Today we’d like to introduce you to Tommy Gelinas.
Hi Tommy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve been in t-shirt printing business since the late 80s, just about 20 years ago I started researching the valleys history. At that time, there was very little history on the Internet and only a handful of history books with recycled history and very repetitive of each other. Awesome history, but it did not tell the pop-culture history and how the Valley help shapes the nation. This is where the mission started.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
What started out as a hobby was actually a necessity. The valley has had no preservation or any group in place to protect our architecture and history that was left. As I started to promote pop-culture history, as far back as live journal, My Space and then the very humble beginnings of Facebook. I never planned on opening the museum, but the collection through community donations grew so quickly that I had run out of room. Financially The mission has always been a struggle as a lot of the items needed to be housed, restored and displayed.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My wife and I own one of the larger screen printing business is in the San Fernando Valley “The Print Lab” this is our main business to support ourselves and family. With working many late hours the research a Valley history became an obsession. After years of collecting and preserving the Valley Relics Museum became a nonprofit 501(c)(3). We have built a business and have provided jobs for the community to our T-shirt business. Valley Relics Museum is the only pop culture museum of its kind in the San Fernando Valley and Los Angeles area. With encompassing all valley history.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I believe the community of the San Fernando Valley has been a huge part of our success. We have collaborated with the City Council members and neighborhood Councils. A lot of our work has been educating the community through the arts, film and TV with CSUN, Film LA, Cal Arts and our local schools. We offer volunteer programs through the Valley Relics Museum. We’re always in need of Archivists, bloggers, photographers and fundraisers.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.valleyrelicsmuseum.org
- Instagram: valleyrelicsmuseum
- Facebook: valleyrelicsmuseum
Image Credits:
Valley Relics Museum
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