Monterey Museum of Art
559 Pacific St., Monterey | 720 Via Mirada, Monterey, (831) 372‑5477, montereyart.org
Sure, writing is an art. But there are other forms. And artwise, MMA is an important fixture in Monterey County – and the biggest space for visual arts in the county. In addition to an archive of local art, MMA has an ambitious annual calendar of multi‑month exhibits. One of the best exhibits in 2023 was “You’ve Got to be Kidding: Humor and the Absurd in Contemporary California Art.” Always looking for new ways to engage with audiences, MMA organized its first block party in 2023, inviting people not just to see art but to immerse in it – dancing at the museum into the night. Museum treasures include works by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and photographers Edward Weston and Ansel Adams.