The Sesnon Art Gallery at the University of California, Santa Cruz, celebrates the life of Mary Porter Sesnon (1868-1930) and her influence on the arts in Santa Cruz County.
Born in Santa Cruz in 1868 to Benjamin F. Porter and Kate Hubbard, Mary Sophia Porter was the sole survivor of two children. She grew up in Santa Cruz and was tutored in civics, music and arts appreciation. In 1890, her father built her a studio on the property, a place of solace for her throughout her life.
She witnessed a changing California landscape in the late 1800s and married William T. Sesnon in 1896. Together they returned to her childhood property, where they built their summer home, Pino Alto, and hosted cultural salons from 1911 to 1927. Pino Alto, named after a tall pine tree near the driveway, is now called the Sesnon House and serves as headquarters for the culinary arts program and restaurant for Cabrillo College in Aptos.
The work of other Sesnon family members will also be on display, including work by Mary Porter Sesnon’s great-granddaughter, Molly Porter Cliff Hilts (Porter College ‘81). “My great-grandmother was a muse with a strong sense of community,” reflects Molly, “she loved to bring people together. These attributes resonate with, and echo, my own life & path.”
In tandem with this historical display, and enriching the sense of family tradition, Molly Cliff Hilts’ recent encaustic paintings and larger-than- life drawings will be featured in the adjacent Porter Faculty Gallery, with an exhibition, State of Wonder.
In 1968, a gift from Barbara Sesnon Cartan established the Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery, in memory of her mother. It was the extraordinary gift of nearly seventy acres of Porter-Sesnon land that created the endowment that the College now enjoys. The Fifth College at UCSC (College Five) was founded in 1969 and was renamed Porter College in 1981.
The Mary Porter Sesnon Art Gallery is located at Porter College in the Arts Division on the campus of UC Santa Cruz, and is wheelchair accessible. Admission is always free and group tours are available by appointment: 831.459.3606. Website: arts.ucsc.edu/sesnon Gallery hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12-5 p.m. Wednesdays 12-8 p.m.