Monterey Collects California

January 19 – April 30, 2023

Monterey Collects California presents a contemporary survey of pre-1945 California Art, drawn from over a dozen private collections and curated with select works from the Museum’s permanent collection. Recognizing the artistic impact of the pre-1945 era on the Monterey Peninsula, the exhibition celebrates the collectors in our community whose long-term stewardship has helped advance the legacy of California Art. Featuring select works rarely seen outside of private collection, Monterey Collects California expands on our region’s widely recognized history to present pre-1945 California Art as seen and experienced by the diverse community that activated it. The display includes a variety of painting, printmaking, sculpture, and furniture by artists such as Maxine Albro, E. Charlton Fortune, Armin Hansen, Xavier Martinez, Chiura Obata, Gottardo Piazzoni, William Ristchel, and Peggy Worthington. Composed of sweeping landscapes and anecdotal highlights, the described selection offers unexpected dimensionality in the form of illustrative and figurative painting, varied sculpture, and wistful photography, further identifying a vibrant stream of creative consciousness that has attracted artists to California’s Central Coast for over a century.

Monterey Collects California is on view January 19 – April 30, 2023. Please visit montereyart.org for more information.

The Monterey Museum of Art is deeply grateful to the dozens of area collectors who opened their doors to us to share their hidden treasures and subsequently make this unique exhibition possible.

Ann Whitman Chapman

Teresa and Eric Del Piero

Marie and Murray Demo

John and Patty Dilks

Scott Gale

Kate and Josh Hardy

Josh Hardy Galleries

Steve Hauk

Bill and Merrily Karges

George L. King II

David Ligare and Gary Smith

Susan and Allen Miller

The Bluezzman Collection

The James R. Parks Private Collection

Private Collection

Lila and James Thorsen

Paula and Terry Trotter, Trotter Galleries

Joaquin and Amelia Turner

Ronnie and Olivia Vannucci

Jacqueline and Tully Wiedman

Scott and Jane Whitman

To the area collectors that we were not able to reach, we invite you to contact us at curatorial@monterey.org.