Page 51 - SLO Visitors Guide - Spring 2025

slovisitorsguide.com SPRING 2025 51
Morro Bay
Tickets Available at ChablisCruises.com
The Chablis is the
perfect venue for your
upcoming party!
Morro Bay
(805) 772-2128
Weddings, rehearsal
dinners, parties &
corporate events.
Public cruises offered
weekly.
Gift certificates available.
Art Center Morro Bay, over 70 years
of vibrant creative legacy
The large purple building with
its iconic mural of Morro Rock
in downtown Morro Bay is a must-
visit for art appreciators and artists.
Art Center Morro Bay (MBAA)
has been offering art exhibits and
art-related activities since 1951.
This nonprofit, volunteer-run art
center is a destination for emerging
and professional exhibitors and art
collectors who appreciate compel-
ling exhibits filled with a vast array
of quality art.
Art all year
Art Center Morro Bay presents
eight exhibits annually with two
spacious galleries and a classroom.
Special juried exhibits have includ-
ed the Pastel Society of the West
Coast, featuring award-winning,
national and international artists.
Current and upcoming exhib-
its include:
• Estuary and Marsh—Through
March 31, this exhibit celebrates
the Morro Bay National Estuary
Program’s 30th anniversary. Art-
ists explore the rich and dynamic
themes of the vital ecosystems
where the land meets water in
estuaries and marshes. Their work
captures the teeming life, contrasts
and transformations between the
stillness and movement, resilience
and fragility of these landscapes.
• Central Coast Watercolor
Society: Aquarius 2025—Through
March 31, this premiere juried
show is presented by Central Coast
Watercolor Society. This annual
exhibition features excellence in
watermedia painting, from tradi-
tional to experimental, and encour-
ages appreciation for watermedia
painting as a vital, enduring, and
expressive art form.
Check the website for dates and
times for receptions.
Mark your calendars for the
annual Art in the Park weekends.
Every year Morro Bay Art As-
sociation holds Art in the Park
Festivals on Memorial Day, July 4,
and Labor Day weekends as their
annual fundraisers. This year, 2025,
marks 70 years of Art in the Park.
The proceeds help fund children’s
art classes and provide scholar-
ships and other programs. The 2025
schedule is:
• Memorial Day weekend:
May 24, 25 26–Saturday, Sunday,
Monday.
• Independence Day weekend:
July 4, 5, 6–Friday, Saturday,
Sunday.
• Labor Day weekend: August
30, 31, and September 1–Saturday,
Sunday, Monday.
Art in the Park is held at City Park
at Harbor in Morro Bay. Accepting
vendor applications now! Apply on the
website at artcentermorrobay.org.
Classes, workshops, and
demonstrations
Free demonstrations by talented
artists are presented on the second
Monday of each month from 3 -5
Art exhibits,
classes,
workshops, and
demonstrations
for everyone
p.m. This event is free and open to
the public.
Adult art classes and workshops
are offered throughout the year, and
summer art camp is designed for
children over the age of six. Drop-
in figure drawing is offered every
Wednesday evening from 6-9 p.m.
for a minimal fee to cover the cost
of the model. Fine art classes and
workshops may include, plein-air
painting, portrait painting, sketch-
ing, and digital drawing. Craft
classes include clay sculpture and
jewelry.
Classes are available through-
out the year so check the website
regularly.
A history of art and
community
Beginning in 1951, seventeen
artists met in local homes, hanging
their paintings on neighborhood
trees, using whatever space was
available for shows. The association
acquired its current home in 1971
and has become an integral part of
the community since opening its
doors.
Art Center Morro Bay works
with local high schools and the
Cuesta College Art Department to
provide internship programs and
scholarships to deserving youths.
The MBAA established and is still
responsible for the three annual
summer Morro Bay Art in the
Parks, the second-oldest park show
in California!
A board-of-directors-operated,
member-supported nonprofit orga-
nization, Art Center Morro Bay is
completely operated by volunteers.
Members are the heart of the orga-
nization and membership is open
to all. Visit the website to join.
Art Center Morro Bay is located
at 835 Main St., Morro Bay, CA,
open 12-4 p.m. daily. For more
information call (805) 772-2504 or
visit artcentermorrobay.org.
Art Center Morro Bay offering art activities since 1951.