Dali17 at the Museum of Monterey

Reviews 6

BR

Bruce

I guess the word that comes to mind when describing the Monterey Peninsula is, "whats not to like because this entire region is a magnificent place to visit." Over the years we have looked forward to coming to Monterey to get away from our busy work schedules. This is a place to come and relax and to enjoy the company of each other and the drive down the coast only adds to the visit. We have stayed at the Monterey Bay Inn where you can take in breath taking views of the bay from your balcony to the Monterey Plaza Hotel where your right on Montereys famous "Cannery Row." We have taken the scenic "17-mile" drive along the Monterey coast making numerous stops along the way to take photos or explore the area. We have dined at practically every one of their numerous restaurants along the coast and Fishermans Wharf and they were all extraordinary. We have enjoyed the walks along Montereys State Beach to visiting the museums and aquariums and honestly, there isnt anything that we dont like about this place, other than the fact that everyone else knows about it! Ive always been fascinated in the places we have visited over the years. To visit a town, city or place is just as interesting to me as in how it was established. Early on in the history of California, the state went through many changes before becoming what it is today, Monterey was no exception. 500 B.C. to 500 A.D, native Americans known as the Esalen were the first inhabitants to have resided along the Monterey area. In 500 B.C., the Esalen were displaced by the Ohlone Indians, who were drawn to the area by the abundance of fish and wildlife and other natural resources. Several of their village sites have been identified and preserved. In 1242, Portuguese explorer, Juan Rodriquez Cabrillo, spotted La Bahia de los Pinos (Bay of Pines) on a journey in search of riches in the New World. In 1602, Spanish explorer Don Sebastian Viscaino officially named the port in honor of Spains Count of Monte Rey under whose order he was sailing. In 1849, delegates from throughout Alta California met in Colton Hall in Monterey to create a constitution for the people of the new U.S. territory. The new constitution was signed on October 13, 1849. In 1850, the U.S. California became the thirty-first state of the Union. In the 1870s, the first railroad was built, connecting the quiet fishing town with cosmopolitan San Francisco and cities beyond. In the 1880s, the local whaling industry disappeared and civic leaders turned to tourism to revive the local economy and by the mid-1880s, tourism flourished in the area, with thousands flocking to the seaside resort annually. By the 1920s, the sardine market had grown greatly and the section of Monterey known today as Cannery Row was established. Workers processed an estimated 250,000 tons of sardines each year and Monterey became known as the "Sardine Capital of the World." The seemingly bottomless ocean full of sardines proved more fragile than anyone believed possible. The rough and rollicking vicinity of Cannery Row was made famous in the John Steinbeck novels Cannery Row and Sweet Thursday. In the 1940s, the sardine population began a rapid decline because of being over fished. The once-thriving Cannery Row soon became a ghost town of empty warehouses. By 1950s, the sardine population had nearly been wiped out and the canning industry crashed and never recovered. From the 1960s to 1970s, Inner-city Revitalization changes the face of Monterey when several buildings are saved by the Monterey History & Art Association, the City of Monterey, and California State Parks, to be restored or refurbished. In 1984, the Monterey Bay Aquarium opens on Montereys Cannery Row. In 1992, the Monterey History & Art Association opened the Stanton Center Maritime Museum & History Center, to provide a permanent home for the Allen Knight Collection and its reference resource library. * U. S. Congress designates Monterey Bay as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

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JE

Jeff Streit

This is gallery is worth visiting if you are in the area but its not worth visiting specifically if you live any distance away. The gallery is laid out in an odd way. Partially because of the space it resides it but it also its just laid out more like a commercial gallery than a museum exhibit. The art is crammed wall to wall frame to frame. Its great they have so many works on display but this isnt really the best or most modern way to display art since its kind of overwhelming. Especially given the content and style in this case. Almost all the art was framed in large gaudy gold frames the kind that can be found in your average art store and it distracts from the art itself. Ignoring all that their is a great collection of many of Dalis less typical works mostly from his time in Monterrey. They are great to see but almost all of them are prints. Overall its worth visiting and there are a lot of other sites in the area, so if you happen to be nearby its worth a stop.

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DA

Dan Reyes

The big surprise was learning that Dali lived and worked in Monterey for the better part of the 1940s. Apparently, he was very involved in the local art scene, including helping to "jury competitive art exhibitions for high school students." But dont come expecting to see his better known works; this collection highlights lesser known projects, the work he did here, and his connection to the area. And, frankly, it looks like the entire collection is on display, the frames are laid out with very little space between them and they cover all of the wall space, and here is also not a lot of exposition, explaining the difference between one set of images and the next, so the visual experience can be quite overwhelming. Its a lot to take in. But just knowing that a local resouces like this exists makes me want to learn more about Dali and his work. The staff person who sold tickets was very helpful and very nice.

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CH

Cherie Hepburn

The Museum of Monterey - Stanton Center has kept its famous maritime collection and incorporated in more of the local history. The art community has been there to help keep the museum open and available to the public by adding to its exhibits and donating funds from sales. The Stanton Center itself has opened its doors to other non-profit organizations in need of a meeting place and offered free to low cost tours to schools and childrens groups. Its really turned into a terrific community outreach program. Needless to say I work there and very proud of what we are doing, our Monterey history and the incredible artists, authors, poets and many more, who have stood by us.

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FR

Fraeulein Michelle

I think it was one of the worst curation I have ever seen. They had figures in front of the images, mediocre lighting, way too many images crammed into a too small space, hung in the worst frames possible with almost child like descriptions as small as postal stamps. Of course they had none of the famous art and almost nothing beyond the obvious was taught about the person Salvatore Dali. We were really disappointed and felt it was a ripoff. They did not even offer toilets for the visitors. Not worth it in my humble opinion.

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FE

Fernando De Araujo / FDA

We thoroughly enjoyed our hour long visit to this small but worthwhile museum. The first floor had pictures of the Monterey pop festival of 1967. and the second floor had a variety of historical artifacts about old Monterey. We enjoy history and had a lovely time. There were rare military artifacts and deep sea diving information Okay, Children should enjoy it, but it wont be good for more than an hour or so. Staff was super helpful. ****

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