Building Bridges Across Time & Cultures: Anima Mundi & SBMNH
The history of collaboration between the Vatican Ethnological Museum (today Anima Mundi) and the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH) can be traced back to 1984, when SBMNH Curator of Anthropology Travis Hudson, Ph.D., visited Rome to meet with Vatican Missionary Ethnological Museum Head Curator Fr. Joseph Penkowski SVD. Together, Hudson and Penkowski examined objects from California Indigenous communities firsthand, documenting material culture. Although no Chumash baskets were identified, Hudson recognized several baskets from other communities, including Pomo, Paiute and Miwok, contributing to the process of recontextualizing and understanding the collections at the Vatican.
Four decades later, this bridge of dialogue and mutual sharing was renewed and strengthened by the visit of Anima Mundi Curatorial Assistant Romina Cometti. In August, Cometti joined the informal monthly gathering of Central Coast Basketweavers* during her personal summer vacation—what some might call a “busman’s holiday.”
The visit, like Hudson’s before hers, underscores the living nature of collaboration between institutions and communities across continents. Under the guidance of Head Curator Prof. Nadia Fiussello, Ph.D., and with colleagues Jean François Genotte and Cometti, Anima Mundi today pursues Pope Francis’ vision of welcoming “the spirit of each culture.” Through ongoing exchanges with institutions such as SBMNH, Anima Mundi fulfills its mission of Reconnection: establishing patterns of collaboration with Indigenous communities in order to promote better respect, understanding, and conservation of their cultural expressions (if you would like to know more about Anima Mundi check out the Vatican Museums official website!).
Inspired by the work of Curator Emeritus of Ethnography Jan Timbrook, Ph.D., on the SBMNH exhibition Chumash Basketry: Art and Life, Cometti sought to witness the living traditions behind the baskets. During her stay, she was honored to meet Chumash weavers Susanne Hammel-Sawyer, Samantha Sandoval, and Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto, whose works are featured in the exhibition, which houses the world’s largest Chumash basket collection. Guided by Dr. Timbrook, she explored the exhibit, where baskets are presented alongside the voices and faces of their makers. Her itinerary extended beyond SBMNH to the Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center and the sacred Chumash Painted Cave State Historic Park.
The relationship between Anima Mundi and SBMNH continues to grow, carrying forward a tradition of mutual respect, learning, and preservation that began a long time ago. This dialogue is not only a reflection of the past but also a promise for the future: to build meaningful and long-lasting bridges that honor cultural heritage while fostering shared understanding across the world.
*Learn more about the basketweaving group in A Chumash Basket Returns to Chumash Land.
Top photo: Romina Cometti visits the Central Coast Basketweavers group in August 2025. (L-R:) Patricia Anna Campbell, Ernestine Ygnacio-De Soto, Susanne Hammel-Sawyer, Romina Cometti, Gina Unzueta, Jan Timbrook, Samantha Sandoval
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