CRM Mitigation Project: Palomar Ballroom Permanent Interpretive Exhibit & Oral History Documentation in San Jose
Client: iStar Financial Services, San Francisco, CA., 2013-2014
The demolition of the National Register listed Palomar Ballroom led to the creation of a permanent outdoor exhibit as a mitigation project. Expanding on the Historic Context developed in 2005, the traditions, political and personal events celebrated at this venue were documented through a series of oral history interviews and collections of personal archives with musicians, club managers, and guests. The sounds of the era and the role of the ballroom as a popular venue for the Mexican American community (including family events, social gatherings and fundraisers), were portrayed in a colorful set of interpretive panels mounted on the exterior of the new building. QR codes on each panel provide digital links to related video and music websites and historical archives.