More Mora for More of Us!

Hurray! There's More Mora for More of Us!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PUBLICITY CONTACT: Wendy Brickman (831) 633-4444 or brickman@brickmanmarketing.com

MONTEREY HISTORY AND ART ASSOCIATION TO HOLD
A VERY SPECIAL EXHIBIT, “FROM THE ARCHIVES OF JO MORA” AT THE MONTEREY MARITIME AND HISTORY MUSEUM FROM FEBRUARY 28 – MAY 25, 2009

     January 8, 2009, Monterey, CA – The Monterey History and Art Association, in association with Peter Hiller, Curator of the Jo Mora Trust Collection, will be holding a very special exhibit, “From the Archives of Jo Mora” at the Monterey Maritime and History Museum, located at 5 Custom House Plaza in Monterey (831) 372-2608 extension 17. The exhibit will be on display from Saturday, February 28, 2009 through Monday, May 25, 2009. This exhibit will feature a new display of largely unseen material from the Mora family collection, primarily pieces that belonged to Jo Mora's son, Jo Jr., and daughter, Patti. Items include drawings, paintings, sculpture, and manuscripts and journals as seen in the new book about Jo Mora, "When I Get Wound Up Writing, I'm a Bad Article to Squelch - The Written Words of Jo Mora" by Peter Hiller. In addition, other artwork by Jo Mora will be on display at the museum in the recently established Jo Mora Gallery. The Monterey Maritime and History Museum is free and open to the public Tuesday through Sunday, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

    Joseph Jacinto Mora (1876-1947) was a versatile man who also enjoyed an adventurous life. He was a sculptor, painter, author, illustrator, cartoonist, muralist and diorama-maker, as well as an artillery major and Indian language interpreter for the U.S. Army, honorary member of the Hopi and Navajo tribes, cowhand, and photographer. He began his professional career as an illustrator for The Boston Traveler and The Boston Herald. He also drew and wrote a feature Sunday cartoon page called Animaldom. He moved to Carmel in 1920, and established a studio at the Carmel Mission. There, he began one of his most handsome pieces, the monumental cenotaph of bronze and travertine representing Father Junipero Serra and his assistants. After completing this work, the Mora’s acquired a new home in Pebble Beach. Outside of Carmel, Jo Mora created San Francisco’s Cervantes Sculpture in Golden Gate Park and the Bret Hart Memorial on the wall of the Bohemian Club, as well as dioramas for the Will Rogers Memorial in Oklahoma. He designed fountains, such as the one at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga, and did wall murals for Julia Morgan’s Los Angeles Examiner building. U. C. Berkeley has a marble bench made by Jo Mora and Mora also designed the commemorative half dollar for the 75th anniversary of California statehood. Towards the end of his career, he wrote and illustrated two books, Trail Dust & Saddle Leather and Californios.

    The Monterey History and Art’s permanent collection of Jo Mora’s work is newly located in The Monterey Maritime and History Museum. The collection reflects a perfect cross section of Mora’s numerous artistic achievements. On display are original pen and ink drawings, a rare oil painting entitled The Moccasin Maker which was painted in Mountain View when Jo returned from living on the Hopi reservation, a marble bust of a Navajo girl which was purchased in 1971 by the association as a memorial to its former president A. Boyd Mewborn, a set of Mora’s Kachina watercolor prints, the bronze plaque that was saved from the Toro Creek Bridge on Highway 68 in Salinas, examples of Jo’s cartes and many additional pieces.
    
    In 2008, Peter Hiller became the Jo Mora Trust Collection Curator (http://www.jomoratrust.com/). He is also the 1st through 8th grade art teacher at All Saints’ Episcopal Day School in Carmel Valley, CA, a position he has joyously held for 28 years. He received his B.A. in Fine Arts and Literature from Johnston College, at which time he also taught photography classes at the University of Redlands, and he later earned a teaching credential in Art from U.C.L.A. As his first teaching job, he became head of the Art Department at a special education school, Clearview, in Los Angeles. Locally, Peter has shown his artwork at the old Bruised Reed Gallery in Monterey, and in juried shows at the Monterey Museum of Art. He was a founding board member of the Monterey County Youth Museum. He also serves as a contributing editor for Arts and Activities Magazine. Peter also curated the exhibit “Jo Mora Artist and Writer” at the Monterey Museum of Art in 1998, and another exhibit at the Carmel Mission in 2006-2007. He has given numerous lectures and written many articles about Jo Mora.

    The Monterey History and Art Association, which operates the Monterey Maritime and History Museum, Mayo Hayes O’Donnell Library, Casa Serrano, Doud House, and the Perry Downer Historic Costume Gallery, is the oldest cultural institution on the Monterey Peninsula. It began its work 72 years ago and is still going strong today as a leader in the historic preservation of Monterey’s artifacts, historic properties, and the precious art created by many of our most famous residents.

    For more information, please contact Tim Thomas at (831) 372-2608 extension 17 or tim@montereyhistory.org. To arrange an interview with Peter Hiller, please contact Wendy Brickman at (831) 633-4444 or email Brickman@brickmanmarketing.com. JPEG photos are available upon request.


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Comments

[June]

I was so excited to read that there will be more Mora in Monterey. I so enjoyed the last exhibit. I hope I will be in the area to enjoy this one as well.