The show traces the influence of the Great Migration and global immigration on the city’s food culture, highlighting how movement, memory and resilience shaped local culinary practices
A new exhibition exploring the role of food in shaping cultural identity and community is now on view at the Santa Monica History Museum.
Titled Food & Family: African American and Intercultural Traditions in Santa Monica, the exhibition examines how everyday cooking, shared meals and culinary traditions have connected families and neighborhoods across generations.
The show traces the influence of the Great Migration and global immigration on the city’s food culture, highlighting how movement, memory and resilience shaped local culinary practices.
The exhibition is presented in the museum’s Quinn Gallery and focuses on African American and intercultural food traditions that developed through family recipes, community gatherings and neighborhood foodways. Organizers say it also highlights the creativity and resourcefulness of middle-class home cooks whose traditions continue to influence Santa Monica’s diverse food landscape.
In addition to family and cultural traditions, the exhibition explores mutual aid and grassroots food initiatives, documenting how residents used food as a means of support, care and community-building.
“This exhibition reminds us that food unites people from all walks of life,” said Carolyn Edwards, co-founder of the Quinn Research Center. “Food not only provides nourishment — it can be a bridge, bringing cultures and generations together and helping us see ourselves as part of a larger community.”
Museum officials said the exhibition offers insight into Santa Monica’s cross-cultural history by examining the intersections of migration, memory and food. The show emphasizes how cooking and sharing meals — within families and across neighborhoods — have helped sustain social bonds and a sense of belonging.
Food & Family is now open to the public at the Santa Monica History Museum, located at 1350 7th St. The museum is open Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., and Fridays through Sundays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
