Museum exhibit about laundry, murder, and water reflect Ventura County’s dynamic history

VENTURA, Calif. — Ventura County turned 150 years old this year and the county museum is highlighting the area's rich history.

Visitors to the Museum of Ventura County can now check out three new exhibits: Spin Cycle: Unfolding the Science of Laundry, The Murder of Tom More: A True Crime Story, and Proximity to Water: Works from MVC’s Permanent Collection.

They touch on very different topics— from the science of laundry to a true crime story. 

"The story ends with one man being murdered and one man being sent to prison in San Quentin," said Research Library and Archives Director Deyaterra Faranca.

But the common thread uniting them is their connection to water, land, power and control.

"The laundry exhibit talks about how we use water in our everyday lives. And then the murder of Tom Moore is an exhibit about our fight for water in this area by different groups," said Faranca.

Each exhibit also talks about shared experiences. 

"Everyone does laundry. Most everyone, I'm sure, has been to the beach in Santa Barbara or Ventura County. And everyone has a stake in how this land is developed into the future. So we're looking at 150 years of history as we celebrate this big anniversary for us. But we're also looking at ‘Where do we want to be in 150 years?" said Faranca.

The exhibits are designed to be inclusive, accessible, and interactive. 

"All the exhibitions we do at the museum are bilingual," said Chief Museum Curator Carlos Ortega.

Each of the exhibits has an interactive component to them. At the end of the Tom Moore murder exhibit, guests get to chime in with their opinions of who they think was right in this battle for land and water usage. The "wall that talks back" features Post-it notes with different opinions ranging from "justice for Tom" to "Greed in a nutshell."

Museum workers hope these exhibits spark a greater conversation about navigating conflict and the distribution of resources in the modern day.

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