MONTEREY STATE HISTORIC PARK ASSOCIATION Year Founded: 1975 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 1 paid, 41 volunteers Budget: $64,150 (831) 649-7111 mshpa.org BIG IDEA: State budget cuts means Monterey State Historic Park Association’s Los Exploradores summer program is at risk. Summer campers’ home base is the historic Pacific House but expands to other sites like the Custom House, Whaling Station, First Theater, Colton Hall and beyond, to whale watching. While immersed in these locations that tell a story, campers explore local history by playing period-appropriate games and observing nature through interactive guided tours. Enrollment in this Big Idea has doubled since 2023 with scholarships available. “The creative, hands-on activities of the Los Exploradores camp encouraged my fifth-grader to appreciate shifts in California’s ecology and social relations. This historical perspective equips him to engage social, environmental and political issues in our own changing times.” -John Klein MONTEREY SYMPHONY Year Founded: 1946 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 6 paid, 25 volunteers Budget: $2,989,249 (831) 646-8511 montereysymphony.org BIG IDEA: The Monterey Symphony is well known for its full orchestra and main season on the main stage of the Sunset Center. But this organization’s full calendar of events goes well beyond that programming. The range covers an outdoor concert at the Forest Theater, co-commissioned piece with Seattle and Utah symphonies, Frank Zappa with full orchestra and Symphony Saturdays at MY Museum. The milestone season is bookended by youth concerts that welcome more than 8,000 Monterey County students. Donations continue to support Monterey Symphony’s community engagement activities, sharing live music with audiences outside of its regular season. “What a smashing close to the season. We have been season ticket holders for several years now, and are constantly thrilled and impressed by how lucky we are, living in a community this size, to be able to enjoy the outstanding quality of the Monterey Symphony Orchestra.” -Gary Davis MUSIKIWEST Year Founded: 2017 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 1 paid, 10 volunteers Budget: $62,100 (650) 815-1666 musikiwest.org BIG IDEA: Performing music requires communication and collaboration. Musikiwest incorporates this as a jumping-off point to use music to address conflict resolution. Chamber musicians perform a scripted dialogue where students identify behaviors like bullying or intimidation, then work to find a peaceful resolution. Students in grades K-12 learn communication skills and broaden their perspectives through Musikiwest’s Big Idea. This organization’s headquarters also serves as home to the SandBox, an intimate performing arts venue in Sand City. More than 135 events have been held here since 2021, ranging from concerts to lectures and dance performances. “I love your venue and what you are providing for the public. I have been several times to SandBox and have brought friends and my adult kids to enjoy.” -Jeanette MacDonald NATIONAL STEINBECK CENTER Year Founded: 1984 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 8 paid, 20 volunteers Budget: $450,000 (831) 775-4721 44 Monterey County GIVES! 2025 mcgives.com ARTS & CULTURE DONATE ONLINE MCGIVES.COM SOL TREASURES Year Founded: 2008 Paid Staff and Volunteers: 4 paid, 43 volunteers Budget: $446,072 (831) 386-1381 soltreasures.com BIG IDEA: Lights, camera, Big Idea! Sol Treasures seeks support to launch Stories in Motion, a program to teach filmmaking to youth and first-time creators. Sol Treasures nurtures art appreciation in South County, from live theater to digital art. Stories in Motion will offer accessible workshops in visual storytelling and shooting and editing footage before participants produce short films that reflect these first-time filmmakers’ unique voices. This Big Idea concludes with King City’s first-ever community film festival. “My first art exhibition was at Sol Treasures, and it was a success! I was moved and proud of the experience, which helped me realize what I can become in the future and within this community. Thank you for being a stepping stone in the right direction for me.” -Gustavo Perez SPOTLIGHT “Seeing my work listed among esteemed local artists was an affirmation that my voice and perspective matter.” -Leslie Louden, Monterey Museum of Art
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