From Island to Land: Jo Mora’s Creative Trail in the Bay Area

The astonishingly versatile artist, writer and photographer Jo Mora left a trail of creativity throughout California, including - fleetingly - on Treasure Island. Born in Uruguay and educated in New York and Boston, Mora was fascinated by the American west and lived most of his adult life in California. His contribution to the Golden Gate International Exposition was one of its most detailed and expansive displays: the Portola Expedition Diorama in the California Building. Meticulous in its storytelling and execution, those details will be shared in photos and discussion. Unfortunately, a major disaster at the GGIE brought the diorama to a sad end.

But Mora's many artistic efforts, created before and after the Fair, remain in the San Francisco Bay Area for all to enjoy. Join the Jo Mora Collection Curator as he guides us along the path of Jo's lasting accomplishments, from San Raphael to San Jose.

Speaker: Author and speaker Peter Hiller has been enamored with Jo Mora (1876-1947) since the middle 1990's and has been fortunate to have his biography The Life and Times of Jo Mora: Iconic Artist of the American West, published by the Book Club of California and Gibbs Smith during the last few years.