The Western Folklife Center is pleased to be hosting a new exhibition titled The Western Sights of Jo Mora, which will feature an assortment of works in various media by 20th Century artist Jo Mora.

Joseph Jacinto "Jo" Mora (1876-1947) was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and then moved with his family to the eastern United States when he was a young child. Jos father, Domingo Mora, was a well-known Catalan fine art sculptor, his mother, Laura, was French, and his older brother Luis became a classical painter. Jo became enamored with the culture and stories of the American West at an early age. After attending art school, apprenticing with his father, and working as an illustrator and cartoonist in the Boston area, Jo spent the rest of his adult life living and working in the western United States, primarily in California.

Jo traveled the California Mission trail on horseback, lived with the Hopi and Navajo for almost three years, and worked on the decorative elements of numerous buildings in the San Francisco Bay area before he finally settled down on the Monterey Peninsula in 1920.

Enjoy this visit with Peter Hiller, Collection Curator of the Jo Mora Trust, as he provides a brief overview of the exhibit and the artists work.

Throughout his lifetime Mora documented the changing landscape of the West through various media: detailed etchings, illustrated maps, watercolor paintings, bronze sculptures, and stories. In The Western Sights of Jo Mora, the early 20th Century American experience is beautifully brought to life for viewers of all ages and backgrounds.

Viewers can expect to see some of Moras most recognizable works documenting his experiences throughout the Western United States, its people, and its landscapes, such as his intricately detailed cartes (illustrated maps) covering areas from Los Angeles to the Grand Canyon, the artists famed Budgee Budgee Cottontail illustrations, the recognizable Sweetheart of the Rodeo poster used as the 1968 album cover for The Byrds, and much more.