Monterey’s Dali museum gets a new partner -- and hope for stability.

The struggling nonprofit Monterey History and Art Association has possibly found a bit of magic to save its flagship Stanton Center, home to its Salvador Dalí Exhibition. As in literal magic, through a new partnership with a company out of Lake Tahoe that, as of May 1, has the keys to the center on Custom House Plaza and is planning to make its big entrance on Memorial Day weekend. It will launch daily evening magic shows featuring seasoned performers who will incorporate the surreal nature of Dalí’s artwork into their performances.

The company, PREpresents, took over the joint venture agreement that MHAA signed in 2016 with Dalí 17, the company founded by investor and art collector Dmitry Piterman to share his extensive collection of Dalí artwork at the Stanton Center, according to PRE managing partner Matt Stegemiller. After a nationwide search for a theater to fit a concept they’ve employed successfully in Lake Tahoe, Stegemiller and partners Paul Reder and Frank Trotta decided the 100-seat theater inside the Stanton Center and Dalí’s art a good fit for the magic shows.

Piterman is no longer involved and is in the process of completing donation of the art collection to MHAA, according to Stegemiller. Piterman’s exit comes after a contentious battle he and the MHAA waged against the Monterey County Tax Assessor’s Office, after MHAA lost its property tax exemption in 2017. The office determined that charging entrance fees made the property ineligible for exempt status. That decision was upheld by a county appeals board in 2020, leaving a dispute over the assessed value of the Stanton Center: Assessor Steve Vagnini placed the value at $2.4 million while a MHAA appraiser argued it should be $960,000. A decision is expected by June.

PREpresents will take responsibility for Stanton Center expenses from May 1 forward and will continue operations of the exhibition, Stegemiller says. Their main focus in the lead-up to the May 28 premier as the Monterey Magic and Comedy Club is marketing their shows through advertising, group sales, hotel packages and discount tickets for locals. Advance tickets will sell for $32 for adults and $22 for children. (Prices will be $5 higher for day-of tickets.)

The family-oriented performances will be intimate. “You will feel like you’ve had a personal relationship with the magician when you finish your experience there,” says Stegemiller.