Food and Family
2026
January 28 – ongoing
Food & Family is presented in the museum’s Quinn Gallery, established under a partnership with the Quinn Research Center, an archive for Black Family History.
Curators: Santa Monica History Museum and the Quinn Research Center
QUINN GALLERY EXHIBITION
Food & Family:
Intercultural Traditions in Santa Monica
Food & Family traces the impact of the Great Migration and global immigration on Santa Monica’s culinary landscape. Through the lens of shared meals, recipes, and community gatherings, the exhibition examines how food fosters a sense of belonging, connection, and cultural continuity.
Drawn from the archives of the Quinn Research Center and the Santa Monica History Museum, Food & Family features photographs, oral histories, cookbooks, utensils, maps, and other materials that reveal how everyday cooking helped define home and identity for generations of Santa Monica residents.
By examining the intersections of migration, memory, and culinary tradition, Food & Family provides new insight into Santa Monica’s cross-cultural history. The exhibition underscores how cooking and sharing food—whether within families or across neighborhoods—remain vital expressions of community and identity.
Share your favorite recipe or food memory with us …
“This exhibition reminds us that food unites people from all walks of life. It not only provides nourishment but can be a bridge to bring cultures and generations together to see ourselves as part of a larger community.”
-Carolyn Edwards, Co-Founder, Quinn Research Center
