www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 27-DECEMBER 3, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 39 ART There’s little that is more reassuring than looking at David Ligare’s paintings, all of them metaphorical shrines devoted to clarity, proportion and the wise optimism of the sun. Now the Carmel Valley painter equips his art with a careful look behind the images and a message promoting knowledge and rational thought with an exhibit titled On Using History at Winfield Gallery (where many of the pieces from his 2024 Monterey Museum of Art exhibit are now on sale). “Absolutely central to my work is my belief that we are in need of a renewed desire for knowledge,” he says, sitting in a chair in front of his pieces in the gallery on a sunny November afternoon. He adds he is wary of “programmatic ignorance of history” and a poor level of literacy in America. Ligare’s hope is that it could be replaced by passion for learning. “This one really goes to the heart of the issue for me,” he says about an upcoming presentation that will include images of his art. “All of these works have to do with ideas.” One of them is to “remove the aesthetic from this word,” he says. “Replace it with an act of moral responsibility—for example, public service.” One of the newest of Ligare’s paintings is of Petrarch, a perfect symbol of the great reach toward the past. This Italian poet (c. 1370–1380), the lover of mysterious Laura and the man who brought Cicero back into the center of poetic influence, was a father of humanism and fits into the long processions of the artist-philosophers Ligare likes to surround himself with. They tend to belong to GrecoRoman classicism or the Renaissance and even Baroque eras. Ligare executes his own passion of learning, studying their thoughts, forms and ideas. “He basically created the modern world,” Ligare says about Petrarch, promising to say much more while presenting his new painting that shows Petrarch upon climbing Mont Ventoux “just for the view,” as Petrarch himself declared in a letter. Ligare adds that he would be delighted if his message influences even one student. On Using History, by David Ligare. Lecture 7pm Thursday, Dec. 4. Carmel Women’s Club, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. (831) 624-2866, carmelwomansclubca. org. Exhibit on display until Sunday, Dec. 7; viewable 11am-5pm Mondays-Saturday; noon-5pm Sunday at Winfield Gallery, Dolores between Ocean and 7th, Carmel (831) 624-3369, winfieldgallery.com. DANIEL DREIFUSS Know the Past David Ligare’s new art exhibit calls for a cultural shift toward knowledge. By Agata Popęda David Ligare paints to celebrate knowledge, ideas and big thinkers. Learn about his artistic philosophy during a lecture on Dec. 4 in Carmel and/or see his exhibit. LOVER’S POINT PACIFIC GROVE LOUIS & ROBERTA HUNTINGTON RUN RU RUN RUDOLPH THANK YOU SPONSORS! THE FUQUA FAMILY FOUNDATION Opportunities to Run, Walk, Volunteer, Donate, or Sponsor are available. For inquiries, visit our website for further details: ArthritisResearchCoalition.org/rrr 2025 FOR ARTHRITIS RESEARCH 5KOR 1K RUN WALK PACIFIC GROVE SATURDAY DEC.13 FUN FOR ALL AGES. BRING YOUR FURRY FRIENDS, TOO! SCAN TO REGISTER & GET MORE INFO
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==