SpectorDance & The Monterey Museum of Art
Invite you to the 4th Annual Oceans Arts Festival!

“Through creativity and the arts, we invite you to join us in raising our shared voices for ocean health and the future of our planet.” -Fran Spector Atkins, Founder of Ocean Arts Festival and Director of SpectorDance

When: Saturday, May 11, from 1:00 – 4 pm

Where: Monterey Museum of Art, 559 Pacific St, Monterey, CA 93940

What: A family-friendly event featuring ocean-themed visual and performing art created by artists under the age of 24

Goals: To celebrate the power of creativity to deepen understanding of the ocean and inspire the next generation of ocean stewards

Cost: Free Admission

Ocean-Themed Activities: Free Admission to the Monterey Museum of Art, Performing and Visual Art Exhibitions, Science Tables, Art Activities, Creative Movement Workshops, Face-Painting with Lisa Ledin, La Tormenta Taco Truck, and More!

About the Ocean Arts Festival

The 4th annual Ocean Arts Festival at the Monterey Museum will feature ocean-themed visual and performing arts created by young artists. The festival aims to harness the power of creativity to expand understanding of ocean science and deepen commitments to ocean stewardship.

The first Ocean Arts Festival took place in 2019 at the SpectorDance Studio in Marina. The concept was borne from SpectorDance’s Ocean Trilogy, a performance based on a 10-year collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

SpectorDance’s vision is for the Ocean Arts Festival to be an annual event that would grow and attract both young and professional artists in all genres from around the globe. Since 2022, we have partnered with the Monterey Museum of Art to offer our 2nd, 3rd and our upcoming 4th annual Ocean Arts Festival.

The Ocean Arts Festival is a celebration of the power of the arts to teach, inspire, and generate positive change in the world. Through multiple entry points, the festival fosters thought, conversation, and action, and stimulates participants to connect with ways that their artistic expression connects with social and environmental impact.

Special Guests
Garland Thompson Poet and Storyteller

Garland is a passionate storyteller and poet, weaving narratives that resonate deeply with audiences. With a background in theater, film, and video, he brings a unique blend of creativity and artistry to his work. As a former Poet Laureate of Pacific Grove, California Garland has dedicated his career to celebrating the power of language and the beauty of storytelling. Whether through live performances, poetry slams, podcasts, or written verse, Garland strives to inspire, connect, and provoke thought. With his talent for crafting immersive experiences and his commitment to elevating voices from all walks of life, Garland continues to leave an indelible mark on the world of storytelling and poetry.

SpectorDance Company
SpectorDance Company will present excerpts from Ocean Trilogy.
Inspired by interviews from renowned ocean scientists, Ocean Trilogy
looks at the challenges confronting our ocean today, and ways we might
address these threats from cutting-edge ocean science research. Ocean
Trilogy was created through a partnership with the Monterey Bay
Aquarium Research Institute (2010 to 2019) and has been performed at
the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., Sunset Center, Stanford University
and many other venues statewide and nationally.

Indoors

Visual art (Upstairs)

*See Monterey Museum of Art’s exhibit: A Celebration of Water, Life, and Introspection, reflecting on the essence and importance of water in our lives and the world around us. It explores the significance of water as a source of life, a subject of profound reflection, and an ever-present element in California's natural and cultural landscapes. Featuring the photography of Frans Lanting’s Bay of Life: From Wind to Whales, this exhibit is a journey through the natural splendor of Monterey Bay – showcasing the ecological resilience of the area and the power of conservation. Lanting's award-winning photographs are a call to action, inspiring stewardship of our natural world.

Visual art (Downstairs)

Shelby Figueroa (California State University Monterey Bay)
Delphinia, Tatianna, and Venezia Hayward
Alexandra Burrs (Youth Arts Collective)
Kenzie Thomas (Stevenson School)
Carolina Hiltunen (Forest Grove Elementary School)
Erin Ikemiya (Carmel High School)
Charlie Hiltuenen (Forest Grove Elementary))
Noa Malikai Tiamson Martin Luther King School)
Raha Monaiati (Youth Arts Collective)
Iphegneia Wilder (Youth Arts Collective)
Raven Cook (Youth Arts Collective)
Michele Ferrari (Youth Arts Collective)
Addison Bakes (Youth Arts Collective)
Summer Jordan (Individual Artist)
Trinity Landers (Individual Artist)
Lillis Handford (Los Arboles Middle School Class)
Special Project: The Monterey Museum of Art engages with a class at Echo Valley Elementary School
Video Artwork by Gabriella Edwards (Santa Catalina School)

Keynote Video Remarks by Dr. John Holdren was President Obama’s chief Science Advisor and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy from 2009 to 2017. Dr. Holdren is currently a research professor at Harvard University, and was formerly the Director of the Woods Hole Research Center and the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at Harvard. Among his numerous honors are the MacArthur Genius Prize (1981) and most recently the National Academy of Sciences Public Welfare Medal (2022).

Keynote Video Remarks by Julie Packard is the executive director of the Monterey Bay Aquarium, which she helped found in the late 1970s. She is an international leader in the field of ocean science conservation and a leading voice for science-based policy reform in support of a healthy ocean.

Outdoors

Performing Arts

Music: Youth Music Monterey, Chamber Players, Brass Ensemble (Aleksey Klyushnik Director)
Dance: Arcoiris Cultural Dance Company (Pillar Mendoza-Director)
Music: Greenfield High School Mariachi Band (Matt Huot Director)
Puppetry: Sea Stars Puppetry Troup (Carmel High)
Dance: Madi Mims (Stevenson School)
Dance: Kenzie Thomas (Stevenson School)
Poetry: Hope Sallee from Santa Catalina School
Poetry: Garland Thompson*
Dance: SpectorDance Company*

Workshops

Out of the Blue with Amy Byington and Charlotte Katherine Smith. Explore ocean diversity through creative movement. It’s a time to be playful and build empathy for ocean life. All ages are welcome!

Ocean Motion with Lucia Coppola. This joyous exploration of the ocean's movements and how they mirror our own. The body, breath and sound will all become pathways to follow as you move through a wave of rhythms from flowing through staccato, vibrant, lyrical and stillness. All ages are welcome!

Science Information Tables and Art Activities

Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, inspiring our diverse community to explore and conserve the natural and cultural wonders of the Central California Coast.

Western Flyer Foundation, stirring curiosity by connecting art and science in the spirit of John Steinbeck, Ed Ricketts, and their journey on the Western Flyer.
The Hopkins Marine Station, part of Stanford University, is dedicated to the study of marine biology and the conservation of marine ecosystems. It conducts cutting-edge research on marine life, ocean health, and ecological sustainability, aiming to enhance our understanding and protection of the ocean's biodiversity.

Arts Council for Monterey County, promoting the art+science connection and cross-disciplinary partnerships.

FathomVerse, a mobile game designed to inspire a new wave of ocean explorers. In collaboration– MBARI, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and more – we’re creating a game that teaches casual gamers about ocean life and use of AI to identify marine animals.

First Night Monterey, an interactive art activity about ocean diversity

Ocean Mandala Coloring with Lucia Coppola, exploring the ocean’s beauty and meditative capacity through coloring.