Carl Cherry Center for the Arts

Feleboga
2018-08-24 19:00 - 20:30 (America/Los_Angeles) | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Feleboga will perform a concert of old-time music from the Appalachians on Friday, August 24th, at 7:00 pm at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel. Feleboga (fiddle bows) is a band from Norway, composed of family members Mattias Thedens (fiddle, banjo, vocals), Elizabeth Gaver (fiddle, vocals), and Hans-Hinrich Thedens (guitar, banjo, vocals). Tickets are $15.00, available through Brown Paper Tickets or by calling (831) 624-7491.
After living in Johnson City for several months in 2004, they have returned to the Appalachian area almost every summer to continue their immersion in the music – fiddle tunes, songs, and ballads. The concert will present two new string band CDs featuring the family. Stories and projected photographs will illustrate their journey with the music.
Feleboga Stringband’s “Tugboat to Hamburg” includes two additional American musicians living in Norway. The CD has several songs and fiddle tunes, two with original texts. Feleboga Stringband has performed and played for dancing in Norway, Denmark, and Germany.
“The Moose Whisperers” is the self-titled debut CD of the exciting young band with Mattias on fiddle. The Moose Whisperers won the old-time band contest at the prestigious Appalachian String Band Festival (Clifftop) in 2016. After performing at the festival the following year, the band recorded this CD in Washington DC. They toured Norway and Denmark in January 2018 and have been invited to perform and teach at the Gainsborough Festival in February 2019.
For more information about Feleboga, please follow us in Facebook and see our website, feleboga.com.

Nice Fish
2018-08-10 19:30 - 2018-08-12 14:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Paraphrase Productions proudly presents Nice Fish in the Cherry Hall Theater on Friday, August 10th and Saturday, August 11th, at 7:30 p.m.; and Sunday, August 12th, at 2:00p.m.

From Mark Rylance and the works of prose poet Louis Jenkins is a story of seeking something that can swallow a person whole. Two old friends go ice fishing and discuss life, regret, love, and the tranquility of being in nature. According to the director, Alex Thibeau, this play encapsulates “the powerful experience of reflecting on a person’s life and the combination of humor with prose poetry that makes this play an instant classic.” Directed by Alex Thibeau.

Cast List:

Ron – Colin Skerritt
Erik – Adrian Clark
Flo – Kimberly English
Wayne – Alyca Tanner
DNR Man – Andrew Marderian

Tickets are $10.00 general admission, $5.00 for students and teachers. Tickets can be purchased here or by calling (831) 607-8422.

The Crow Flies Backwards
2018-08-10 17:00 - 2018-09-15 16:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
“The Crow Flies Backwards” – Deanna Forbes

The Crow Flies Backwards, an exhibit exploring approaches to Zen koans, opens Friday, August 10th, at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts with a reception from 5:00 – 7:00PM. The event is free and open to the public.
Koans represent the saying of Zen teachers, as collected centuries ago in Tang China. Koan (Japanese) literally means “public case” (as in legal precedent), and these ancient cases continue to have relevance for modern Zen students, illuminating what it might mean to live free from repetitive forms of thinking and behaving. Through the thoughtful play of koan practice, students learn to live freshly and immediately with everything that arises – however it appears: as breath, headache or bird song.
“Lavender Swirl, Lower Antelope Canyon, Navajo Reservation, Arizona” – Kenneth Parker
This exhibition explores the diverse approaches of contemporary artwork and photography when paired with 9th century Chinese koans, from the forceful brushwork of Tracey Adams to the contemplative canvases of Leonard Han, and enigmatic spatial forms of Deanna Forbes. The exhibition also includes works by Sharron Antholt, Allison Atwill, Laurel Farrin, Judith Foosaner, Tom Nakashima, Kenneth Parker, Dennis Peak, Tim Rice, and Sam Tchakalian.

The exhibit can be seen Wednesday through Friday from 11 to 4 p.m.; Saturdays, 12 to 4 p.m.; or by appointment through September 15th, 2018. The Carl Cherry Center is located at the corner of Fourth and Guadalupe, Carmel. Information: (831) 624-7491.

“Utopia for Practical Purposes” – Tracey Adams

An Evening with Devaji
2018-08-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Join a master spiritual teacher for meditation, a talk, and Q&A to discover the astounding truth that love is your very nature. Devaji’s teachings, which are rooted in the nondual tradition of Ramana Maharshi and the devotional path of Ramakrishna, invite us to use life’s reflection to discover the passion, beauty and love of pure Being. He has been guiding those committed to a spiritual path for nearly 20 years. $15 suggested donation.
A retreat at the Center for Spiritual Awakening in Pacific Grove, California, follows, August 5-11, 2018.
For more information, please visit our website, www.devaji.org.

In the Family of Things
2018-07-27 19:30 - 21:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
In the Family of Things, a poetry reading and conversation with George Lober, Kathryn Petruccelli and Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, will be presented in the Cherry Theater on July 27th, 2018 at 7:30 p.m. Suggested donation for the evening is $15.00.
In her poem “Wild Geese,” Mary Oliver writes that the world calls to us like wild geese, announcing our place “in the family of things.” Poets George Lober, Kathryn Petruccelli and Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts will explore the ways in which poetry shows us our place “in the family of things” through readings and discussions of their own poems and the poems of others.

About the poets:
Kathryn Petruccelli
Kathryn Petruccelli is a bi-coastal poet and writer with aspirations in radio, obsessions around the meaning of home, and a deep belief in the power of story. Kitty tends to teach things – like storytelling, sign language, and English to speakers of other languages. She spent eight years writing about community events and theater for the Herald. She was a long-time student in Ellen Bass’ workshops and has more recently been working with another Santa Cruz poet, Danusha Laméris. Her work has been published in various places including regional anthologies in the Monterey Bay as well as the Pioneer Valley in western Massachusetts. Kitty’s poetry is forthcoming in Rattle, and her piece “How to Read This Essay” was chosen as the 2015 winner of San Francisco’s Litquake Festival essay contest.

George Lober
George Lober is the author of two books of poetry Shift of Light and A Bridge to There. His poems have appeared in numerous journals and e-zines, including the former Eclectic Literary Forum; MiPoesias; Lily; Sage; Quarry West; Sand Hill Review; Porter Gulch Review, and Monterey Poetry Review. Lober is a former winner of the Ruth Cable Memorial Prize for Poetry and currently lives in Monterey, California.

Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts
Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts is author of White Fire, a collection of poems published last year by The Ping Pong Free Press of the Henry Miller Memorial Library. He is the author of two chapbooks of poetry, To Mary (after eight and The Sweet Taste; co-editor of the college text Bridges; co-editor/co-translator of two works from the Telugu, Sudha (Nectar) by Chalam and The Selected Verses of Vemana, both of which have been accepted into UNESCO’s Collection of Representative works: Indian Series; and co-author of Bowing to Receive the Mountain: Essays by Lin Jensen and Poetry by Elliot Roberts. His poetry has also appeared in various journals and anthologies.
Ruchowitz-Roberts coordinates the Tor House Foundation’s annual Prize for Poetry and its annual reading series, and coordinated the National Endowment for the Arts “The Big Read: The Poetry of Robinson Jeffers,” during which he read and performed Jeffers’s poetry at venues throughout Monterey County. Poet-in-the-Schools for the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Ruchowitz-Roberts presents poetry writing workshops in high schools throughout Monterey County and coordinates the annual Monterey County High School Poetry Awards.

Celebrating the Cherry 2018 - Annual Fundraiser June 23rd
2018-06-23 16:00 - 19:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Celebrating the Cherry, our annual summer fundraiser, will be held at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts on June 23rd, 2018, from 4:00 to 7:00pm. Monies raised will help us continue to provide quality artistic, educational and cultural programs for the residents of Monterey County. The evening will feature food and wine, nonstop entertainment, and photos highlighting the Cherry Center’s 70 year history in Carmel-by-the-Sea.This year we are honoring Professor Emeritus Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts, Monterey Peninsula College, and Art Curator Amy Essick, Montage Health/Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, for their ongoing contributions to the arts.
For more than twenty years, Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts has provided instruction in creative writing and poetry through the Cherry Center’s programs. Professor Emeritus at Monterey Peninsula College where he taught composition, literature, public speaking and humanities for 32 years, Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts has published two chap books of poetry and co-author of Bowing to Receive the Mountain: Essays by Lin Jensen and Poetry by Elliot Roberts. White Fire, a collection of poetry, was published last year.
Amy Essick is the Art Curator for Montage Health – Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula. Her responsibilities include the art collection located at the hospital and 18 existing and in-progress facilities from Salinas to Carmel. Amy’s work with art and beauty in the healthcare environment connects our patients and staff with the dynamic creativity in our region. The collection is solely derived from generous donations and contains objects from professional artists, students from Monterey County schools and the artist within us all.
Please be sure to join us for this festive event! Tickets for the event are $40 general admission ($45 after June 1st) and $20 for students, available through brownpapertickets.com or by calling (831) 624-7491.
VISIT OUR SPONSOR PAGE

Paul Contos & Friends
2018-06-16 15:00 - 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Jazz At The Cherry is proud to present Monterey Jazz Festival educators and performing artists Paul Contos, and father and son duo, Bob and Kyle Athayde, on Saturday, June 16, 2018, from 3:00-5:00pm.
Contos has been with the MJF since 1984 and has been their Director of Education since 2011. He received Down Beat Magazine’s “Jazz Education Achievement Award” in 2017 and was also honored by the Arts Council for Monterey County as a “Champion Arts Educator” in 2015.
An outstanding saxophone and flute player, Paul has performed with a stunning roster of renowned jazz artists including: Mundell Lowe, Clark Terry, Roy Hargrove, Jon Hendricks, Joe Williams, Dianne Reeves, Sheila Jordan, Ray Drummond, Eddie Marshall, Vince Lateano, Madeline Eastman, Bruce Forman, Dave Eshelman, Ray Brown, Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, Regina Carter, Gary Burton, Wayne Shorter, Terence Blanchard and many others.
The Athayde’s have been a major force in jazz culture in the Bay Area and beyond for many years. Recognized for his outstanding teaching and musicianship, pianist Bob Athayde has received numerous honors and awards as a jazz educator and has performed with such well-known artists as Paquito d’Rivera, Steve Turre, Ira Nepus, John Santos and John Clayton.
Kyle Athayde is a New York-based composer, arranger, performer, teacher, and bandleader. A native of Orinda, California, Kyle plays vibraphone, piano, trumpet, drums, bongos, congas, timbales, string bass, bass clarinet, sousaphone and vocal percussion. A graduate of Juilliard’s Jazz Program, Kyle’s roots to the Monterey jazz scene include having been a member of the Next Generation Jazz Orchestra in 2004, 2005 and 2006.
We hope you will join us for what is sure to be a delightful afternoon of classic jazz gems, Brazilian jazz and other creative inspirations.
Ticket price is $25, available on brownpapertickets.com, or by calling (831) 624-7491. The doors will open at 3:00pm for wine and hors d’oeuvres, with the show beginning at 3:30pm.

"The Fire in the Wood"
2018-06-01 19:30 - 2018-06-10 14:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
The Fire in the Wood, an original play presented by the Unicorn Theatre, will open a six performance run on Friday, June 1st, at the Cherry Hall Theater, Carmel. Written by Peter Thabit Jones and directed by Carey Crockett, the play looks into the life and influence of artist and sculptor Edmund Kara.
The production portrays Edmund’s relationship to his art and to the dramatic Big Sur Coast. Edmund, the sculptor of the Phoenix Bird at Nepenthe and the bust of Elizabeth Taylor for the movie “The Sandpiper,” turned his back on fame and fortune, devoting himself instead to what his soul might release into powerful archetypes from the massive shapes of wood that presented themselves to him. Juxtaposing poetry, prose, visual arts, music. dance, from the “Phoenix Bird” rising at Nepenthe to Hollywood . . . and rolling sounds of wind and sea, Thabit Jones brings us the full measure of Edmund’s life.
Following each performance, writer Peter Thabit Jones and director Carey Crockett will hold a question and answer session with the audience.
The play stars Skip Kadish as the ghost of Edmund Kara, Robert Blaine Yeats as young Edmund; and features Robert Colter, Kathleen Baer, Flora Anderson, and Vivian Danzer. Music by Thomas Burks.
The Cherry Center’s gallery will feature works by Edmund Kara from May 18th to June 16th, 2018, with drawings by Carolyn Mary Kleefeld that are inspired by Edmund and are included in the play. For more information about the exhibition, please click here.
Tickets are $20, available by calling (831) 624-7491 or online at brownpapertickets.com. Friday (June 1st, 8th), Saturday (June 2nd, 9th), and Sunday (June 3rd, 10th). Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2:00 p.m.

Scene from “The Fire in the Wood” at the Henry Miller Library, May 19, 2018

Scene from “The Fire in the Wood” at the Henry Miller Library, May 19, 2018
About the playwright:
Welsh poet/dramatist Peter Thabit Jones has authored thirteen books, including the Dylan Thomas Walking Tour of Greenwich Village New York with Aeronwy Thomas. His work has been translated into over twenty languages. He has received a number of awards, including the Eric Gregory Award for Poetry (The Society of Authors, UK), The Royal Literary Fund Award (UK), an Arts Council of Wales Award, the 2016 Ted Slade Award for Service to Poetry (UK) and the 2017 Homer: European Medal for Art and Poetry. His libretto, Ermesinde’s Long Walk, for composer Albena Petrovic, premiered at the Philarmonie Luxembourg in 2017 and his full libretto for her, Love and Jealousy, premieres at the National Opera House Stara Zagora in Bulgaria in May 2018. His drama, The Boy and the Lion’s Head, available on CD soon, will be performed at the 2018 Swansea International Festival of Music and the Arts. www.peterthabitjones.com
About the music designer:
The Fire in the Wood will feature original music by Thomas Burks. Burks is a well-known and well-loved fixture on the Central Coast’s drama and music scenes. He has played a variety of roles for Unicorn Theatre over the past twenty-five years, and appears in the newly released independent film, “Die, My Dear.”

Exhibition: The Fire in the Wood
2018-05-18 17:00 - 2018-06-16 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
The Fire in the Wood, an exhibit exploring the life and art of the legendary Big Sur sculptor Edmund Kara, opens Friday, May 18th at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts with a reception from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
Considered one of Big Sur’s most illustrious and secretive artists, Edmund Kara started his career in the wardrobe and costume departments of Universal and Paramount Studios during the 1950s, later becoming a clothing designer for Lena Horne, Peggy Lee, and others. During this time, Kara extended his artistic endeavors to include sculpture, painting, and drawing. In 1962, he left the fashion industry for good to establish a studio in Big Sur, California. Two of his better-known pieces include a sculpture of Elizabeth Taylor for the film, “The Sandpiper,” and “The Phoenix” on the deck of Nepenthe, Big Sur. Kara’s body of work is arresting; with smooth finishes and curvy wood masks, biblical figures and mythological creatures, large and imposingly heavy looking, confrontational, dark with emotion.
The Fire in the Wood, a play about the life of Edmund Kara, opens in the Cherry Hall Theater on Friday, June 1st, for a six performance run. For more information, click here.
The exhibition will run through June 16, 2018.
Pictured: “Yin Yang” – Edmund Kara, 1975

Robert Campbell High School Poetry Contest 2018
2018-04-28 14:00 - 16:00 | CA
25TH ANNUAL ROBERT CAMPBELL HIGH SCHOOL POETRY AWARDS
Robert Campbell High School Poetry Awards Ceremony

The Carl Cherry Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the 25th Annual Robert Campbell Monterey High School Poetry Awards. The contest is presented in conjunction with Thinking Out Loud, a series of programs devoted to high school arts and poetry. An awards ceremony honoring the student poets will be held at 2:00p.m. on Saturday, April 28th, 2018, at the Monterey Public Library on Pacific Street in Monterey.
High school students in Monterey County are invited to submit up to three poems to the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, P.O. Box 863, Carmel, California 93921, or info@carlcherrycenter.org. All submissions must be received no later than March 29th, 2018. Award recipients will receive a certificate of merit, cash award, and a book containing this year’s prize winning poems.
The Monterey County High School Poetry Awards were established in 1993 to recognize and promote excellence in high school poets, and to develop an interest in creative expression through the written word. The awards acknowledge two fundamental insights: the redemptive power poetry can play in the lives of students, and the importance of sustaining poetry as a legitimate art form in today’s digitally driven culture.

My Mother's Keeper
2018-04-27 19:30 - 2018-05-27 14:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
My Mother’s Keeper, a play written by Jane Press and directed by Robin McKee, moves fluidly back and forth between 1914 and the present. Taking place within the memories of four generations of women in a show business family. Looking through the lens of the mother-daughter relationship dynamic. My Mother’s Keeper is an examination of our matriarchal inheritance, with all its inherent – and inherited – blessings and curses. It is a moving, sometimes very funny, sometimes disturbing, ultimately healing work.
My Mother’s Keeper opens at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Carmel, on April 27th, and will run May 27th, 2018. Showtimes are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30PM, and Sundays at 2:00PM, There will be two performances on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 18th), at 2:00PM and 7:30PM. Tickets are $20, $18 for groups of ten or more, and are available online at ticketguys.com or by calling (831) 233-1941.

About the Playwright
Jane Press is an actress with fifty years experience on stage. She comes from a show business family in New York and Los Angeles. She originally produced My Mother’s Keeper at the Cherry Center in 2012 for a sold out five week run, and in L.A. at the Electric Lodge Theater in 2013 with a critically acclaimed five week run. She will be hosting a Go Fund Me campaign during this current production to help underwrite the costs of a New York production in 2019.
About the Director
Robin McKee is well respected for her work with new play development in California and Colorado, through programs such as L.A.’s Mark Taper Forum New Works Festival and Colorado Shakespeare Festival’s New Works Project. She was the founder and producing artistic director for Carmel Performing Arts Festival, developed Telluride Repertory Theater Company’s seasonal productions for 15 years as guest artist and artistic director, and has worked as a freelance director around the country for 20 years. Robin loves combining new and seasoned performers and artists in the development of new plays. One of her favorite venues in California is the Carl Cherry Center for the Performing Arts, where she first collaborated with the venue for the development of Karen Black’s one-woman show in 1992.

Dick Whittington - Jazz At The Cherry
2018-04-08 15:00 - 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Celebrated jazz pianist, Dick Whittington, will be performing in our gallery on Sunday, April 8th, from 3:00-5:00pm, as part of our ongoing Jazz At The Cherry series. Whittington, a long-time Big Sur resident, began his career in Los Angeles in the 1950s, playing with such jazz notables as Dexter Gordon, Bobby Hutcherson, and Sonny Criss. After relocating to Berkeley in the 1960s, he performed with Stan Getz, Chet Baker, Art Pepper, James Moody, Anita O’Day, Mel Torme, Bobby McFerrin and many others. He was co-founder of the Berkeley School District Jazz Program which fostered the careers of Joshua Redman, Benny Green and dozens of others. Since arriving on the Monterey Peninsula, he has played at most of the major jazz venues and also performed as house pianist at Carmel’s Cypress Inn and Bernardus Lodge.
Bob Basa
Joining Dick will be guitar master Bob Basa. A Brazilian music specialist, Basa has been in high demand in the Monterey area and has played continuously at Spanish Bay for over ten years. His past performances also include the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Tickets, $15, available through brownpapertickets.com or by calling(831) 624-7491. Savory fare, champagne and wine are included in the ticket price.

"Jeanne's Kitchen" Art Meets Food at the Cherry Center
2018-04-06 17:00 - 2018-05-05 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Jeanne’s Kitchen, an exhibit devoted to food and cuisine, will be served-up April 6th at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts. The show will open with an artists’ reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
The exhibit will feature painting, sculpture and photography that examines our multifaceted relationship with food. While eating is generally a mundane daily routine, the exhibition considers how we find our food, with whom we consume it, and what meaning is created through these experiences.
Artists include David Ligare, Gina Taro, Michelle Magdalena Maddox, Barbara Spring, Viktor Klinger, Gerald Wasserman, Hanna Hannah, Robynn Smith, Susan Manchester, Malcolm Weintraub, Peter Charles, Rob Barnard, Sharron Antholt, Jan Wurm and Tom Nakashima, among others.
Through May 5th, 2018

Pictured: Onions, After Mu Chi
Tracy Valleau
Pigment ink giclee
8″ x 16″

The Meaning of Life & Other Stuff
2018-03-09 19:30 - 2018-03-25 14:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
The Meaning of Life & Other Stuff, a new play about life, love and laughter written and directed by Tom Parks, opens March 9th at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Carmel.
Four seasoned actors will play 12 different roles; finding humor and pathos in this crazy, mixed up world.
The Meaning of Life opens March 9th, and will run through March 25th, 2018. Friday and Saturday performances begin at 7:30PM; Sunday matinees at 2:00PM. Tickets are $25. For tickets and more information. please call (831) 717-7373, or visit ticketguys.com.

"Thinking Out Loud" High School Student Art Exhibition
2018-03-03 14:00 - 2018-03-24 16:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Pictured above, “Self Portrait” Jordan Goodwin, York School.

Thinking Out Loud, an exhibition of Monterey County high school student art, will be displayed in our gallery through March 24th, 2018. This year, over 100 students participated in our event. Below are photos of student artists with their work, taken at the show’s opening on March 3rd.
We would like to thank Allegro Pizza in the Barnyard and Il Fornaio in downtown Carmel for helping make our student artists’ open house a success.

“Well Lived” Raven Cook, Youth Arts Collective

“Til DEATH” Martin Aguirre, Everett Alvarez HIgh School
“Bloom” Jaia Linden Engel, Carmel High School

“Panther Grouper”Matthew Brady, Monterey High School

Thinking Out Loud is made possible, in part, through grants from the Arts Council for Monterey County, and funding from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, Community Foundation for Monterey County, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, Carmel-by-the-Sea Rotary, Volunteer Services for Monterey County, and the Yellow Brick Road Benefit Store.
Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4:00 p.m.

Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
2018-02-14 19:30 - 2018-03-04 14:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks is the touching and human story of a formidable retired woman, Lily Harrison, who hires an acerbic dance instructor, Michael Minetti, to give her private dance lessons —one per week for six weeks— in her gulf-front condo in St. Petersburg Beach, Florida. What begins as an antagonistic relationship blossoms into an intimate friendship as these two people from very different backgrounds reveal their secrets, fears, and joys while dancing the Swing, Tango, Waltz, Foxtrot, Cha-Cha, and Contemporary Dance. A comedy with music and dance, the play also addresses the serious issues of ageism and intolerance.
Since its Los Angeles premiere in 2001 and its Broadway opening in 2003, Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks has been translated into 14 languages and has enjoyed tremendous success both nationally and internationally. Directed by Deanna Ross and starring talented local actors Rosemary Luke and Lewis Rhames, this production marks the play’s Monterey Peninsula debut.
Tickets are $20, available through brownpapertickets.com, or call 831-644-9613 for reservations.
Preview: Wednesday, February 14th at 7:30PM – 2 for 1 ticket price.
Friday and Saturday, February 16 & 17, 23 & 24, and March 2 & 3 – Evening performances begin at 7:30PM.
Sunday, February 18, 25, and March 4 – Matinee performances begin at 2:00PM.

Monterey Comedy Improv
2018-01-26 19:30 - 21:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Tragedy, comedy or contemporary culture? It makes no difference to the Monterey Comedy Improv, who will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, January 26th at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel.
The troupe take suggestions from the audience from a range of subjects to create a series of scenes and skits using whatever props are at hand. Scenes might include star-crossed lovers, sword fights, turkeys, politicians, rhyming couplets, disguises, and asides from the audience.
Monterey Comedy Improv have gained quite a bit of notoriety as the only troupe on the Central Coast to perform short form improvisational theater. As usual, the show will feature plenty of audience participation, so be sure to leave your inhibitions at the door.
Tickets are $15, available through brownpapertickets.com or by calling (831) 624-7491.

"Through Beginners Eyes" - Contemplative Photography
2018-01-12 17:00 - 2018-02-17 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Through Beginner’s Eyes, an exhibit exploring contemplative photography, opens Friday, January 12th with a reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.
Contemplative photography is a method of seeing and photographing the world in ways that reveal a richness and beauty that is often hidden from view. Instead of emphasizing subject matter or the technical aspects of photography, contemplative camera-work accentuates images based upon fresh perception. At turns abstract and abstruse or descriptive and precise, these images endeavor to describe the world in subtle and unexpected ways. Photographers featured in the exhibition range in style, intention, and time period, but all of their works share an evocation of the poetic.
Photographers for the exhibit include Blaine Ellis, Chester Ng, William Giles, Brad Cole, Jeff Nixon, Viktor Klinger, Richard Murai, and Roger Vail, among others. The exhibit can be seen Wednesday through Friday from 11 to 4 p.m. or by appointment through February 17th, 2018.
Image (above): Blaine Ellis

Image (below): Tower in Crete – William Giles

"A Few of Our Favorite Things" with the Cherry Trio
2017-12-30 15:00 - 16:30 | CA
The Cherry Trio will close our musical programs for 2017 with a performance of baroque and chamber music on Saturday, December 30th at 3:00 p.m.
The trio – Elizabeth Gaver, Penny Hanna, and Katie Clare Mazzeo – will explore the different expressions and approaches of European and American composers as they traveled on their musical journeys. The concept of a tonal center gave grounding and direction to the melodies and inner voices surrounding those excursions. Featured music will include works by LeClair, Buxtehude, Krieger, Fischer, and Rogers and Hammerstein, among others.

Tickets for the afternoon’s performance are $25.00, available online at brownpapertickets.com or by calling (831) 624-7491. Last year’s program sold old quickly, so be sure to reserve your tickets today!

Director's Cut
2017-12-11 08:00 - 2017-12-16 17:00 | CA
Director’s Cut: Purchase Holiday Presents!

Director’s Cut, a three-day “pop-up” exhibit of recent paintings, photography and ceramic sculpture by board members and artistic friends of the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, will be held December 14th through December 16th. A reception will be held Friday, December 15th from 5 to 7 p.m. in the gallery. The event is free and open to the public.
All work will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts. The exhibit offers a wide range of artistic styles, imagery and influences, including a variety of mediums ranging from traditional paintings and drawings to pieces created with elements of photography, collage and sculpture.
Artists and photographers include Dixie Dixon, Jan Wagstaff, Peter Hiller, Ellen Auvil, Robin Winfield, Mary Hill, Richard Cannon, Mary Liz Houseman and Jeffrey Houseman, among others. The exhibit will also include the “Over the Top and On the Tree” ornament show. This year’s themes include: Traditional Holiday, Sea Life and Beach; Celebrations Around the World; Multicultural, Judaica, Spiritual, Bohemia, Angels, Gadgets and Occupations, among others.

As well, carol singing, good cheer and joyfulness will ensue for the entire family!

A reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Carl Cherry Center. The event is free and open to the public. Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th and Guadalupe, Carmel. Friday, December 18th, 5 to 7 p.m. (831) 624-7491; info@carlcherrycenter.org. www. Carlcherrycenter. org.

Along Came Betty - Jazz at The Cherry
2017-12-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Fresh off of a stellar performance at the 60th Annual Monterey Jazz Festival, Along Came Betty returns to Jazz At The Cherry for another round of rich, harmonized sax and trumpet, backed by the classic piano, bass, and drums rhythm section.
Along Came Betty (Biff Smith, piano; Brian Stock, trumpet and flugelhorn; Paul Tarantino, saxophone; Steve Uccello, bass; Patrick Tregenza, drums) have performed at many local and national jazz venues, including this year’s Monterey Jazz Festival and the Big Sur Jazz Festival. Since 1998, they have been celebrating the spirit of hard-bop, a seminal movement of 50s and 60s jazz. Pianist and prolific composer Biff Smith’s sophisticated yet highly accessible compositions blend elements of that era with modern sensibilities.
Wine, light fare, and incidentally — holiday cheer– all included in the ticket price. Tickets are $25, available online at brownpapertickets.com or by calling (831) 624-7491.
This event is sponsored in part by Morgan Winery.

Pictured (top row): Brian Stock, trumpet and flugelhorn; Paul Tarantino, saxophone; Biff Smith, piano
(bottom row) Heath Proskin, bass; Patrick Tregenza, drums

A Very Cherry Christmas
2017-12-01 07:30 - 2017-12-10 19:00 | CA
The Carl Cherry Center for the Arts in Carmel will light up with the spirit of Christmas during the first two weekends in December when it presents Mark Shilstone-Laurent’s A Very Cherry Christmas. The first act consists of a performance of David Sedaris’s The Santaland Diaries featuring Mark Shilstone-Laurent in a hilarious one-man show chronicling the life of an elf in Macy’s Santaland. Act Two showcases a series of Christmas readings performed by local favorites MaryAnn Schaupp-Rousseau, John Newkirk and Julie Hughett.
The show plays December 1,2,3 & 8,9,10, with a 7:30 curtain Fridays and Saturdays. Sunday the 3rd is a 2pm matinee, Sunday the 10th starts at 7pm. Tickets are $20. For reservations call (831) 676-0148, or visit brownpapertickets.com. Proceeds will benefit the Sparrow Collaborative, an advocacy group for the homeless.
Of Sedaris, critics say, “With sardonic wit and incisive social critiques, David Sedaris has become one of America’s pre-eminent humor writers. The great skill with which he slices through cultural euphemisms and political correctness proves that Sedaris is a master of satire and one of the most observant writers addressing the human condition today.” Turn that talent loose on a story about a hired elf undergoing countless humiliations dealing with psychotic shoppers, stranger-than-fiction Santas and over-sexed co-workers, and you end up with a pretty dang Merry Christmas. Shilstone-Laurent plays the elf, Crumpet, and his son Tyler directs.
The second act of A Very Cherry Christmas features some of the area’s finest actors performing a number of classic (and not so classic) Christmas themed readings. Pieces from the works of Truman Capote and O’Henry provide the comfy sentimentality Christmas traditions call for, but a reading about a doomed Christmas pageant from Rita Mae Brown’s Rubyfruit Jungle goes straight for the funny bone. Poems of the season round out the evening.

Top (l to r): Mark Shilstone-Laurent and Julie Hughett
Bottom: MaryAnn Schaupp-Rousseau and John Newkirk.

26 High Street: A Jack the Ripper Mystery
2017-11-17 19:30 - 2017-11-19 14:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Robert Colter, Thomas Burks, Sara Mar Don and Keith Decker star in two plays of mystery ideal for the Halloween season: Rob Foster’s “26 High Street: A Jack the Ripper Mystery,” in which retired London detective Frederick Abberline reveals the identity of the Ripper to an intrepid news reporter, and Poe’s classic “Masque of the Red Death,” of a Royal Prince waiting out the passing of The Plague with his cabal of revelers, all locked in his high castle, only to discover at the last, that the Reaper has gained entrance. An evening of fanciful terror, period music, and great performances by favorite local Central Coast talent. Directed by Carey Crockett
Tickets are $20 general admission, and $15 for seniors, students, and military, available through brownpapertickets.com or by calling (831) 601-7460.
Friday and Saturday at 7:30PM: November 17th and 18th
Sunday matinee at 2:00PM: November 19

The Merging of Difference and Unity - Three Artists Approaching Abstraction
2017-11-17 17:00 - 2017-12-10 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Wave – Kim Campbell, brass screen, patina, 18 x 18
The Merging of Difference and Unity, a three-person exhibit exploring varied approaches toward non-objective painting, opens Friday, November 17th, with an artists reception from 5 to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.
This exhibition explores the diverse methods and attitudes towards non-objective art from three varied perspectives. From the forceful brushwork of Yari Ostovany to the contemplative canvases of Jeanne D’Orge (Mrs. Carl Cherry) and the enigmatic spatial forms of Kim Campbell. The variety of materials and techniques included in this presentation testifies to abstraction’s enduring potential as a form of artistic expression.
The exhibit can be seen Wednesday through Friday from 11 to 4 p.m.; Saturdays, 12 to 4 p.m. or by appointment through December 10th.
The Oracle II – Yari Ostovany, oil on canvas, 36 x 42

Golden Ratio X
2017-11-10 19:30 - 2017-11-11 19:30 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Golden Ratio X, a multimedia literary event of divine proportion, will be performed Friday, November 10th, and Saturday, November 11th, at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, Carmel.
The story of Golden Ratio X takes place in the mind of Blaze, a stripper who must rectify her own identity and sense of purpose at the Mitchell Brothers’ O’Farrell Theatre, San Francisco, circa 1986. In dressing room scenes, dancers discuss issues of spirituality versus the universal truths of the Golden Ratio. Other scenes take place in the theatre audience, where Blaze navigates the complicated nuances of lap dancing. Dancers will perform in the style of 1980’s striptease in between acted scenes. The story deals with mature subject matter, but is not X-rated.
Two performances only: Friday, November 10th, and Saturday, November 11th, at 7:30PM. Tickets are $23.00, available on brownpapertickets.com or by calling (831) 624-7491.
The Cast:
Janice Blaze Rocke (writer, director, producer, narrator) is a graduate of CSUMB where she studied Creative Writing/Social Action while single-parenting two children. She’s produced theme-based variety shows; filmed and edited videos; written short stories, plays and screenplays; and created a vast array of art. Her novel, Resurrections in the Dark, is loosely based on her life. She has also written for Polygon online magazine. She produces multi-media literary-based events on the peninsula with other enthusiastic writers, artists, dancers, actors, videographers, and technical wizards.
Deena Welch (Blaze) has been living in Monterey for ten years. Locally, she’s performed in The Exonerated and Deathtrap at The Magic Circle Theatre, Bug at Paper Wing, several Storybook shows at MPC, and Alice in Wonderland at The Outdoor Forest Theatre. Before moving to Monterey, she participated in local theatre in San Diego.
Carrie Collier (Vanessa, the wise “older” stripper) studied acting at PCPA in Santa Maria, CA, Hartnell College, and at CSU Chico, and improvisation at The Groundlings and Second City, both in Hollywood, CA. She played several leads in the short-lived Fox television series Totally Hidden Video and on Making Yourself at Home on PBS. Carrie has appeared in multiple plays in San Francisco, most notably Martha in Bar None, which ran for four years. She played the title role in Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander at the Western Stage, Elizabeth in Laundry and Bourbon, and Lizzie in The Rainmaker.
Thomas Burks (as “the other kind of man”) was born on a small farm outside of a small town in West Texas. He began writing music in his early twenties, and acting in his early thirties. Burks has written several monologues and a play, A Farmboy Mantra. He is currently working on Atticus and Matilda, a second installment of Farmboy based on two mentally challenged siblings in rural Texas.
Carri Newhouse (Raja) is a Pacific Grove native who dances beneath the fireworks at the Feast of Lanterns Pageant, and onstage with the M.P.C. Dance Department. Fulfilling a childhood dream of waking this sleepy town, Newhouse promotes flow arts with Monterey Fire & Flow, a group who cultivate juggling and dancing with fire. She is also co-creator of the dance tribe HipNautic Flowers, in which both her daughters perform.
Rachel Corvese (Trina, a young stripper) has always loved dance! She has performed with a competitive Hip Hop team for five years, and trained recreationally in jazz for nine years. Currently, Corvese performs with the Monterey Fire and Flow community. She hopes to continue to expand her horizons in dance and the arts for many more years to come.

Now Accepting Submissions for Our Annual Ornament Show and Silent Auction
2017-11-03 17:00 - 2017-12-12 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Artists, sculptors, ceramicists and crafters, start your imaginations!
The Carl Cherry Center is looking for unique, high quality, handmade ornaments for our second annual “Over the Top and On the Tree” ornament show and silent auction. The public will be able to view and bid on ornaments during our holiday show, Director’s Cut, which runs December 14th through the 16th, 2017.
Here is your chance to create original handcrafted ornaments to be displayed for sale throughout the show. We are offering a 60/40 consignment split (60% to the artist, 40% to the Cherry’s general fund).
Please send pictures of your ornament sample to yblnwj7965@sbcglobal.net — or drop one off at our gallery office, Fourth and Guadalupe, Carmel — with your name, contact information, price point, and quantity you are willing to make. Ornament submissions must be received no later than December 12th at 5:00PM.
This year’s themes are used as guidelines to inspire creativity, however, we are willing to consider any ornament presented.

Traditional Holiday – White X-mas, Glamour, & Rustic

Carmel Holiday– Sea Life & Beach

Celebrations Around the World – Multicultural, Judaica, Spiritual, Angels, Zen

Goodies, Gadgets, and Occupations – Ex: Foodies, Techies, Teachers, Fishermen, Musicians, etc.

Kids

Birds, Birdhouses, and Woodland Creatures

Cherry-themed/Bohemia

Jazz At The Cherry - Monterey Jazz Festival High School All-Star Alumni - "Blue Clay"
2017-10-29 15:00 - 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Blue Clay, the best of young jazz in Monterey County, will be appearing in the Cherry Hall Theater on Sunday, October 29th, at 3:00PM. The trio – Aaron Georis (bass), Davíd Sanchez (keyboards), Felix Diaz-Contreras (trombone) – is composed of members from the Monterey Jazz Festival High School All-Star Alumni band.
Tickets for the event are $20, available through brownpapertickets.com or by calling (831 624-7491. The ticket price includes refreshments and light fare.
Meet the trio:
Aaron Georis is a junior at Carmel High School. Aaron has been playing bass for about five years and has been a participant in MJF Summer Jazz Camp for five years. Aaron’s interest in Jazz began in middle school when the MJF Traveling Clinicians program conducted workshops for the students. Aaron plays on his school water polo team and is currently in the Monterey County High School All Star Band.
Davíd Sanchez attends school at Monterey High School. Davíd has been playing piano for 11 years, and jazz for six. He became interested in jazz when he heard his older brother practicing his trumpet charts from the Monterey County All-Star Band. He has participated in the traveling clinicians program as a member of the Pacific Grove Jazz Club and currently plays with the Monterey County All-Star Band.
Felix Diaz-Contreras is a senior at Pacific Grove High School. Felix has been playing trombone since sixth grade. When you ask Felix why he became interested in Jazz, his answer is – “It’s very spontaneous and I love the connection and community of it in which everyone isn’t getting mad together and actually making music together. It’s swingin’ man!” Felix was a young ambitious trombone player in 6th grade when he entered his middle school jazz program and met the traveling clinicians. He then went to jazz camp. “I love MJF and I wouldn’t be where I am with all my great friends and amazing teachers without it.” Felix is also a member of the SF Jazz All Stars.

Celebrating the Cherry
2017-10-14 16:00 - 19:00 | CA
“Celebrating the Cherry,” our annual fall fundraiser, will take place in our gallery on Saturday, October 14th, from 4:00 to 7:00PM The event will honor our executive director, Robert Reese, for his ongoing commitment to fostering non-commercial, contemporary artistic expression in Monterey County.
We’ve put together a guaranteed showstopper, with a magician, music, tarot reader, silent auction, and stellar food and wine.
Please be sure to join us for this festive event! Tickets are $45, available through BrownPaperTickets.com or by calling (831) 624-7491.

Pictured: Carl Cherry Center for the Arts’ founder Jeanne D’Orge. Photo by Wynn Bullock

POSTPONED - Barbara Brussell in "This Moment"
2017-10-06 19:00 - 2017-10-07 19:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
Barbara Brussell’s October 6th and 7th performances have been postponed due to illness. We will post new dates and times when available.
Cabaret-by the-Sea presents award-winning cabaret singer Barbara Brussell returning to The Cherry with an original new show, “This Moment.” Two nights only: Friday, October 6th and Saturday, October 7th at 7:00PM. Ms. Brussell will be accompanied by musical director George Peterson.
In This Moment, Barbara explores her impressions and passions past and present, selecting “any song that tells my story, from the Great American Songbook, Broadway, or contemporary songwriters known and un-known.” The show honors singers and songwriting friends, including the show’s title song written by John Wallowitch. Other tributes will include singer-actresses Julie Wilson and Claiborne Cary; lyricist Ron Miller; composer Michael “Mickey” Leonard; and a nod of recognition to Mary Martin, Mary Cleere Haran and the late-great Barbara Cook.
Tickets are $25 at BrownPaperTickets.com, or $30 at the door. For more information, please call (646) 298-4772.

"chatter"
2017-10-06 17:00 - 2017-11-03 17:00 | Carl Cherry Center for the Arts
“chatter,” an exhibition by George Raggett and Pilar Conde, opens October 6th, 2017 with an artists’ reception from 5:00 – 7:00pm. The event is free and open to the public.
For this exhibition, Raggett and Conde’s work examines – literally – the structural devices of discourse. The works illuminate, privilege, and fetishize formal elements of our current communication systems. Unlike email, texting, and twitter feeds, the artworks lack actual words, phrases, sentences, or questions, instead remaining open to interpretation. Under the influence of minimalism, they slow down today’s hectic pace of chatter. Different materials, textures and colors, create different moods; expanding the emotional range of the exhibition. From rendering texting as “solids,” to the punctuation of a Spanish language question framing a “gateway,” the often harsh politics of today’s twitter rants and anti-immigrant rhetoric hover provocatively in the background of each piece.
The exhibition will run through November 3rd, 2017.
About the Artists:
Married in 2001, Raggett and Conde currently reside in Brooklyn, New York. This is their second joint exhibition, the first for Welsh/Beck Gallery (former Richard Neutra offices) in the Silver Lake region of Los Angeles.
George Raggett received his BA from UC Santa Barbara’s College of Creative Studies, and MFA from Bard College. He has exhibited widely, including the Hammer Museum, Happy Lion Gallery, Cirrus Gallery and ACME in Los Angeles; and La Mama, Triple Candie, White Columns in New York CIty.
Pilar Conde received her BA from Virginia Commonwealth University, MFA from Columbia University, and attended the Skowhegan Residency program. She has exhibited widely, including Claremont University, Cirrus Gallery, and Kristi Engle Gallery in Los Angeles; and PS1 MOMA, Socrates Sculpture Park, and Soloway in New York City.
Pictured: “Awkward Conversation 2” – George Raggett
