Next May, Monterey Museum of Art will host its first biennial, a large juried exhibition of contemporary artists from Central California.
The first great art exhibit that popularized the term "biennial"—biennale in Italian—was the 1895 Venice Biennale. In other words, a biennial is a "big deal" exhibition that takes place every two years.
Adding the event to its rich calendar, MMA aims high. The quality will be presented via contemporary regional artists living in Fresno, Kern, Kings, Monterey, San Benito, Santa Cruz and San Luis Obispo counties.
“Central California is a rapidly evolving, historically unique and creatively charged region," MMA Executive Director Corey Madden said in a press release. "The Monterey Biennial will create greater visibility for dynamic and diverse artists living and working across the region while attracting contemporary art lovers from around the world.”
The museum has selected "Resonance and Reflection" as the theme for the 2025 Monterey Biennial. It invites artists to explore how their art unites people across cultures, time and personal experiences, exploring how each unique perspective has the power to impact our broader environment.
The museum anticipates the theme will inspire a wide range of interpretations, allowing artists from across the region to contribute diverse creative perspectives that will spark lively public dialogue about contemporary California art. All artists aged 18 and up in Monterey County are eligible to submit their work.
MMA has selected a set of jurors who have deep roots in the community, extensive backgrounds in contemporary art and a commitment to elevating the diversity of California artists. One of them will be Ann Jastrab, executive director of Center for Photographic Art.
There is no cost to submit work and up to three works may be submitted. For the full artist prospectus and submission guidelines, refer to the Monterey Biennial prospectus.
The juried exhibition will be on view May 15-Aug. 31, 2025, at MMA’s Pacific Street location. Artists are encouraged to submit their most compelling and innovative pieces for consideration when the Museum’s online portal opens on Nov. 19, 2024.
The submission period ends on Jan. 12, 2025. More information is available at
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