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.
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.
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.