News

A seasoned museum educator and interdisciplinary scholar, Luarca-Shoaf brings extensive leadership experience in education program development and community engagement. She begins her new role on March 31.

The Huntington has acquired the archive of Italian-born artist Gusmano Cesaretti, a self-taught photographer renowned for capturing significant portraits of Southern California’s Mexican American community, incisive views of Los Angeles urban space, and set images for multiple Hollywood films.

The Huntington has awarded the 2025 Shapiro Book Prize to Ashley Brown for the biography “Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson.” The biennial prize, which includes a $10,000 cash award, honors an outstanding first scholarly monograph in American history and culture.

Cycads have withstood the test of time, surviving ravenous dinosaurs and ice ages. Today, however, habitat loss, poaching, and declining pollinator populations threaten their survival.

The Huntington expands access through Museums for All by offering $3 admission to individuals and families receiving SNAP benefits. Museums for All is a national initiative designed to encourage cultural engagement and museum attendance among people of all backgrounds.

Shannon McHugh and Brett Rushforth will work to broaden the institution’s scholarship and connect it with a more diverse global community.

The acquisitions include a 12th-century Chinese silk fan, an 18th-century French portrait, a bronze sculpture from the Harlem Renaissance, and a work in resin by a member of California’s Light and Space movement.

“Don Bachardy: A Life in Portraits” will feature more than 100 works of art and archival materials spanning over 70 years.