President’s Message: What We Choose to Carry Forward

As we mark one year since the Eaton Fire, many in our region are still navigating the long and often uneven path of recovery. For The Huntington, this moment has prompted deeper reflection on what it means to serve as a place of preservation, learning, and refuge in a community experiencing profound loss. The accompanying feature, “Sanctuary Amid the Ashes: Five Lessons One Year After the Eaton Fire,” chronicles some of the ways the past year has reshaped that responsibility. From architectural archives that helped residents rebuild their homes to Octavia E. Butler’s journals and Parable novels that offered a language for resilience, our collections became blueprints—both literal and imaginative—for recovery. They provided seeds for survival—sometimes deeply personal resources for communities to carry their stories into the future, particularly in times of existential distress.   

But the past year made something equally clear: The Huntington’s ability to rise to moments of crisis depends not only on its collections, but on the steady, skilled people who care for them. When rescued Torah scrolls arrived wrapped in beach towels, when residents searching for lost architectural records needed guidance, when our gardens absorbed the impact of devastating winds, and when neighbors turned to art and literature to make sense of what had happened—our staff responded with expertise, compassion, and an unwavering sense of responsibility. 

These experiences underscored something essential: in times of disruption, people look to institutions they trust. Over the past year, that trust has deepened. Across the Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, and every corner of this organization, staff helped stabilize endangered materials, guided residents seeking answers, and kept the grounds open as a place to regroup. Their commitment demonstrated how cultural stewardship extends beyond preservation to responding to the evolving needs of our community.  

As we look ahead, we know that the challenges facing our region will not be singular or short-lived. Our task is to continue strengthening The Huntington’s capacity to support our neighbors, safeguard cultural memory, and tend the living collections that make this institution a refuge for so many.  

In Butler’s Parable of the Sower, the main character says, “I think we should make emergency packs—grab and run packs—in case we need to get out of here in a hurry.” Many in our community had no such chance—either for basic necessities or cherished belongings.  Yet what survives a fire is not only what is saved. It is the meaning we choose to carry forward—through the stories we chronicle and through our work, our relationships, and our commitments to one another. I am deeply grateful to our staff, visitors, neighbors, and supporters who have helped define that responsibility over the past year.