Museum of Ventura County seeks more partnership with Oxnard for oral histories and exhibits

The Museum of Ventura County presented to the council on its collections, school‑tour programs and outreach, asking for deeper collaboration with Oxnard to record oral histories and preserve local artifacts. The museum representative (introduced on the agenda as Barbara Bernard Smith, chief executive director) said museum collections include more than 900 digital items that reference Oxnard and that past city support — a $25,000 contract in 2024 — funded satellite exhibits and community grants.

The presenter described school‑tour programs that serve many Oxnard students and noted that Title I schools receive free buses through grant funding. The museum said its paid internship program provides living‑wage work for students and that exhibits and sponsorships have increased attendance.

Council members thanked the museum and asked about upcoming exhibits that interpret labor history; the presenter said the museum plans an exhibit on the Japanese Mexican Labor Association and the sugar‑beet strike in two years and invited residents to contribute photos and oral histories via a QR code. The council received the presentation; no formal action was required.