Big Sur has a culture all its own. It is a community of artists, authors and naturalists, drawn to the area's beauty, sense of trascendence and peace, and in turn supporting each other in their creative pursuits. The landscapes of Big Sur have been inspiring artists, musicians, writers and even actors for decades. Visitors can experience the fruits of this inspiration at galleries, studios, festivals and gathering places all along the drive south on Highway 1.
Big Sur is home to the Henry Miller Library, namesake of the author who called Big Sur "the first place (he) felt at home in America" after arriving in 1945. It serves as a gathering point for local artists, with regular open mic nights and gallery shows. It also presents workshops for musicians, artists, writers and children with an interest in the arts, serves as a performance space for local and national musical and spoken word acts, and even hosts film festivals. Learn more about the Henry Miller Library with our Insider Tip.
Galleries and artist studios dot the landscape. They're free-standing by the side of the road, incorporated into hotels, tucked in between restaurants and meditation gardens; stop at any venue and you're bound to see local artists' work. Most galleries are concentrated in a strip of Highway 1 between the Big Sur River Inn and the Henry Miller Library. In between stops, the breathtaking coastline views comprise their own kind of art exhibit.
A great place to start lies next door to the venerable Big Sur River Inn. Studio One, a working studio and gallery, features abstract and plein air landscapes, still life and figurative paintings by Erin Gafill, and photography by Tom Birmingham. Both artists also offer workshops. Once you've had your appetite whetted with Studio One, just keep driving down Highway 1 for more galleries; you can't miss them!
The Big Sur Arts Initiative is an organization designed to support arts programs and events in Big Sur. While many of their programs focus on enhancing the artistic lives of children, they also hold many workshops for adults; check their website for information. Their annual Big Sur Hidden Gardens Tour is a sell-out event; plan ahead for the next tour, on May 16, 2009.
Big Sur has been immortalized in literature, in music and on the silver screen. Jack Kerouac's autobiographical novel about his mental breakdown, Big Sur, takes place in part in the area. Henry Miller wrote about his life in the area in the book Big Sur and the Oranges of Hieronymus Bosch. Poet Robinson Jeffers set many of his works in Big Sur. Counterculture writer Richard Brautigan's first novel was A Confederate General From Big Sur. The Beach Boys sang about Big Sur on their album Holland, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers commemorated the area in their single Road Trippin'. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's classic film The Sandpiper was filmed in Big Sur. Stars have also used the area to escape the pressures of Hollywood; Nepenthe Restaurant was once the home of Orson Welles and Rita Hayworth. Other luminaries that have made or currently make their homes in Big Sur include Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Emile Norman, Edward Weston, and even (briefly) Hunter S. Thompson, whose first magazine feature was about the arts scene in Big Sur.
Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau P.O. Box 1770, Monterey, CA 93942 1-877-MONTEREY [email protected]
In partnership with Monterey County and the cities of Carmel-by-the-Sea, Del Rey Oaks, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Salinas,
Sand City, Seaside, Soledad, Pebble Beach, Moss Landing, Carmel Valley, Big Sur, and Salinas Valley.
© Copyright 2009 Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
