“Showing their Levi’s” postcard from the California Rodeo Salinas (July 13–16, 1939), 1939. Levi Strauss & Co. Archives
POSTPONED
ADMISSION: Free with advance registration. For more information or to register, email access@thecjm.org.
Join us for a guided tour of Levi Strauss: A History of American Style in American Sign Language (ASL) offered by Deaf guest docents Jim Brune and Jenny Cantrell. Voice interpretation provided by Patricia Lessard.
Image description: An American Sign Language (ASL) Interpreter is signing to a group of people on a tour. The interpreter points with his right index finger into his left open palm.
In 1873, at the end of the California Gold Rush, Levi Strauss & Co., named for a Bavarian Jewish dry goods merchant in San Francisco, obtained a U.S. patent with tailor Jacob Davis on the process of putting metal rivets in men’s denim work pants to increase their durability. It was the birth of the blue jean. The CJM original exhibition Levi Strauss: A History of American Style showcases the life of Levi Strauss, the invention of the blue jean, and their iconic place in the history of American style.
“Showing their Levi’s” postcard from the California Rodeo Salinas (July 13–16, 1939), 1939. Levi Strauss & Co. Archives
Deaf Guest Docent Jenny Cantrell has been dragged by her loving family to more museums than she can count, and is now an enthusiastic fan of museums. As a history teacher and art lover, she delights in making connections between disciplines, genres, and the past and the present.
Jim Brune is a Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI) who also works as an adjunct instructor at Ohlone College within the Deaf Preparation Program and the Interpreter Preparation Program. Jim has previously been a guest docent at the Legion of Honor, and has been a volunteer docent-in-training with the Elephant Seals ASL tours at Ano Nuevo State Park. A New Jersey native, Jim is an uncle to five nieces and nephews and is an avid tennis player who loves exploring the museums of the Bay Area. “Stay eternally curious” is his motto.
The CJM actively works to make The Museum a more welcoming environment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing audiences and artists of all ages. The Museum recognizes the significant contributions that Deaf and Hard of Hearing artists make to our Bay Area community, and is committed to bringing more visibility to these perspectives through our public programs and artist initiatives.
The CJM strives to provide a welcoming environment for all of our visitors. In addition to ample space for wheelchairs and a friendly environment for service animals, sign language interpretation in American Sign Language (ASL) can be scheduled for all programs with at least two weeks notice. FM assistive listening devices (ALDs) for sound enhancement are available for all talks and tours. Please note that we would like to maintain a scent-free environment, and we encourage visitors to refrain from using scented products out of respect for visitors with chemical sensitivities. For additional accommodation requests, please email access@thecjm.org or call 415.655.7856.
Access Programs are made possible by Leadership Support from Wells Fargo. Additional support is provided by a Senior Mobility Initiative grant from the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund and by the Morse Family Foundation.
Free First Tuesdays are made possible by major support from the Alexander M. & June L. Maisin Foundation of the Jewish Community Federation, Wells Fargo, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company.