galleries
From the Monterey Peninsula’s sand-swept beaches to the bucolic fields and hills of the Salinas Valley, the artist-friendly towns of Monterey County have been attracting painters, photographers and dreamers for more than a century. Their legacy lives on in over 100 local art galleries.
Alvarado Gallery
Rotating shows are curated by the city of Monterey. Monterey Conference Center, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey, 646-3991.
Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
The home of the mystic works of painter/poet Jeanne D’Orge, plus other works by emerging regional artists. Fourth and Guadalupe, Carmel. 624-7491.
Carmel Art Association
Established in 1927, Carmel’s oldest art gallery is owned and operated as a collective by leading Monterey Peninsula artists. A variety of media and styles by member artists is displayed in a historic tree-shaded building. Dolores between Fifth and Sixth, Carmel, 624-6176.
Center For Photographic Art
One of the West Coast’s leading photo galleries and arts organizations, with regular juried and group shows. Sunset Center, San Carlos and Ninth, Carmel, 625-5181.
Coast Gallery
Big Sur’s showplace for Central Coast art and American master crafts features prints and watercolors by literary legend Henry Miller. Two locations: three miles south of Nepenthe Restaurant, Highway 1, Big Sur, 667-2301; 17-Mile Drive at the Lodge, Pebble Beach, 624-2002.
Gallery Sur
This gallery specializes in fine color and black-and-white photography by local and national artists, including a permanent collection of Helmut Horn (famous for Big Sur landscapes). Dolores and Sixth, Carmel, 626-2615.
Hanson Gallery
Well-known artists Frederick Hart and Roy Fairchild are featured at this gallery with its extensive selection of contemporary oils, acrylics, sculptures and limited edition serigraphs. Ocean between Dolores and San Carlos, Carmel, 625-6142.
Hauk Fine Arts
Early and contemporary California art, from artists of today such as Belle Yang and Gregory Kondos to historic painters such as Armin Hansen. 206 Fountain Ave., Pacific Grove, 373-6007.
Hawthorne Gallery
A large collection of contemporary art in a spectacular Big Sur setting. Includes sculpture, paintings, blown glass, ceramics, jewelry, wood, and metal pieces, with artwork by the multi-talented Hawthorne family as well as selected national artists. 48485 Highway 1 (across from Nepenthe), Big Sur, 667-3200.
Lisa Coscino Gallery
Blending work by locals with artists from San Francisco and Los Angeles, this gallery brings some of the cultural sophistication of a big city to our corner of the world. 216 Grand Ave., Pacific Grove, 646-1939.
Monterey Museum of Art
Rotating exhibits of contemporary and international art are exhibited alongside works from the museum’s permanent collection of California and regional artists. Photography, graphics, international folk and ethnic art are also featured. 559 Pacific St., Monterey, 372-5477; La Mirada annex, 720 Via Mirada, Monterey, 372-3689.
Outer Edge Studio
A fresh new batch of cutting edge pop artists every six weeks, plus DJs, live music, intelligent conversation and a few other surprises. 146 Bonifacio Pl., Monterey, 655-2788.
Pacific Grove Art Center
With 10 major openings a year, four spacious galleries feature sculpture, painting, photography and a variety of media, as well as a full range of art classes. 568 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove, 375-2208.
Possibilities Art Studio & Gallery
Featuring local and national artists working in a variety of mediums. Ask about private art lessons and painting parties. 311A Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, 643-9392.
PK Fine Artifacts
This expansive gallery and showroom offers a wondrous stroll through fine furnishings and artifacts from around the world. 425 Elder Ave., Sand City, 583-0800.
Richard MacDonald/Dawson Cole Fine Art
Exhibiting the finest in contemporary figurative bronze sculpture, paintings and drawings by artists Richard MacDonald, Robert Heindel, Henry Moore and Jian Wang. San Carlos between Fifth and Sixth Streets, Carmel, 800-972-5528.
Red Mill Studio and Gallery
Specializing in folk art and antique bird decoys. 170B Grand Ave., Pacific Grove, 375-1146.
Robert Lewis Gallery
This little gallery in the heart of Pacific Grove features the plein air oil landscapes of Monterey Peninsula artist Robert Lewis. 210 1/2 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. 333-9046.
Rodrigue Studio
Intense colors and the mesmerizing gaze of the Blue Dog characterize the art of George Rodrigue. Sixth between Lincoln and Dolores, Carmel, 626-4444.
Simic New Renaissance Galleries
Four locations feature the works of more than 300 artists, with landscapes, seascapes, still-life and figurative paintings. San Carlos and Sixth, Carmel, 624-7522.
Trajan Gallery
Paintings, monoprints and serigraphs by gallery artists from around the world. Ocean at San Carlos, Carmel, 625-4388.
Valley Art Gallery
Salinas Valley artists’ cooperative holds regular shows by members. 218 Main St., Oldtown Salinas, 422-4162.
Valley Girls
Gallery in sunny Carmel Valley showcases oil paintings, watercolors, photography, jewelry and sculpture by local artisans. 13766 Center St., Carmel Valley, 659-2441.
Venture Gallery
Artists’ co-op gallery features works by local artists in various media. 260 Alvarado Mall, in the Portola Plaza Hotel, Monterey, 372-6279.
Weston Gallery
The country’s second-oldest photo gallery helped put the West Coast school of photography on the map. A superlative collection of definitive works by Ansel Adams, Edward, Brett and Cole Weston are on display, as well as new imagery by the next generation of photographic masters. Sixth between Dolores and Lincoln, Carmel, 624-4453.
White Oak Gallery
Seascapes and landscapes by American and European painters are showcased in this Carmel Valley gallery, which also has a variety of sculpture, jewelry and gourd art. 1 W. Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, 659-4451.
Winfield Gallery
An eclectic selection of contemporary artwork featuring regional and nationally known artists. Dolores between Ocean and Seventh, Carmel, 624-3369.
theater
For a small area, Monterey County has a particularly active theater scene, with several college and community theaters as well as an Equity company providing a constant program of entertainment.
Bruce Ariss Wharf Theater
Popular musicals presented in a tourist-friendly setting on Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf, 649-2332.
El Teatro Campesino
An outgrowth of agit-prop theater born during the farmworker labor struggles of the 1960s, Luis Valdez’s lauded company presents Mexican-American-themed works in historic San Juan Bautista. 705 Fourth St., San Juan Bautista, 623-2444.
Forest Theater
Shakespeare and classics “under the stars” every summer at Carmel’s rustic, 100-year-old outdoor theater; fall through spring. Mountain View and Santa Rita, Carmel, 626-1681.
Monterey Peninsula College Theater Company
Monterey Peninsula’s junior college draws from the community at large for its Main Stage shows “ mainly popular American and British plays “ and its smaller, outreach productions in the tiny SRO Theater. 980 Fremont Blvd., Monterey, 646-4213.
Pacific Repertory Theater
The Peninsula’s Equity company presents contemporary and classic productions on the historic Golden Bough main stage and downstairs in the intimate Circle Theater, along with a summer Shakespeare Festival. Monte Verde between Eighth and NInth, Carmel. 622-0100.
Unicorn Theater
This small but critically regarded company puts on new and edgy productions, usually at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Guadalupe at Fourth, Carmel, 649-0259.
Western Stage at Hartnell College
This fine summer stock theater company puts on a wide range of shows, from full-scale musicals to original adaptations of John Steinbeck novels. 156 Homestead Ave., Salinas, 755-6816.
museums and special interest venues
The stirring beauty of the Monterey Peninsula has been a beacon of creative inspiration for writers and artists since it was settled. Museums and historic homes devoted to their work, and to the area’s rich natural resources, delight visitors and locals on a daily basis.
Henry Miller Memorial Library
A small wood-frame house donated in 1981 to the Big Sur Land Trust is now an independent nonprofit arts organization with a large collection of photographs, memorabilia, and books from Miller’s library. Regular music and performance art occur on the library lawn. Highway 1, five miles south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Big Sur, 667-2574.
Maritime Museum
Displays of model ships, navigational equipment, and a restored captain’s cabin from Monterey’s maritime past are displayed at this museum overlooking the bay and waterfront. 5 Custom House Plaza, Monterey, 373-2469.
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Recently named the country’s best aquarium, Monterey’s live window onto the bay highlights the richness and diversity of Northern California marine life. 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, 648-4888.
Monterey State Historic Park
Discover the birthplace of European history in Alta California with a visit to the beautifully restored adobe homes, historic buildings, and gardens nestled throughout downtown Monterey. Eleven 19th-century structures, including California’s First Theater and original Customs House, can be toured. Pick up brochures at 20 Custom House Plaza, Monterey, 649-7118.
National Steinbeck Center
The National Steinbeck Center celebrates all aspects of the life of Nobel Prize-winning author John Steinbeck, with a permanent gallery displaying interactive text and film exhibits on his life and literary works. The Center also features the “Valley of the World” agricultural wing, original manuscripts and photographs in archives for research by appointment. 1 Main St., Oldtown Salinas, 796-3833.
Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
This small but fascinating museum is a great place to take the kids to learn more about ecology and natural diversity. A unique display of local birds and animals provides a glimpse of the beauty and fragility of the area’s non-human residents. 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove, 648-5716.
Point Pinos Lighthouse
This is the oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast, with rooms furnished as they were in the Civil War and 1940s. Tours available Thurs-Sun. Asilomar and Ocean View, Pacific Grove, 648-5716.
Point Sur Lighthouse
On a craggy, wind-tossed point 20 miles south of Carmel in Big Sur is an operating turn-of-the-century lighthouse. Guided three-hour tours only. Call for schedule. Highway 1, Big Sur, 625-4419.
Tor House and Hawk Tower
This monument to poet Robinson Jeffers is one of California’s most significant literary landmarks. Built largely by Jeffers himself from granite and rough boulders carried from the ocean below, the farmhouse and imposing tower with lovely gardens contain original furnishings and Jeffers memorabilia. 26304 Ocean View near Stewart Way, Carmel, 624-1813.
