Sol Treasures is an Art and Cultural Enrichment Center in King City, celebrating art in communities from Soledad to Bradley along the fifty mile corridor that encompasses the majority of rural South Monterey County. Sixteen years ago when the arts faded from school curriculums, Sol Treasures formed to champion the arts in South Monterey. Today, Sol Treasures stands as a beacon of creativity on the main street of Broadway in King City. It is a full-time, comprehensive art center serving South Monterey County, offering performing and visual art programs. Sol Treasures provides art enrichment and performance activities, which connect and engage members of the community and add to the vibrancy and aesthetics of the town and surrounding areas.
Sol Treasures was founded by three artists, Sonia Chapa, Barbara Pekema, and Bruce Graham. They called the young art center, Sol Treasures. Art is a gift from the artist and a TREASURE for the patron…and SOL is the brilliance of the sun. It also sounds like S-O-U-L, SOUL, the spiritual part of the self that creates and appreciates art. And so…SOL TREASURES.
Sol Treasures began as a place for artists to call home and quickly expanded beyond a gallery to providing programs throughout the community in the visual, music, and performing arts. Sol Treasures continues to fill an important niche of providing art in the schools and the community. Its after-school programs provide positive choices for students, lessening the likelihood for students to become involved in negative life choices. Sol Treasures art programs serve 300 individuals weekly through fourteen programs, including Children’s Musical Theatre, Sol Performing Strings, and art enrichment classes. Sol Treasures provides art enrichment in four school districts and four CHISPA sites.
Sol Treasures was launched through early sponsorship from the South Monterey County Center for the Performing Arts and a start-up grant from the Arts Council for Monterey County. Sol Treasures soon formed funding partnerships with the Community Foundation for Monterey County, Harden Foundation, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Nancy Buck Ransom Foundation, and Star Foundation of Monterey County. It continued to garner support from the Chevron Corporation, Gannett Foundation, Lightning in a Bottle Art and Music Festival, MOCA Foundation, Pebble Beach Company Foundation, Rita and Luis Echenique Charitable Fund, Yellow Brick Road Benefit Fund, the Rotary Club of King City, and the generosity of individual supporters in the community. Sol Treasures celebrates its awards and accolades with the community. Sol Treasures is the 2018 Champion of the Arts for a Non Profit Organization. The organization has also been the 2015 King City Business of the Year though the Chamber of Commerce, 2016 and 2020 Non-Profit Alliance for Monterey County exemplary nonprofit in Arts and Culture, and winner of the King City Beautification Award for its drought tolerant and artistic landscaping. Sol Treasures is distinguished to have the Platinum Level of transparency through Guidestar.
Monterey County Supervisor Simon Salinas so graciously described Sol Treasures at the 2018 Monterey County Champions of the Arts Gala. As he presented Sol Treasures with the nonprofit-of- the-year award to over 450 of our colleagues and community leaders, he remarked: “It (Sol Treasures) was founded in 2008 by Sonia Chapa, Barbara Pekema, and Bruce Graham. Never underestimate what a committed group of individuals can do – they saw the need in King City and South County, and they formed this beautiful organization.“
Supervisor Salinas also shared, “It began with the intention of strengthening the community through art and culture by developing a dedicated space to create, share, and celebrate art. In just 10 years, Sol Treasures has become a beacon of ever-expanding creativity on the main street in King City and a comprehensive art center. We note the incredible growth and development of your programs, your visionary use of your beautiful building and grounds, and the strength of your organization. We are grateful for your dedication to offering so many programs, which add to the vibrancy of the region – and this is developing arts and culture throughout our beautiful Monterey County.”
Sol Treasures is grateful for the support of the community in fulfilling its mission. The board and staff of Sol Treasures are deeply honored and take the responsibility with deepest humility and stewardship for providing you with an art and cultural enrichment center for every member of our community and inspiring the artist in all of us.