Event Calendar

Sunset Center is excited to announce an exhibition by local artist Elizabeth Murray, entitled "Rites of Renewal, In Kinship with the Earth," to run from March 4th to April 30th, 2026. This exhibition is part of our Education & Outreach program and showcases emerging and established local artists or arts collectives through a series of five rotating exhibits in the Marjorie Evans Gallery. Join us as we welcome Elizabeth with a FREE public reception in the gallery to coincide with the Spring Equinox on Friday, March 20th, from 5-7pm.

Make a Reservation for the Gallery Reception

In addition, a Nature Printing Workshop with Elizabeth Murray will be offered on Sunday, April 26th from 12:30 to 2:30pm on the Sunset Center Terrace to coincide Sunset Presents: Life on Our Planet, Live with Dan Tapster: Presented by the Netflix Series – Our Planet Live. More information to follow.

Elizabeth Murray is a multidisciplinary artist from Monterey, California known for her 40-year creative relationship with Monet's gardens in Giverny, France and for her color-saturated paintings of trees. As an artist and gardener, Elizabeth has an intimate connection to light, both literally and metaphorically. For her, painting, writing, photography, and teaching are a source of great pleasure. Spending deep time with trees while painting is her joy: emersed in delight and wonder in the presence of the blooming orchards of Big Sur, awe struck with ancient coastal Redwoods, at home with moss-covered Sitka Spruce forests on the Oregon Coast, and filled with reverence for the great Kapok trees of the Amazon rainforest. Here, she feels surrounded by wisdom and a sense of belonging and kinship. This is where she receives her greatest spiritual nourishment and inspiration.

Among the trees, Elizabeth Murray realized everything is connected — nothing exists in isolation. With this gift of recognizing kinship comes the responsibility to behave with love, respect, and reciprocity. Like the "Interbeing" figure in this exhibit, which refers to Thich Nhat Hanh's term Interbeing, all life depends on an inter-existence with all others. Her paintings are her offering, like a prayer, song, dance, or ritual to re-affirm her sacred connection to life. It is her hope to inspire others with joy and beauty.

The Marjorie Evans Gallery at Sunset Center fosters the creative spirit of the Central Coast by providing a dynamic and high-visibility venue for visual artists from across the region. Each year, through a competitive selection process that draws a wide pool of talented applicants, five individual artists or arts collectives are selected to exhibit their work in professionally curated shows.

Each exhibition runs for two months and includes promotional support and access to a reception space with event setup and staffing offered at no cost to the artist. This ensures equitable access for both emerging and established artists, while fostering meaningful engagement between the public and the creative community.

Located in the north wing of Sunset Center, the Marjorie Evans Gallery is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 AM to 4 PM, as well as during all public performances and events. Thousands of visitors pass through the venue annually, encountering a vibrant range of artistic expression across diverse mediums. While many works are available for purchase, all sales are handled directly between the artist and buyer, supporting independent artists and encouraging personal connection.