Spring 2026

caps, provided areas for Mora to craft images which tell the story of Monterey and California history alongside an image of Justice on the east exterior. Sixty-two three-dimensional sculpted heads are located on the building’s spandrels between the first and second story windows. These sculptures continue, evenly spaced, around both the exterior and on the interior courtyard of the building on all but the west side. The busts represent 23 people in California histo- ry—some specific, some arche- typal—including “Indian Man” and “Indian Woman,” Junipero Serra, Juan Cabrillo, John Fremont and “Pioneer Man” and “Pioneer Woman.” On the north side of down- town Salinas is the California Rodeo Heritage Collection Mu- seum . Inside is an original print of the “Sweethear t of the Rodeo/Evolution of the Cow- boy” poster Mora created for the rodeo com- mittee in 1933. His depiction of the story of the American cowboy has been in print ever since and is Mora’s most widely known work of art. Traveling west to the peninsula by Highway 68 brings you to the Naval Post Graduate School (access by appointment only).The former Hotel Del Monte is the setting of Jo Mora’s half life- size “La Novia” diorama, completed in 1940. Downtown Monterey and Old Fisherman’s Wharf offer several sites of interest to those seeking the legacy of Jo Mora. The Monterey History and Art Association (MHAA) collection features material related to Mora at Stanton Center , which houses the Jo Mora Collection; at Casa Serrano , which has a wonderful display of original art by Mora, much of which was donat- ed to or purchased by MHAA directly from the Mora family; and at the Mayo Hayes O’Donnell Library where there are items related to Mora available for perusal. On Forest Avenue in nearby Pacific Grove, you’ll find the mesmerizing Trot- ter Galleries Pacific Grove Museum-Gallery . Owners Ter- r y and Paula Trotter cele- brate and educate the public about the artistic history of California with an emphasis C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 6 119 (Above) An archetypal head depicting a chapter in Monterey County’s history. (Below) Built as the county courthouse, and still a part of the courthouse complex, the building continues to make an impression and speaks volumes about Monterey County. Photo: Courtesy of Peter Hiller Photo: Peter Hiller