Programs at The Cherry
Exhibitions
The Cherry Center gallery hosts original exhibitions of painting, sculpture, fine craft, printmaking, photography, and works by founder Jeanne d’Orge. New gallery exhibits are offered year-round, showcasing local and visiting artists. The majority are curated by the center, and range from historical to contemporary art, including painting, photography, assemblage and sculpture.
Events
Cherry Hall Theater is a 50-seat venue that is home to original theater productions staged by center and visiting theater companies, concerts, recitals, lectures, readings, film series, workshops, and panel discussions.
Special events include Jazz at The Cherry, ongoing live music series; Smart Shorts, digital film festival introduced in 2019; Composers at The Cherry; panel discussion of world-renowned composers who reside in Monterey County; and yearly fundraisers Celebrating the Cherry (summer) and Make Merry at The Cherry (Fall).
Educational Programs
The Cherry Center recognizes the talent of Monterey County high school art students in our yearly exhibition, Thinking Out Loud. The exhibit features approximately 100 works across a wide range of media, including painting, drawing, ink-relief, sculpture and collage. The Elliot Ruchowitz-Roberts Monterey County High School Poetry Awards were established in 1996 as a collateral program to Thinking Out Loud. The program, held in cooperation with the Monterey Public Library, recognizes and promotes excellence in high school poetry writing through in-class workshops. A certificate, cash award, and anthology of the student poets’ work are presented to contest winners during a ceremony held each spring at library’s Monterey location.