Unveiling the Improved Casa Gutierrez Community Art Gallery!

June 3, 2025
11:00 am
Event Recap

Two people stand in a well-lit art gallery space with warm wooden floors and white walls. To the right, a large, rectangular painting hangs prominently. The painting, rendered in a colorful, cartoonish style, shows two figures: one tall, dressed in a blue shirt, tie, and pants, holding a black briefcase; the other shorter, wearing a blue hat, shirt, and overalls, carrying a brown satchel. A speech bubble next to the shorter figure says, "Golly I hope he sees that I'm good enough". One person is on a stepladder, adjusting the artwork while the other stands at the foot of the step ladder. Several framed artworks are visible on the floor in the foreground. — Marissa Serna, Program Director of Youth Arts Collective (YAC) in Monterey arranges art on the wall with the help of a YAC student, Raven ahead of the August 2024 exhibit. Photo by California State Parks.

YAC student, Sarah Bae’s “Jeunesse” art displayed during the August 2024 exhibit. Photo by California State Parks. — A framed portrait depicts the head and shoulders of a young woman in profile, facing left. She has dark, voluminous hair styled in soft waves and curls, and fair skin with visible freckles on her nose and cheeks. Her lips are painted a reddish hue, and she has light-colored eyes. The background behind her is a muted blue. The frame is black with a white mat. Below the framed artwork, there's a small white card with black text, that reads from top to bottom, “Jeunesse; Sarah Bae; Digital Print; $45”. The frame hangs on a light-colored wall.

We have exciting news to share from Monterey State Historic Park: the Casa Gutierrez Community Art Gallery got a major glow-up, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome you to its new and improved space!

This wasn’t just about a fresh coat of paint (though that happened too!). Our team went above and beyond, assessing everything from lighting and display cases to A/V equipment, and making crucial ADA accessibility upgrades. The goal? To create a truly welcoming and modern environment where creativity can flourish. These improvements aren’t just about making your visit better; they’re about strengthening the bonds within Monterey’s incredible arts community.

The project experienced budget challenges that reduced our initial funding but that didn’t stop us! Thanks to our dedicated staff, we were still able to make significant progress with minor ADA and building upgrades including new bathroom fixtures, a fresh exterior paint job, a comfy gallery bench, flexible artwork display modules, and updated window coverings. Every little bit counts, and these changes make a big difference!

A digital illustration depicts an African Grey Parrot perched on a branch, looking over its right shoulder. The parrot has a grey body with individual feathers detailed, a white face, and a vibrant red tail. Its black beak is slightly open, and its eye is alert. The background features abstract red and grey geometric shapes, resembling distorted stars or bursts, on a light grey or white backdrop. The style is somewhat stylized, with a cartoonish yet detailed rendering of the bird. — YAC student, Mordecai Lutes’ “African Grey” art displayed during the August 2024 exhibit. Photo by California State Parks.

A colorful comic-style illustration featuring a diverse group of people celebrating. In the foreground, a light-skinned person in a white dress holds a large rainbow pride flag above their head, smiling confidently. Many other diverse individuals, depicted from the chest or shoulders up, with various skin tones, hair colors, and expressions of joy and support. One person in the upper right exclaims, "DADA!". The artwork is matted with a thick black border. — YAC student, Zoey McNeil’s “All the Colors of Pride” art displayed during the August 2024 exhibit. Photo by California State Parks.

A vibrant red octopus with prominent tentacles and a bulbous head, set against a background that includes what appears to be a plastic bag with text, suggesting themes of marine life and plastic pollution. — Jennifer Shi’s “Habitat” in the California Coastal Commission’s traveling show, on display at Casa Gutierrez Art Gallery from March to the end of June 2025. Photo by California State Parks.

The painting depicts three people actively cleaning a sandy beach. In the background, a long pier extends over the ocean under a clear sky. — Leo Yang’s “Californians Cleaning the Coast” in the California Coastal Commission’s traveling show, on display at Casa Gutierrez Art Gallery from March to the end of June 2025. Photo by California State Parks.

The drawing depicts an office cubicle scene where a young woman with brown curly hair is seated at a desk, facing a computer monitor. The cubicle walls are replaced with vibrant, flowing waterfalls that cascade into a pool at the bottom, adorned with lily pads. Lush green and red plants are interspersed throughout the cubicle space, integrating nature into the office environment. In the background, other office workers can be seen in a more conventional, sketched-out office setting, contrasting with the vibrant and natural elements of the foreground cubicle. The style combines detailed coloring for the central figure and her immediate surroundings with a more monochromatic, sketched approach for the rest of the office. — Vivian Tolajian’s “Take a Girl Away From the Water” in the California Coastal Commission’s traveling show, on display at Casa Gutierrez Art Gallery from March to the end of June 2025. Photo by California State Parks.

The Casa Gutierrez Community Art Gallery is now operating on a “trimester” basis. For two-thirds of the year, we’ll showcase student artwork, and for the remaining third, you’ll find pieces from the Monterey State Historic Park art collection during the holidays and our primary fundraising event, “Christmas in the Adobes.”

So far, we’ve had some incredible exhibits:

August to October 2024: Featured student art from the fantastic non-profit Youth Arts Collective (YAC).
October 5, 2024: We hosted an all-day teen art event in collaboration with the Monterey Museum of Art, City of Monterey Public Library, and YAC.
March to June 2025: Currently, we’re honored to host the California Coastal Commission’s traveling show, featuring curated student art from their Annual Statewide K-12 Art and Poetry Contest.

Looking ahead to 2026, we’re exploring exciting collaborations with California State University Monterey Bay’s Natural Science Illustration program and planning to showcase artwork from Indigenous artists whose tribal communities are affiliated with the California State Parks in the Monterey District.