ARTS & CULTURE 24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 1-7, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com In January 2025, the new administration in Washington, D.C.—in addition to signing an executive order banning agencies from getting federal funding for DEI programs, which affected arts organizations all over the U.S.—interrupted resources from the three main federal arts funding agencies, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The museum of the Smithsonian Institution found itself under attack, leading to resignations and artists withdrawing from exhibits. The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. is experiencing dramatic changes in programming, along with the effort to change its name to the Trump Center for the Performing Arts. In France, the Louvre was robbed in October, revealing the underfunded state of the greatest museums. But while empress Josephine’s earrings are gone forever, Monterey County managed to achieve much in this world of turmoil. The Monterey Museum of Art had a significant moment this year, celebrating California art with Monterey Biennial (May to September), providing space for artists from seven counties to exhibit. Curators accepted 122 contemporary artists living in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties. “We are in a dire situation,” admitted Corey Madden, MMA’s executive director, after pointing out how proud the museum team is of the Biennial. “Along with all the humanities and environmental efforts, we are experiencing illegal and unfair defunding.” That poses a problem not just for local institutions, but more broadly for society, Madden said. “Arts are fundamental for democracy,” she continued, emphasizing on the importance of freedom of speech in arts and the role of the “imaginative act” in building one’s future. Other highlights from Monterey County’s year in arts in 2025 include the launch of a new jazz festival, Future is Now, that will return in 2026. “We need a summer jazz festival,” argued Frederick Smith Jr. of the Just Jazz Foundation, the festival’s creator. The response was a four-day-long avalanche of jazz, showcasing more than 20 young artists at venues in Monterey, Marina and Carmel. “Monterey Jazz in the fourth weekend of September has always been a pilgrimage,” Smith says. “But what if you come to Monterey in the summer?” In October, the Hartnell College Gallery at the college’s main campus in Salinas reopened with regular programming after its Covid-19 hiatus, immediately followed by a two-yearlong renovation of the building. The original gallery was established in the 1960s; one notable event was an exhibition and workshop by Ansel Adams. The Circle Theatre of PacRep’s Golden Bough Playhouse in Carmel also opened its doors after a renovation, impressing audiences with Saint Joan by George Bernard Shaw (with River Navaille playing Joan of Arc). There’s also a huge appetite to reopen Osio Theater, which enjoyed its golden era in the early 2000s, specializing in independent, foreign and arthouse films. With beloved Café Lumière in the building, Osio was a downtown fixture until it closed in 2020, seemingly for good. An attempt to reopen it is underway, led by the Osio Arts Foundation that formed in September (currently waiting on its nonprofit status from the IRS) and in negotiations with the landlord. These were just a few highlights from throughout the year in arts and culture. And there will be more to come in 2026. Looking Back It was a gloomy year for arts and culture broadly, but there are things to celebrate locally. By Agata Popęda The reopening of the Hartnell College Gallery came with a new gallery director, painter Marshall Sharpe (above). Bottom left: Frederick Smith Jr. (left) and Arman Sangalang were involved with launching the first-ever Future is Now jazz festival in July 2025. Bottom right: The former Osio Theater remains empty, but a group of film enthusiasts hope to revive it in 2026. DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS STEVE SOUZA
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