SpectorDance's 5th annual
Ocean Arts Festival
October 25, 2025 
at the YMCA of the Monterey Peninsula

Coming Soon: Call for Artist
Click here to watch a short video about Ocean Arts Festival 2023. Hear from a student and a teacher on what this event means to them.

Ocean Arts Festival: Monterey features ocean-themed visual and performing arts created by young artists. The festival aims to  harness the power of creativity to expand understanding of ocean science and deepen commitments to ocean stewardship.  The first Ocean Arts Festival took place in 2019 the SpectorDance Studio in Marina. The concept was borne from SpectorDance’s Ocean Trilogy, a performance based on a 10-year collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. SpectorDance’s vision is for the Ocean Arts Festival to be an annual event that would grow and attract both young and professional artists in all genres from around the globe. Since 2022, we have partnered with the Monterey Museum of Art to offer our 2nd, 3rd and 4th annual Ocean Arts Festival. The Ocean Arts Festival is a celebration of the power of the arts to teach, inspire, and generate positive change in the world. Through multiple entry points, the festival fosters thought, conversation, and action, and stimulates participants to connect with ways that their artistic expression connects with social and environmental impact. We are excited to partner with the YMCA of the Monterey Peninsula for the 5th annual Ocean Arts Festival.

"SpectorDance's Ocean Arts Festival provides invaluable opportunities for young artists to express their creativity, share their visions for a brighter future, and engage meaningfully with their community. The annual SpectorDance’s Ocean Arts Festival is a beacon of creativity and thoughtful engagement, offering a platform for youth to create and present art that conveys powerful messages about environmental stewardship and community involvement. Through this festival, young participants learn that their voices matter and that they can affect positive change, even from a young age. The festival not only highlights the artistic talents of the youth, but also educates and inspires the broader community on pressing environmental issues. The Ocean Arts Festival is thoughtfully designed to be inclusive, accessible, and impactful, ensuring that young artists from all backgrounds have the opportunity to engage and participate."
-Roxanne O’Weger, Director of Education at the Monterey Museum of Art

Every Drop In The Ocean Counts
2024 Ocean Arts Festival project with the Monterey Museum of Art and
Ms Stufflebeam's class at Echo Valley Elementary School

2024 Ocean Arts Festival: Monterey
Ocean Leadership Award Recipients
Congratulations to the Winners Gabriella Edwards, Noa Malikai Tiamson, Kenzie Thomas,
and Trinity Landers (Honorable Mention)

Ocean-Themed Art By Young Artists

Performing Arts

Arcoiris Cultural Dance Company

Youth Music Monterey Chamber Group

Science Tables with Art Activities

Thank you to the 2024 Ocean Arts Festival Donors and Sponsors
California Arts Council, Harden Foundation, Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey County Gives!, 
Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop, Rotary Club of Monterey, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Trucksis Inc.,
First Night Monterey, Arts Council for Monterey, Events California, Sabrina Hiltunen, Lisa Ledin

Click below to support the Ocean Arts Festival: Monterey

Contact Fran Spector Atkins if you would like to be involved with the Ocean Arts Festival: Monterey. 

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