Somos Gallery

Great spot for local artists showcasing Monterey County. Amazing art and photography for sale…read more Definitely, a place to peruse something new for living room or outdoor space.

This art gallery is absolutely awesome. There are nearly two dozen local artists represented with…read moreeverything from sculpture and jewelry to paint and pottery. I picked up a half a dozen beautiful hand painted greeting cards. The curator, Sandra, is very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. It is certainly worth a visit.

Very well laid out.

Exterior - Front Entrance

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:)

Main Street Art Studio & Gallery

4.4(7 reviews)

3.0 mi

I've been to various paint nite events and was really hoping for this place to be the next go to…read morespot. Was a bit disappointed with the customer service, artist is not friendly, lacks customer service skills.

Enjoyable and a great learning experience! I have enjoyed all the classes and techniques that each…read moreartist demonstrates during the classes.

Join yhe fun

DJ ACADEMY

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Artistic Hangups

4.7(20 reviews)

0.5 mi

•$

Framed a high dollar poster of Monterey Bay for me in two days flat. Great work, price was right,…read moreand they included wall hangars and advice for hanging. Couldn't ask for better service. Highly recommend AAA+++ .

They did a great job re-framing a 70 year old family heirloom watercolor painting which included a…read morenew mat and backing. Mathew was the best at helping me decide what color mat to choose. The called me to come pick it up within a week. They have a great location, easy on and off Hwy 101 at John Street and Alisal.

Great Gallery Wall!

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National Steinbeck Center

4.3(124 reviews)

0.2 mi

The Steinbeck Museum was a wonderful literary stop in Salinas. We also visited the Steinbeck House…read moredown the street, which made the experience feel more complete. As a tribute to Steinbeck and his connection to the area, the museum was thoughtful, engaging, and well worth the visit. I especially enjoyed the quirky gift shop, always a bonus when a museum shop has personality. The drive into Salinas was also unexpectedly lovely, with so many fields and vegetables growing. It gave the whole visit a strong sense of place and helped connect the landscape to Steinbeck's writing. A great stop for literature lovers, history fans, or anyone looking for something meaningful to do in the area.

Drove down from San Jose (1.5 hours) only to find the museum had closed early due to an event…read moredowntown. This closure wasn't listed anywhere on their website, and it looked like one of the workers was putting up the announcement when we got there around 2:30. I understand closing early for a special event, but not putting up any notice of reduced hours is completely unacceptable. No one there seemed to care at all

Photographs of Steinbeck and his good friend, Ed Ricketts.

At entrance

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Entrance to the main exhibit

1st Fridays Art Walk

5.0(3 reviews)

0.1 mi

•$

I've been attending / vending at 1st Friday Art Walk for a little over a year now and I have…read morenothing but positive feelings towards it all! It's such a great thing to have an event and place to promote and appreciate art of all sorts. There's always live music from local musicians. Varying snacks at Salinas 411. Stimulating conversation. Always someone new to meet. And you can never go wrong with a little shopping for unique wares! My only concern is that we need more artists and appreciators to join in the fun! But that doesn't have anything to do with the actual event really, so it doesn't count towards my rating. :P So come on down to Oldtown every first Friday of the month and see for yourself! :D

at 1st fridays art walk, free of charge, you can see and hear the art walker band, clear blue…read moreclay, greg hyde and living room, hal laughlin, souvenir, dan beck, and many others. you can see and hear richard best play a drum and/or sing. ask him to read a poem. he is the best poet in salinas -and has won many poetry slams. you can stand outside the door of the welcome center and hear both bluegrass and 60s rock - often at the same time. you can talk to great artists and good friends. you can see hot rods and buy art, you can find the best home made cookies and cartoons at bridgett spicer's gallery. buy a cartoon book or a button for someone special... you can find and buy great used books at the book nook. you can sip coffee and chocolate at two locations in old town. you can dine well inexpensively at multiple locations. some of the best discussions i have ever heard/participated in - have been at the welcome center and at bridgett spicer's gallery. i love 1st fridays art walk.

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Open Ground Studios

5.0(3 reviews)

11.8 mi

Today I took an art class at Open Ground Studios (OGS). Denese Sanders taught the class in…read moreaccordion book making. As with every class I've taken at OGS, it was artistic and informative, and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. The studio itself is inviting, with enough room to work, lots of supplies, and really nice folks to get to know. Classes are fairly small, for personal interaction, and include time to focus, as well as time to collaborate and get to know each other a bit. I always learn more from being in that space than simply the topic I signed up for. I always wish for more time and space in my life to participate at OGS. If I could, I'd attend classes at least once a month, and/or "open studio" time. It's a wonderful place to create, and to be.

Last weekend I had the good fortune to take a workshop with Erin Hunter and I cannot sing her…read morepraises loudly enough! She opened my "heart door" to find my way back into the love of drawing I enjoyed as a young girl. Erin is one of the most gifted, generous, and skillful teachers imaginable. Also the Open Ground Studio Space is beautiful and filled with inspiring images and is well stocked with art supplies.

Sign in at the guest book

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Open Ground Studios | Printmaking | Book Arts | Visual Arts

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6 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Juan E.

0

1

0

17 years ago

Somos is a great little place that carries some awesome art and art related stuff. They have some great books and t-shirts that you cannot find anywhere else near Salinas. Their art shows on First Fridays are always fun! Somos always showcases some great local talent! Will and Imelda are always a pleasure to talk to. I always tell friends to check it out, when they do they always tell me, "I can't believe I never went in there before!" read more

Cody J.

0

10

0

17 years ago

SOMOS is a rad spot to get anything in the art and underground clothing world! From awesome vinyl figures too the best in modern clothing, SOMOS has it. Also, Will who runs SOMOS, is filled with a ton of great knowledge from clothing to music. Definitely a great person to talk to for info and advice on the subject. Also, I hear that they have recently started doing art shows there. Gotta check it out! read more

jennifer w.

46

3

0

17 years ago

I found a print here that I have been looking for for a long time and everywhere I found it, it was out of stock!!! Not only did Somos have the print in stock, but it was about $25 less than anywhere else I had seen it! It was shipped quickly and well packaged. I even got a personal email response to a question I had within a day!! Nice change of pace from automated replies =). read more

kiyoshi o.

0

4

0

17 years ago

great spot for various artsy related stuff. they have special ordered me some great collectibles. if they do not have a product in stock they will let you know if they can try ordering for you. nice spot. read more

Will D.

25

2

1

18 years ago

good selection of designer/urban vinyl toys, art books & magazines, cards, artists & urban tshirts + hoodies, artist homewares, art collectibles,etc. and saves me the trip to the bay area. read more

randy h.

0

3

0

16 years ago

if your into art weather its from drawings to painting or vinyl..this is the place to be. owner name "Will" is the man. hes nice N helpful. couldn't ask for a better place. read more

Somos Gallery - galleries - Updated October 2026

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