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MONTEREY, CA (December 18, 2024)—As part of its Winter 2025 Exhibition Season celebrating Mid-century Modern aesthetics, Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) presents a first-of-its kind exhibition, Morley Baer: Modernism in Northern California Architecture. Drawn primarily from the Museum's historical archives, this exhibition introduces never-before-seen work by Baer and invites viewers to consider the emerging styles of Northern California's Mid-century Modern architecture. The exhibition will be on view January 16 – April 27, 2025.

Corey Madden, MMA Executive Director, shares, "Although Morley Baer may be best known for his images of Monterey's adobes and landscape, guest curator Cydney Payton shines a spotlight on Baer's images of Mid-century Modern architecture in stunning locations from Big Sur to Sea Ranch. Drawing largely from MMA's permanent archive, this exhibition offers a fresh perspective on both Morley Baer as a California artist and some of the region's most iconic structures."

Baer gained a large following and distinguished reputation as an architectural photographer. His unique ability to capture the essence and beauty of each building led to trusted relationships with some of the era's most prominent architects, including Bernard Maybeck, Frank Lloyd Wright, and the renowned architectural firm, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM). His work has also been published in magazines such as Architectural Digest and Home and Garden.

Guest Curator Cydney Payton has selected over 60 works of Baer's architectural photography primarily from MMA's historical archive, with additional work from UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley. MMA is also grateful to Joshua Baer, Morley Baer's son, for his unique perspective on his father's legacy. Morley Baer: Modernism in Northern California Architecture showcases a previously under-recognized dimension of Baer's body of work. Baer captures the development of the organic approach to Modernist architecture, richly expressed along the California coast, in which architects incorporate the natural beauty of their sites into the built environment.

Payton notes, "I am thrilled to curate the first exhibition of Morley's Baer architectural photographs for Monterey Museum of Art. The exhibition serves as an introduction to a body of Baer's work that until now has been overlooked. What is revealed in Baer's photographs is the history of an emergent architectural modernism that came to define Northern California style."

Light, composition, and space serve as the backbone of Baer's work. Drawing inspiration from his background in the performing arts, Baer's photographic methodology captures the drama, character, and narrative behind each building. His scenes of innovatively designed exteriors and the artistry of their interiors go beyond documentation and firmly establish Baer's artistic legacy as a pre-eminent California photographer of Mid-Century Modern regional architecture.

Support for this exhibition provided by Cynthia and Forrest Miller and Robin and Chris Sawyer.

MMA Winter 2025 Exhibition Season: Modern Aesthetics and Recent Acquisitions
This exhilarating season features vibrant color, iconic photography and newly acquired works by over 25 contemporary California artists. In addition to Morley Baer: Modernism in Northern California Architecture, the winter 2025 season features the following exhibitions:

• The Persistence of Color II: Works by Jeffrey Becom and Lucas Blok
  On view January 2 – April 27, 2025

Support for this exhibition provided by Harriet (Incy) Brooks and Lynn and Michael Hayford.



Image Credits: Left: Lucas Blok (b. 1950), 7-1-18, 2018, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 84 in. Courtesy of the artist, all artworks © Lucas Blok. Right: Jeffrey Becom (b. 1953), Pink Door, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India, 2008, archival pigment print, 30 x 45 in. Courtesy of Weston Gallery © Jeffrey Becom

• Celebrating California Art: Recent Acquisitions
  On view January 9 – July 20, 2025
  Support for this exhibition provided by Susan DuCoeur and Judith M. Marshall.

Image Credit: Judy Chicago (b. 1939), Emblem, c. 1962–1964, acrylic on masonite, 42 x 42 in. Monterey Museum of Art; Purchase by exchange; gift of Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Bates, Mrs. J.B. Heywood, Elizabeth George Lawlor in memory of Dorothy George Meakin, William and Renee Petersen, Mr. and Mrs. John Shephard, Mr. and Mrs. E.V. Staude, Carolyn Lewis Nielson, Albert Denney, Nancy Stillwell Easterbrook, Margaret Wentworth Owings, Naedra B. Robinson, Elizabeth Tompkins, and an anonymous donor, 2019.001. © Judy Chicago/ ARS | Artist Rights Society, NY