Pacific Grove, CA – March 9, 2025 – The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, a cornerstone of education and environmental stewardship on California’s Central Coast, announces its upcoming exhibits and events for 2025. This season’s programming continues the Museum’s mission to inspire curiosity, appreciation, and conservation of the natural world through art, history, and science.
From the breathtaking world of scientific illustration to the deep cultural and ecological narratives of jade, each exhibit and event is a testament to the Museum’s commitment to preserving and sharing the stories of our region. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in nature’s beauty, explore its connections to human history, and engage with thought-provoking contemporary art.
ILLUSTRATING NATURE – Opening May 2, 2025
Where Art and Science Unite
For 15 years, the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History has proudly partnered with California State University Monterey Bay’s renowned Science Illustration Program to present Illustrating Nature. This highly anticipated annual exhibit showcases the work of the program’s graduating class, celebrating the deep intersections of art and science and how they are used to promote education and conservation.
Each piece represents countless hours of research and dedication, transforming scientific concepts into strikingly detailed illustrations that educate and inspire. Whether depicting rare wildlife, delicate botanical specimens, or complex ecosystems, these artworks reveal the natural world in a way that can be only be shown to the fullest in this medium.
Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 2025, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM
Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists, view their work, and gain insight into the techniques that bring science to life on paper.
WALK OF REMEMBRANCE – May 10, 2025
Honoring Pacific Grove’s Chinese Fishing Community
The Walk of Remembrance is an annual journey through history, paying tribute to the Chinese Fishing Village at Point Alones and the vital role its community played in shaping Pacific Grove and all of Monterey County. Led by local historians and descendants, this powerful story sheds light on the resilience, contributions, and injustices faced by early Chinese immigrants in Monterey Bay and reminds attendees that the descendants are still here, still doing incredible things, and still facing many of the same issues with racism and vitriol their forebearers did.
As visitors walk the path of history, they will engage with stories of perseverance and cultural heritage, gaining a deeper understanding of the people who built and sustained an essential fishing industry that has fueled not just Monterey County but the entire United States for well over a century. The event aligns with the Museum’s dedication to preserving and sharing the diverse cultural narratives that define the Monterey Peninsula.
Date & Time: Saturday, May 10, 2025, activities starting at 11am, rally and walk starting at 1pm.
JADE BENEATH THE SEA – SOFT OPENING JUNE 5 | PUBLIC OPENING JUNE 12, 2025
A Deep Dive into the Mystique of Monterey Bay’s Jade
Few minerals have captivated human imagination like jade. Prized for its beauty, strength, and spiritual significance, jade has played an integral role in cultures around the world for centuries. But here on the Monterey coast, jade is more than just a precious stone—it is a piece of our region’s geological and biological legacy.
Jade Beneath the Sea is a mesmerizing exhibition that explores the fascinating natural history, cultural significance, and artistic expressions inspired by this revered mineral. From its formation deep beneath the ocean floor to its use in ancient to modern craftsmanship, visitors will uncover the story of jade through rare specimens, interactive displays, and stunning art pieces.
· Grand Public Opening: Thursday, June 12, 2025
This exhibit invites visitors to appreciate the ecological connections between land and sea while also recognizing the deep cultural reverence for jade across generations and civilizations.
SOFIA GONZALEZ: INVASIVE ATTEMPTS – JUNE 20 – SEPTEMBER 14, 2025
A Thought-Provoking Exploration of Nature, Transformation, and Home
The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is honored to present Invasive Attempts, an exhibition by acclaimed textile and installation artist Sofia Gonzalez. Known for her deeply personal and ecologically inspired work, Gonzalez explores the complex relationships between organisms, landscapes, and personal identity.
Drawing inspiration from the intricate, symbiotic relationship between oak apple wasps and oak trees, Gonzalez’s work reinterprets natural cycles of growth, adaptation, and change. Using natural dyes derived from fallen oak galls and surrounding plant life, she layers, wraps, and binds textiles into evocative sculptural forms that reflect both nurturing and restriction.
This year, Gonzalez’s artistic focus expands to themes of motherhood and home—not just as physical spaces but as evolving, interconnected environments. As she describes:
“While much of my work considers my sense of place and how we build this feeling, this year my own physical body became someone’s home. The physical idea of home expands and alters as I became a home for another within our shared greater home of our outside environment.”
Through Gonzalez’s intricate and meditative process, Invasive Attempts invites visitors to contemplate the tension between protection and suffocation, symbiosis and invasion, personal identity and the ever-changing natural world.
· Exhibit Dates: June 20, 2025 – September 14, 2025
A CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION AND CONSERVATION
The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History is more than a place to explore exhibits—it is a community space dedicated to inspiring a deeper understanding of the natural world. Each of these exhibits and events embodies the Museum’s mission to celebrate biodiversity, honor cultural heritage, and foster a passion for preservation among visitors of all ages.
Plan Your Visit:
Location: 165 Forest Avenue, Pacific Grove, CA 93950
Wednesday – Sunday, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Admission: Adults – $12 | Youth (4-18), Seniors, Military – $8 | Monterey County Residents – FREE
We invite you to join us for a season of inspiration, discovery, and meaningful connection with na
