Sunset Stories

For one former Sunset School student, the historic building that now welcomes audiences for concerts, performances and cultural events was once a place filled with classrooms, teachers and the everyday excitement of growing up in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

Her memories begin in sixth grade, when she entered Sunset School and joined a class of approximately 28 students taught by Miss McPhail. Their classroom was on the lower level of the building, facing Mission Avenue.

After school one day each week, she attended ballet lessons at Joann Nix's Ballet Studio, just down the street. Looking back, she remembers those school days with great fondness.

In seventh grade, her teacher was Mr. Gartz, and her classroom was located in a space that has since become part of the women's restroom area, just beyond the auditorium and facing Ocean Avenue.

By then, students changed classrooms for different subjects. Mr. McCloud taught language and social studies, while art, music and woodshop classes took place in three small buildings on the lower level.

These details offer a fascinating glimpse into Sunset's earlier life as a school, long before its transformation into the cultural center the community knows today.

Following her seventh-grade year, Carmel Middle School opened, bringing Sunset School's chapter as a place of learning to a close.

Today, she appreciates how Sunset Center has evolved into a cultural gathering place, welcoming artists and offering opportunities for education, creativity and artistic expression.

As Sunset celebrates its centennial, her hope is simple: that it continues to hold an important place in Carmel's arts community for generations to come.

Her memories remind us that before Sunset became a destination for performances, it was a place where young people learned, discovered their interests, built friendships and created memories that have lasted a lifetime.