12/23/2022
'Tis the season for brown faced angels! The Monterey Christmas angels are a familiar sight. Originally commissioned in 1956, artist Ericka Franke's angels "were based on Spanish representations of angels in early California." The City commissioned a new set of angels in 1972, "this time with lighter skin color and brighter shades." Our own Pacific Grove Library art curator, Christine Crozier has restored many of the angels and contributed an angel to a fundraising auction in 2015, as did one of our art jurors, Sibly Johnson.
The skin color controversy is now a part of the Monterey angel history. This is one of the angels restored by Chris!
https://www.montereyherald.com/2015/12/09/monterey-angels-a-tradition-in-need-of-restoration/
https://oldmontereyfoundation.org/2015/10/30/save-the-angels-auction-reception/
Pacific Grove Public Library Friends and Foundation, Pacific Grove Public Library
