'Greet The Power Elite' - Bohemian Grove Protests Return With Museum Show

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — An exhibition and demonstration in Monte Rio this weekend will revisit decades of activism aimed at the Bohemian Grove, the private annual retreat that has long drawn some of the nation's most influential business leaders, politicians, and cultural figures.

The weekend begins Friday with the opening of The Moore Papers at Hoot Owl Gallery, followed Saturday by a demonstration near the entrance to Bohemian Grove that organizers say will focus on concerns about concentrated wealth, political influence, and democratic accountability.

Friday's museum exhibition opens at 3 p.m. and marks the first public display of The Moore Papers, a personal archive on loan from longtime local activist Mary Moore, who lives near Bohemian Grove and helped organize protests against the encampment for decades.

Moore's collection includes original protest flyers, posters, teach-in materials, Sonoma County Free Press publications, silkscreened clothing, and mixed-media artifacts documenting grassroots activism in Northern California.

The exhibit also highlights the work of artist Tom Yeates, whose illustrations became closely associated with campaigns opposing nuclear weapons, environmental degradation, and Bohemian Grove.

Hoot Owl Gallery, in Monte Rio, will display the exhibition from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

'Greet the power elite'

Moore, now 91, founded the Bohemian Grove Action Network in 1980, the same year she received a membership list from a "deep throat" source.

On Saturday, Moore will again join organizers from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the "Bohemian Grove: Greet the Power Elite & Resurrect Care" event, featuring speakers, music, and community.

According to organizers, the demonstration aims to highlight concerns about concentrated wealth and power, political influence, economic inequality, campaign spending, war, deportations, and what they describe as threats to democratic institutions.

Organizers are encouraging participants to create banners, street theater, music, artwork, and other forms of creative expression.

They also invite people concerned about human rights, healthcare, education, housing, and peace efforts to participate under the theme "Resurrect Care."

Bohemian Grove, owned by the San Francisco-based Bohemian Club, has hosted its annual summer encampment for more than 150 years among redwood forests outside Monte Rio.

The private gathering has attracted presidents, cabinet members, military leaders, corporate executives, artists, academics, and other prominent figures. Its secrecy has fueled public fascination as well as recurring demonstrations over the years.

The Bohemian Club has consistently maintained that the gathering is a private retreat where members and invited guests participate in lectures, performances, recreation, and social activities. Critics, however, have long questioned the influence wielded by attendees and have used annual demonstrations to call attention to broader political and economic issues. In addition, women are not allowed to attend the annual event and, during other times when they are permitted on site, they must leave by certain hours.

The exhibition and demonstration continue that tradition, bringing together historical artifacts documenting past protests alongside a new public gathering aimed at drawing attention to Bohemian Grove as this year's encampment gets underway.

The ultra-private summer retreat in Sonoma County’s redwoods—where presidents, billionaires, and cultural icons reportedly mix, mingle, and watch the theatrical “Cremation of Care” ceremony—has long fueled speculation.

Earlier this year, a 2,000-plus name list surfaced online. The leaked document, claiming to reveal the 2023 guest list for Bohemian Grove, sparked a storm of curiosity, intrigue, and disbelief. But little is known about what is discussed at the meetings.

Saturday's march begins near the Monte Rio Bridge before proceeding toward Bohemian Avenue, the road leading to Bohemian Grove.

In addition to the Bohemian Grove Action Network, current sponsors CODEPINK will be joined by the Peace & Justice Center of Sonoma County, SoCo Resist, and Sonoma County Veterans for Peace.

Related: Hush-Hush Bohemian Grove Guest List Offers Hints But No Tattletales