For Women’s History Month, the San Bernardino County Museum (SBCM) is shining a spotlight on the women leaders making big impacts at the museum.
Tamara Serrao-Leiva is the chief deputy and curator of anthropology at SBCM. She currently oversees the curatorial team and museum collections, manages the exhibit development team and leads the museum’s upcoming accreditation process. As curator of anthropology, she also coordinates compliance of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA), consultations and repatriations with local indigenous tribes.
Since joining the museum in 2015, Serrao-Leiva has represented the museum at conferences and events including the California Association of Museums and her research has led to a published article in the Cambridge University Press titled, “Self-Reliance, and Pig Husbandry in Los Angeles Chinatown (1880–1933): New Evidence from Dental Calculus Analysis and Historical Records.”
Prior to coming to SBCM, Serrao-Leiva was an archaeologist with experience in both Europe and North America. She is a first generation Spanish American and was raised bilingual. After completing her master’s degree in Sevilla, Spain, she moved back to Redlands where she worked as a professional archaeologist at a local cultural resources management firm. She is also an active board member of the Redlands Conservancy, a local heritage preservation non-profit. She is happily married and raising a family in Redlands.
SBCM is located at 2024 Orange Tree Lane, at the California St. exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. General admission is $10 (adult), $8 (military or senior), $7 (student) and $5 (child ages 6 to 12). Children five and under and members are admitted free. Parking is free and the museum is accessible to persons with disabilities.
For more information, visit museum.sbcounty.gov or follow us on Facebook or Instagram.