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Thursday 11am - 5pm Friday 11am - 5pm Saturday 11am - 5pm Sunday 11am - 5pm

Monterey Museum of Art

Name: Monterey Museum of Art
Address: 559 Pacific Street, Monterey, CA, 93940, US
Telephone: +18313725477
Price range: $
Rating: 4.7

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Monterey Museum of Art

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Monterey Museum of Art inspires creativity, connects communities, and celebrates the stories of California art.
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The Monterey Museum of Art encourages open dialogues on our social media pages. We encourage freedom of expression, and we ask that our online visitors are respectful of all other individuals and groups that are interacting on our social media pages. The Museum monitors comments on its pages, and reserves the right to review and remove comments that include misinformation, or comments that are inappropriate or derogatory in nature. Thank you for helping to advance the Museum as a place where all belong.

10/17/2026

Do you know about MMA's First Friday events? Stop by for FREE admission, after-hours access, food, drinks, art activities, and more! Join us at the next First Friday event on November 6, and the next Big Weekend event on December 4 – 6 with special Illuminado First Friday and Free Family Fun Day festivities ✨

Thank you to MMA's October Big Weekend sponsors Kenley Butler and Wally Sayles, and to Pop & Hiss Pacific Grove for the Rex Ray inspired DJ set!

10/16/2026

Artist in Focus: Dugan Aguilar (1947–2018)

A celebrated Indigenous photographer from the Mountain Maidu, Pit River, and Walker River Paiute tribes, Dugan Aguilar documented Indigenous communities throughout California and Nevada. His more than four decades of work has been celebrated and exhibited at Oakland Museum of California Art, the Ansel Adams Center for Photography, the Crocker Art Museum, Santa Clara University’s De Saisset Museum, and others.

An early passion for photography led Dugan Aguilar to further his studies at the University of Nevada, University of California Santa Cruz, and University of California Davis. He would also go on to study with acclaimed landscape photographer Ansel Adams. His photographs convey a wide spectrum of Native Californian culture and represent the resilience of generations. From portraits of Indigenous peoples and ceremony participants to veterans and basket weavers, Aguilar’s photographs convey the importance of community visibility. They serve as powerful reminders of ancestral knowledge and contemporary responsibilities, and radiate a sense of quiet but determined celebration and resistance.

You can see 𝘉𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘋𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳’𝘴 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢 on loan from Oakland Museum of California (OMCA) at MMA through December 20.

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Dugan Aguilar (1949-2018), 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 (𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘦), n.d., Reproduction of gelatin silver print, 8 x 10 in., Collection of the Oakland Museum of California. Gift of the family of Dugan Aguilar. 2021.7.1307_R

10/15/2026

Your Halloween collection highlight this week examines the otherworldly work of Jules Tavernier and his painting 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢’𝘶𝘮𝘢’𝘶, 𝘒ī𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘦𝘢.

As if straight out of a work of science fiction, this piece feels as though its from another planet. Violent gasses bubble and toil beneath the earth's surface, spitting molten rock upwards in violent bursts. A glowing ocean of red ruin flows as far as the eye can see, an alien scene beneath a familiar moon.

Jules Tavernier (1844-1889) was a French-American painter and illustrator. Employed by Harper's Magazine as an illustrator during the 1870's, Tavernier was sent to California to document the American frontier. He would eventually travel to Hawaii and be captivated by the sweeping volcanic landscapes — a subject that would inspire him for the rest of his life.
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Jules Tavernier (1844–1889), 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘏𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘢’𝘶𝘮𝘢’𝘶, 𝘒ī𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘦𝘢, c. 1887, oil on canvas, 18.75 x 36.88 in. Gift of Oscar and Trudy Lemer, 2003.044

10/14/2026

🎨 CALL FOR ARTISTS 🎨

Monterey Museum of Art is now accepting artist submissions for the 2027 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭! Contemporary artists living in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties are invited to submit their best work for entry.

Submission Period: October 1 – December 10, 2026
Notification of Acceptance: February 10, 2027
Exhibition Dates: June 24 – September 26, 2027

For more information, submission guidelines, and access to the online portal, visit https://www.montereyart.org/exhibition/monterey-biennial-1/!

10/13/2026

Join MMA in the galleries this Saturday, October 17, for an inspiring afternoon with Curator of Photography and Visual Culture at Oakland Museum of California, Drew Heath Johnson, and special guest Dustin Aguilar as they share their insights into 𝘉𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦: 𝘋𝘶𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘈𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘳'𝘴 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘢.

Seating is limited. Visit the link in our bio to reserve your seat today!

10/10/2026

⭐️ CALLING ALL CALIFORNIA CURATORS ⭐️

Monterey Museum of Art is looking for a passionate, contemporary, California-based curator to help shape the voice and vision of the 2027 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭!

Open to curators of all experience levels, the 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘭 Curator will collaborate with Museum staff to review artist submissions, select artwork to feature, and participate in Biennial events and programming.

MMA's Call for Curator is open NOW through October 31, 2026! To apply, visit https://www.montereyart.org/exhibition/monterey-biennial-1/

10/09/2026

From an unforgettable night of dancing at the La Mirada Roaring ’20s Jazz Party, to an intimate experience of artwork and stunning floral arrangements at the Art in Bloom viewing, Monterey Museum of Art extends its deepest gratitude to all who came to support the inaugural Art in Bloom weekend of art and design at Historic La Mirada.

Thank you to our event sponsors Elizabeth Barlow, Stephen McClellan, Chris and Craig Johnson, KRML radio, and KAZU radio for making this Art in Bloom possible.

A heartfelt thank you as well to our floral and interior designers, volunteers, and sponsors. Floral Designers include Ikebana International Monterey Bay sponsored by Laura and John Gamble, Jennifer Keszler - The Proper Poppy sponsored by Monika and Allan Campbell, Melody King - Fleurish Floral Design sponsored by Crystaline Kopriva and David Rutberg, Carmel-by-the-Sea Garden Club, the Historic Garden League sponsored by Lynn and Michael Hayford, Charles Gruwell with Martha Campbell sponsored by Gallery MAR Carmel, Wally Sayles sponsored by Carmel Art Association, Mechele Neeley-Scholis of Pepper Drive Living sponsored by Kevin Cartwright and Steve Eimer, historic space designers Jana Magginetti Interior Design sponsored by Lila and James Thorsen, and Studio Pierre and Charles Gruwell Design Studio - whose tireless efforts and spectacular arrangements and decor made art truly bloom in the historic home and gardens of La Mirada.

10/08/2026

Monterey Museum of Art is honored to be selected as Monterey County Weekly's Best Arts Nonprofit of Monterey County! MMA sends a heartfelt thank you to everyone who joins the Museum in celebrating the diversity of California art—past, present, and future!

To check out this year's full lineup, visit https://flipbook.montereycountyweekly.com/archive/2026/best/readers-poll/

10/06/2026

Check out MMA's October Events 🎃
From curator talks to artist workshops, MMA is the place to be this fall! Stop by and enjoy the final days of our cozy Chromatic Lounge before it ends on October 18th.

For more information about MMA's October events and programs, visit the link in our bio. See you at the Museum!

10/02/2026

Collection highlight: To kick-off this spooky season, we’re diving into MMA’s collection of dark and unusual pieces 🎃

A lonely adobe house stands lamplit against an endless night. The last drops of an autumn rain fall from the sky, and an eerie stillness descends upon the landscape in their absence. Tree limbs scrape against worn shingles, window shutters creak, and shaking hands cling to the last low burning candle with eyes set upon the growing darkness.

Keep one eye open through the month of October for more creepy content from our collections!
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Charles Rollo Peters (1862-1928), 𝘜𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘥 (𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘚𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘊𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰-𝘞𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘈𝘥𝘰𝘣𝘦), ca. 1920s, oil on canvas, 32 x 55 in., Monterey Museum of Art; Monterey Museum of Art. Bequest of Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Holman, 1982.044.

Address

559 Pacific Street
Monterey, CA
93940

Opening Hours

Thursday	11am - 5pm
Friday	11am - 5pm
Saturday	11am - 5pm
Sunday	11am - 5pm

Telephone

+18313725477

Website

http://www.montereyart.org/, https://linktr.ee/montereyart

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