News

MONTEREY, CA (OCTOBER 22, 2024) – Aligned with its mission to celebrate the diversity of California art, Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) is delighted to announce the launch of the Monterey Biennial. Contemporary artists living in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties are eligible for this groundbreaking exhibition celebrating Central California's diverse and dynamic talent. The juried exhibition will be on view May 15 – August 31, 2025, at MMA's Pacific Street location. Artists are encouraged to submit their most compelling and innovative pieces for consideration when the Museum's online portal opens on November 19, 2024.

MMA Executive Director Corey Madden shares the Museum's vision for a biennial art exhibition that benefits the region's arts and cultural ecosystem, "Central California is a rapidly evolving, historically unique, and creatively charged region. The Monterey Biennial will create greater visibility for dynamic and diverse artists living and working across the region while attracting contemporary art lovers from around the world."

The Museum has selected Resonance and Reflection as the theme for the 2025 Monterey Biennial. This year's theme invites artists to explore how their art unites us across cultures, time, personal experiences, exploring how each unique perspective has the power to impact our broader environment. The Museum anticipates the theme will inspire a wide range of interpretations, allowing artists from across the region to contribute diverse creative perspectives that will spark lively public dialogue about contemporary California art.

The Museum has selected a distinguished set of jurors who combine deep roots in the community, extensive backgrounds in contemporary art, and a commitment to elevating the diversity of California artists. This year, the jury includes Demetri Broxton, Executive Director of Root Division in San Francisco, CA; Ann Jastrab, Executive Director of the Center for Photographic Art (CPA) in Carmel, CA; and Hector Dionicio Mendoza, 2022 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Grant Recipient and Associate Professor at California State University Monterey Bay.

Ann Jastrab, CPA Executive Director, and one of three inaugural Monterey Biennial juror states, "I'm thrilled to be included as a juror to shine a spotlight on the incredible talent in the region. As the Executive Director of the CPA, we value this collaboration with MMA and will be active in recruiting artists from across all seven counties to participate."

The Monterey Biennial is designed to be both accessible and equitable for artists. To ensure artists are aware of the opportunity, the Museum is collaborating with regional arts councils to reach artists where they live and work. The Museum has chosen to waive all artist submission fees, and they may submit up to three pieces for review. All pieces will be reviewed anonymously and evaluated on artistic merit, creativity, and relevance to the Biennial's themes of resonance and reflection. In addition to the exhibition itself, the Museum will host both public and private events aimed at increasing the visibility of Central California artists to museum audiences and collectors. These include an Opening Reception on May 16, 2025, and a Juror's Round Table on June 14, 2025. The Museum will post additional programming and outreach events as they are scheduled on Monterey Biennial.

Submission Process and Important Dates

• Artists aged 18 and older living in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz, and San Luis Obispo Counties are eligible to submit their work.
• There is no cost to submit work and up to three works may be submitted.
• For the full artist prospectus and submission guidelines, please refer to the Monterey Biennial Prospectus.
   

Online Submission Period:  November 19, 2024 – January 12, 2025
Notification of Acceptance:  March 1, 2025
Exhibition Dates:  May 15 – August 31, 2025 

About the Jurors

• Demetri Broxton is the Executive Director of Root Division in San Francisco, CA. Previously, he was the Senior Director of Education at Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco, CA. the Senior Director of Education at Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) in San Francisco, CA. Demetri is also an independent curator and practicing artist. His artwork has been exhibited internationally and most recently at the de Young Museum, Crocker Art Museum and Art Gallery of Alberta. His artwork is held in several private and public collections and pieces have been recently acquired by Monterey Museum of Art, the de Young Museum, and Crocker Art Museum. He is represented by Patricia Sweetow Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. 
   
• Ann Jastrab is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Photographic Art in Carmel, CA. Jastrab holds a BA in English Literature and Studio Art from Hartwick College and an MFA in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. She taught at the Maine Photographic Workshops for nearly a decade before moving to Los Angeles and later to San Francisco. As gallery director at RayKo Photo Center, she curated numerous exhibitions and established a successful artist-in-residence program. In her current role, she continues her work as a curator, educator, writer, editor, and fine art photographer. 
   
• Hector Dionicio Mendoza, born in Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico, and raised in Monterey County, is an artist, curator, and educator based in the Salinas Valley, California. Recipient of the 2022 Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Grant, his work was featured in the California Biennial 2022. Mendoza's multimedia practice explores migration, environment, and identity, drawing on his rich ancestral heritage. He is an Associate Professor at California State University Monterey Bay and has exhibited internationally. 

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About Monterey Museum of Art

Now in its 65^th year of operation, Monterey Museum of Art (MMA) cultivates curiosity in the visual arts and engages community with the diversity of California art – past, present, and future. Through exhibitions and programs, MMA reflects the creative legacies of the region and serves as a collaborative center where art and the community engage.

Monterey Museum of Art
559 Pacific Street
Monterey, CA  93940
Open Thursday – Sunday 11:00 am – 5:00 pm
www.montereyart.org

Biennial Inquiries
biennial@montereyart.org

Media Contact
Laurie Iwami, Director, Marketing and Communications
pr@montereyart.org