36 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com ART There’s a new space in Monterey devoted just to underwater photography. Breakwater Collective is a night gallery, meaning that, for the most part, the gallery door is locked, but the art is viewable 24 hours. “We tried to make everything lit so each piece is visible from the outside,” says gallery co-founder Suzanne Frey. The other founder is Berkley White of Backscatter Underwater Video and Photo, a shop located practically next door. The idea is for the visitors to see the pieces through the first-floor gallery window, scan the QR code and follow the link. Just like a diver, passersby have to come close and take a peek into the underwater world which—penetrated by photographic light—reveals a stunning array of colors, starting with all possible hues of the green and blue palette. There are beautifully illuminated strawberry anemones burning gold and red in a turquoise depth (“Anemone Reverie” by Martina Steurer); honey golden kelp dancing (“Swim Through” by Effie Benjamin); and a dotted orange triopha lurking in the bright green eelgrass (a sea slug, photographed by James Emery). Water, always flowing—combing purple urchins and rocking jellyfish to sleep— is the artist here. For the photographer, the goal is to stay still enough to capture all the beauty. “Most people don’t realize it, but to do underwater photography you have to be a really good diver,” says Frey, who has been pursuing underwater photography since the 1990s. The location of the gallery itself isn’t a coincidence. From there, one can see San Carlos Beach, a favorite spot for training divers from all over the world. The selection comprises 30 pieces from 30 artists, a majority of them local. The main requirement for being included in the collection is that the shot had to be taken in Monterey Bay, which has been for decades a mecca for underwater photographers. After all, the largest underwater photography competition in the U.S., the Monterey Shootout, attracts hundreds of photographers each July. The pieces displayed at the opening were selected by a jury from 500 submissions. Come to the opening to meet the artists, or come whenever it’s convenient—even in the middle of the night— to tour the gallery from outside. Breakwater Collective opening night takes place 6-9pm Friday, Nov. 21. 201 Cannery Row, Monterey. More at breakwaterartcollective.com. View and buy pieces at bradleyphotographic.com/backscatter. AGATA POPĘDA Under the Surface A new ‘night gallery’ on Cannery Row offers a deep dive into underwater photography. By Agata Popęda Breakwater Collective’s co-founder, Suzanne Frey, in the new corner space on Cannery Row fully dedicated to underwater photography. Opening night is Friday, Nov. 21. 101 WORD STORY CONTEST First Prize is $101 2nd and 3rd place winners receive gift certificates! We’ll publish the winners in our December 25, 2025 issue 1. All stories must contain the word “light” (or lit, lightning, etc.) 2. Stories may contain fewer than 101 words. 3. If a hyphenated word can be broken into two (or more) free-standing words it will be counted as two (or more) words. 4. Abbreviations are counted as one word. (“CA” or “California,” it’s still one word.) 5. Contractions are counted as one word. (“Isn’t” is one word; “is not” is two.) 6. Titles are not counted and are not necessary. 7. We reserve the right to re-title stories. 8. Poems are not acceptable. 9. Limit 3 entries per person. 10. If you mail in your entry, it must be submitted on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Upload stories at: www.montereycountynow.com/101words or by mail: Monterey County Weekly 101-Word Short Story Contest 668 Williams Ave., Seaside CA 93955 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3 Write your name, address and phone number on each page you submit. Monterey County Weekly assumes no responsibility for returning submissions. PRINT | WEB | MOBILE december 26, 2024-January 1, 2025 montereycountynow.com LocaL & IndePendent Potty-mouthed Parrot 6 | In a PIckLe 8 | rIng In the new year 38 | baroque bash 40 FIrst PLace generaL exceLLence • 2024 ca JournaLIsm awards • the winners of the 101-word short story contest run free with their imaginations to blur the lines between fantasy and reality. p. 20 101-Word Short Story Contest Roll With it Challenge Word for 2025: Light. All stories must contain the word “light” (or lit, or lightning, etc.)
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