Five New Exhibits to Open at the Pacific Grove Art Center

on display from January 10 through February 27, 2025

December 2024, Pacific Grove, CA.    Join us for some outstanding new art exhibits. Pacific Grove Art Center, located at 568 Lighthouse in Pacific Grove, is pleased to announce five new exhibits on display from January 10 through February 27, 2025.

The community is invited on Friday, January 10 from 7-9 pm for the first show in 2025. The musical guest Chris Gourlay "Plant music" and guitar, plus Sandor Nagyszalanczy and Karen Lehman ukulele, guitar. 

Admission to the PGAC is made possible through community donations.  

Please come to enjoy these five new exhibits…

Elizabeth Murray – Rites of Nature-In Kinship with Trees, Gill Gallery

I am an artist, bestselling author, gardener, and international creativity teacher. My aim is to create beauty, connect to spirit through nature and inspire others. For decades my passions have included love of trees, oil, & watercolor painting, photographing Monet’s Gardens, cross cultural spiritual practices, & gardening. My work has been shown in museums across the USA and is widely collected. I live in a historic home and garden in Monterey.

Oya Yilmaz Bolgün – Layers of Existence, Dyke Gallery

I am a visionary artist whose work explores the breaking of personal limitations and the search for self-identity through a unique visual language. Inspired by the multiverse, my art delves into interconnected layers of existence, merging vibrant colors, bold shapes, and intricate textures to create thought-provoking, immersive experiences. My journey, enriched by a diverse academic background and international recognition, is fueled by a passion for self-expression and meaningful connection. This exhibition invites viewers to witness the beauty and fragility of life—a reminder of our shared connection in existence.

Yuliya Greben - Inner Universe, Annand Gallery

The "Inner Universe" exhibition by Yuliya Greben provides an immersive experience, allowing viewers to reflect on their own emotions and experiences while engaging with Yuliya's unique perspective on life. It features oil paintings with female figures representing our desire for a better life. Each piece challenges us to embrace our inner universe, ultimately guiding us toward a deeper understanding of ourselves.

PGHS Winter Exhibit: It’s Cool to be Square, Boyer Gallery

This exhibit is the first semester summative project by my advanced and AP art students at Pacific Grove High School.  I challenged all my returning students to create a work of art using a square wood panel to express their individual artistic voice.  3D students received 12x12 wood panels while 2D students were given 14x14. The objective for the project included having a clear artistic intention for their work while selecting art materials which demonstrate previous knowledge.  The student engagement level for this project was outstanding, because not only did each student put forward their best effort, there was non-stop excitement among the young artists to push their levels of creativity. I see this exhibit is a physical manifestation of the talent, creativity and optimism of my PGHS students. Mr. Kelly, Art Educator. The attached photo is "Overconsumption" by Vivian Ming.

MHS AMP Academy Senior Show, Small Halls

The Monterey High School Arts-Media-Performance (AMP) Academy provides intensive support for students seeking careers in the Arts, Media and Entertainment Industries.  In this exhibition, AMP Academy Seniors present thirty-two artworks which demonstrate their artistic skills, technical abilities, and courage to express their feelings, ideas and stories through the media of digital photography and digital illustration.  AMP is a California Partnership Academy that is grateful for support from many local organizations. The attached photo is a self-portrait by Isabella Holloway.

About the Pacific Grove Art Center

The purpose of the Pacific Grove Art Center is to cultivate the arts within the Monterey Peninsula area by providing creative experiences that inspire and engage us, touch our hearts, challenge our minds and enrich our lives.

The Pacific Grove Art Center has four Exhibit Galleries: Nadine Annand, David Henry Gill, Elmarie Dyke and Louise Cardeiro Boyer. It features a variety of art forms including Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Encaustic, Fabric Arts, Mixed Media and more.  Exhibits change every other month celebrated with a First Friday New Exhibit Opening and a First Friday Gallery Night (pre-COVID).

The Pacific Grove Art Center also features seventeen Professional Artist Studios, Art and Movement classes for adults, After School, Summer, Weekend and art classes for kids 8 – 17 (including some scholarship opportunities), creative opportunities for teens, and music, food and cultural events are held throughout the year. PGAC is also the home of the Peninsula Ballet Center. The beautiful historic galleries are available to rent for a special occasion.

Since 1969, Pacific Grove Art Center has been a community-based nonprofit seeking to enhance art appreciation and encourage the creation of art. With the desire to have art available to everyone, PGAC has held low-cost classes, free exhibits, and offered reduced rent for artist’s studios for over 50 years. Both emerging and established artists are professionally shown in their historic galleries, and large group shows can provide the first step into the art world for many. Through generous donations, grants, and hundreds of volunteer hours, the Pacific Grove Art Center continues its mission today.

All donations are deeply appreciated, especially during these continued challenging times. Become a member and receive the informative newsletter keeping you in the loop of all the community events, exhibit openings and cultural offerings they have to share.

The Pacific Grove Art Center, located at 568 Lighthouse in Pacific Grove, is open Wednesday – Friday from Noon to 5 pm and Saturday from Noon to 4 pm. For more information, call 831-375-2208, email generalinfopgac@gmail.com or go to the website, www.pgartcenter.org.