawford and son, Stephen Mayne. Their family has owned their Bolinas house since 1901. Helene was a noted pictorialist photographer.
-The Margaret Greene Permanent Collection Gallery is supported by the John A. Sellon Family at the behest Jefferey Sellon, as a gallery to exhibit selections from the Museum’s permanent collection. Jeffrey named the room in honor of a woman who was renowned in Marin County and Bolinas as a social activist and remarkable character.
-The Wintersteen Courtyard is a gift from James and Beth Wintersteen, long-time supporters of the arts, and who were instrumental during the development of the Bolinas Museum. The lovely courtyard is a welcoming place for locals and visitors to relax, and is used for many courtyard events.
-The courtyard’s Japanese maple trees and their enclosure benches were gifts from Dr. Herman Schwartz and his artist wife Leah Schwartz, art collectors David and Mary Bromwell, and from Margaret Greene in memory of her son Rogers Greene.
-David and Mary Bromwell also gifted the museum with the stone fountain by Welton Rotz that has become a centerpiece for the courtyard.
-The handsome stone-sculptured bench is a gift from the artist, sculptor Welton Rotz.
-Bay Area metal sculptor Carl Dern was commissioned to create the gate to the courtyard through a fund provided by Friends of Jeffery Ruesch as a memorial to a man who loved Bolinas.
-Carl Dern gave his sculpture “Chair” as a permanent installation.
-Gina’s Patio, between the main gallery and the photography/Coastal Marin Artists gallery, is a gift from Mimi Griffin Jones in memory of her granddaughter Gina Marin Monaco.
-The Macdonald Family gave all the welcoming benches that invite visitors to sit awhile.
-In front of the street-side double doors, handmade bricks display the names of generous donors who contributed to the capital campaign. Inside the Museum, a plaque honors major donors whose sizable donations led the way in purchasing the Museum's permanent home. The success of the capital campaign was aided by many
smaller donations as well.
During Dolores Richards' tenure as Director she enhanced the buildings by changing doorways, adding a floating wall, hardwood floor in the main gallery, an art storage room, a history-archive room, porches on exterior doors, the gateway, enclosing fence and courtyard storage. Each change was crafted to blend into the original structure. When Dolores retired she left the museum with newly painted and ready for the next chapter. When Lucy Van Sands Seeburg (Vandy) became Executive Director in 2006, she had hard wood floors installed in the rest of the galleries, conservation-oriented changes to the Permanent Collection gallery and, with a memorial fund honoring Amy Jordan, Vandy renovated the history room, creating a fresh, expanded exhibition space.
Maintaining buildings originally constructed more then one-hundred years ago is demanding, expensive and on-going. During the Museum’s 2011 Art Auction, auctioneer Mark Buell directed a reverse auction specifically to raise money for maintaining the buildings. Guests responded with enthusiasm, contributing to the continuing care for these lovely old structures. The historic complex of buildings is certainly the jewel in the Museum’s permanent collection, welcoming locals and visitors from all over the world.
