Jade Beneath the Sea
2025: Thanks to the work of a fantastic team of Museum staff, jade artists and historians, and generous community members, Jade Beneath the Sea, a five-year exhibition on jade that starts with Big Sur jade and will evolve over time to encompass the natural and cultural histories of jade from all over the world, opens in June. A celebration of the science and wonder behind this incredibly unique natural phenomenon and the people who act as its stewards, Jade Beneath the Sea marks another exciting chapter in the history of Big Sur jade, and we hope it brings joy to everyone who visits it.
GALLERY PHOTO
1996: The Museum’s exhibition ends with a special surprise: Leucothea, a more than two-ton work of jade by Don Wobber will stay on display at the Museum as part of a long-term loan. Today, Leucothea sits in our garden where visitors, field trips, event guests, and locals are able to appreciate and explore both it and what it represents: the wonders of Big Sur jade and the artists who shape it.
1970s-1980s: Big Sur jade gains global prominence as one of the rarest forms of jade. Its beauty and unique structure and composition make it a coveted gem, and activists and artists work to both protect the source at Jade Cove and bring ethically obtained pieces to the public through educational institutions and community installations.
YOUTUBE LINK FOR NEWS VIDEO ON JADE
1970s: Don Wobber, a former marine biologist turned jade diver and sculptor begins diving in Jade Cove, where he makes discoveries of the jade within and how to extract, clean, and shape it into incredible sculptures.
PHOTO OF JADE COVE?
2000s-2010s: The work of Don Wobber, Roger Curtice, Mike Burkleo, and more inspire the next generation of jade artists, who rise to prominence using a combination of traditional and innovative techniques and technologies to further explore what it looks like and means to work with Big Sur jade. Like their predecessors, these new artists often work with a focus on creating learning spaces and accessibility to Big Sur jade and all its incredible facets.
CURRENT ARTIST PIECE OR PHOTO
1995: The Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History partners with Don Wobber to host a special jade exhibition featuring over 100 pieces from 50 artists around the world. Though it lasts only 6 months, its impact is deeply felt through the community, kindling excitement and inspiration in a new generation of Monterey County jade artists.
DO WE HAVE A PHOTO OF THIS EXHIBIT???
1971: Don and his crew (Sunny Phillips, Gary Carmenagni, and Jim Norton bring up the Nephripod, a multi-ton jade boulder, from Jade Cove using techniques and tools they developed for safe jade diving. The Nephripod gains national attention when its taken up to San Francisco, and later is donated to the Oakland Museum of California where it still sits today to provide larger community access to Big Sur jade.
YOUTUBE LINK TO NEPHRIPOD VIDEO
1940s-1950s: Rock clubs and societies begin drawing more members all around California. Scientists, hobbyists, and fans of geology, minerals, and gems enjoy meeting up and learning new things and going on group expeditions. These early meetings would produce some of the famous geologists and sculptors of their day.
