Mega Exhibition Reception at OMA June 29, 5-7 p.m.

Join us for the MEGA EXHIBITION RECEPTION, Saturday, June 29, 2013, 5 – 7 p.m. The reception is free for members and $10 for nonmembers. It includes an open bar and delicious appetizer sponsored by Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen.

We will be celebrating the opening of four concurrent exhibitions: 

Intersections: Charles Arnoldi

Tony DeLap: Selections from 50 Years

Volcanos and Full Moons: Ernest Silva

Looking for Things: Jay Johnson

INTERSECTIONS: CHARLES ARNOLDI

On view through August 25, 2013

Untitled, 1996

Charles Arnoldi is one of the most significant contemporary abstract painters, sculptors and printmakers of our generation. Emerging out of the booming 1970s Los Angeles art scene, Arnoldi’s multi-hued paintings are experimentations in color, form and structure. Intersections will present a sampling of Arnoldi’s seminal early tree twig constructions and chainsaw wood relief sculptures that brought him immediate acclaim in the early 1970s. Throughout his 40 years of artistic work, Arnoldi consistently balanced natural qualities of line and gestural mark making with his iconic bold colors and geometric structures. Arnoldi’s works are featured in collections of The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Metropolitan, and the Smithsonian, among others.

TONY DELAP: SELECTIONS FROM 50 YEARS 

On view June 29 - October 6, 2013

Slightly Cross, 2013

Southern California Minimalist Tony DeLap has sought to challenge conceptions of abstraction and illusion for over five decades.  Featuring a selection of sculptures, drawings, hybrids, paintings and photographs of noted site-specific sculptures, this exhibition provides a comprehensive look at this distinguished artist’s long career. Tony De Lap is recognized as one of the foundational figures in the rise of Minimalism and Optical Art (OpArt) on the West Coast in the 1960s and 70s and is a recipient of many prestigious awards including the National Endowment for the Arts highest award for painting. He has completed seven large-scale commissions for public sculpture in CA including The Floating Lady IV (1976) at the Los Angeles County Airport and The Big Wave (1983) in Santa Monica, CA.

VOLCANOS AND FULL MOONS: ERNEST SILVA

On view through September 15, 2013

Between Two Shadows, Deer on Raft, 2001

Recognized for his metaphoric imagery of deer, lighthouses, water, birds and figures, Silva derives his inspiration from a variety of sources: family photographs of his childhood in Rhode Island, vintage story book covers from the 1950s, popular culture and art history. Interested in the intersection between painting, sculpture and installation his exhibition will reflect a combination of the three that will transform the galleries into a stage set with drawings and paintings on the walls and props on the floor. Silva has been an active force not only in the San Diego/Southern California art community, but also on a national and international level. His recent projects have included an installation at the Centro Cultural Tijuana, Tijuana, Mexico and he has a major long-term project called the Rain House at the New Children’s Museum in San Diego.

LOOKING FOR THINGS: JAY JOHNSON

On view through September 15, 2013

 

I Keep Looking for Things, 2010

The diversity of Jay Johnson’s chosen media is paralleled in his constant exploration of new modes of expression that reflect his dry humor and inventive nature. Working in a wide variety of sculptural media including found and reclaimed objects, wood, metal, clay and paper, each of Johnson’s works hint at satirical short stores derived from his imagination and the world around him. Jay Johnson has played an active role in the San Diego art scene since the 1980s. A consummate craftsman, he is skilled in multiple media including wood, metal fabrication and large format printing. Whether designing in a figurative or symbolic approach, his work is thought-provoking and reflective of the world around him. His work has been exhibited and collected extensively throughout the United States. 

All four exhibitions were curated by Danielle Susalla Deery, the Director of Membership and Marketing / Curator at Oceanside Museum of Art. This blog was contributed by Danielle Susalla Deery and Julie Vb.

Steampunk:Vintage Futurism

Title wall designed by Elizabeth Tallman

Denise Bonaimo, Steampunk Mannequin


Evan Chambers, Gas Huffer

Brian Giberson, Jetpack

Science fiction, fantasy, futuristic technology and Victorian era style collide in this benchmark exhibition of art and innovation inspired by the Steampunk aesthetic. Featuring the work of twelve artists from San Diego, Orange and Los Angeles counties including Preston Adell, Glenn Arthur, Tracy Black, Denise Bonaimo, Greg Brotherton, Evan Chambers, Sheri Cohen, Shay Davis, Sean Dietrich, Brian Giberson, Brooke O'Neill, and Jeffrey Steorts. This exhibition ponders the mystery of science and the possibilities of future technology through a Victorian lens.

The roots of Steampunk can be traced to 19th century scientific romances of Jules Verne, HG Wells, Mark Twain and Mary Kelly where creatures such as Frankenstein and inventions such as The Time Machine came alive in the reader’s imagination. Steampunk has been gaining traction since the 1980s when K.W. Jeter introduced the term to reference artwork and characters in his book Morlock Nights. In contemporary pop culture the Steampunk gestalt is prominent in movies, comics, fashion, and the fantastical sculptures created at the annual Burning Man Festival.

Steampunk: Vintage Futurism will be on view in the Groves Gallery November 5-9. The opening reception for the exhibition coinsides with Art After Dark: Dr. Steampunk's Art Extravaganza Friday, November 5 from 7:00-10:00 pm. Tickets are $25 or $20 for OMA members. Call 760.435.3720 for reservations or get your tickets at the door the night of the event. Admission includes Steampunk fashion show by Enigma Fashions, five art exhibitions, video art by Kim Moodey and Lisa Hutton, music by DJ Robin Roth and Danny Massure, live painting by David Joseph Gough, Steampunk creation station, photo booth with photographer Robin Shook, tasty bites from The Fish Joint, specialty wines, and handcrafted beer from The Lost Abbey.

Historic World War II Watercolor Exhibition

Phil Paradise, Evening on the Home Front

Barse Miller, Waving Goodbye and Good Luck

Painting World War II: The California Style Watercolor Artists is an historic first examination of the paintings by California Style artists on the subject of WWII. Each painting tells an intimate and in turn, dramatic story offering a fresh perspective on World War II. This perspective is a mix of two things: first, a passion for using watercolor in spontaneous and expressive new ways, and second, with the influence of WWII, a rich sense of old fashioned “We are all in this together” patriotism.

Forged in the Great Depression, California Style watercolors form an important West Coast chapter of American Regionalist art. Examining a broad survey of everyday life, these artists created a visual record of the unfolding local history of California beginning in the mid 1920s and extending into the 1970s. California Style watercolors form the largest body of paintings in this Regionalist vein.

Many of the original California Style artists were already too old, or had wives and children so were not eligible to enlist. Eager to contribute, when asked they welcomed the opportunity to use their artistic skills for the war effort. In May 1943 the U.S. Government established an official Combat Art Program inviting 42 of the nation’s finest artists to participate. Californians Millard Sheets, Barse Miller and Ed Reep were among this group. Barse Miller was assigned rank of Captain and head of the Combat Art Section in the South Pacific. Millard Sheets traveled with the Air Force to the India- Burma theatre. Ed Reep served in the North African and Italian Campaigns. Other artists enlisted or were drafted and when their skills were discovered they were given assignments to create watercolors of their experiences as enlisted personnel.

Four months after its creation, the Combat Art Program was suddenly defunded by Congress and abruptly dropped. Some artists were given new titles as war artists within their respective branches of the military and created large bodies of artwork for those entities. Artists Millard Sheets, Barse Miller and Paul Sample were hired as artist-correspondents for Life Magazine and created watercolors which were sent back home for publication, to help satisfy the public’s desire for images of events overseas. These watercolor paintings were among the few full color images of the war the American public viewed. In the September 1941 issue of The National Geographic Magazine, just before Pearl Harbor, Arthur Beaumont created an 8 page full color insert profiling the great ships of the Navy. This article was so well received in November 1942 he created a second 16 page portfolio of watercolors featuring the Army on maneuvers for the magazine.

Other artists featured in the exhibition include Standish Backus, Lee Blair, Rex Brandt, Nick Brigante, Robert Caples, Watson Cross, Edmond James Fitzgerald, Duncan Gleason, Hardie Gramatky, John Haley, Dong Kingman, Erle Loran, Louis Macouillard, Charles Morimoto, Ben Norris, James Patrick, Charles Payzant, and Milford Zornes. Painting World War II: The California Style Watercolor Artists is curated by Glen Knowles, a professor of art at Antelope Valley College in Lancaster. Knowles has curated seven exhibitions on the history of California Art and has a great passion for California Style watercolors. The exhibition will be on view April 18 through October 3, 2010.

Total Information Awareness: Black Light Installation by The Ancient Gallery

Experience a glow in the dark wonderland of art in Total Information Awareness, a temporary installation by The Ancient Gallery on view in the Oceanside Museum of Art Groves gallery March 10 through March 12, 2010. Challenging your perception with black lights and UV reactive sculptures The Ancient Gallery has created an installation that comes alive with three-dimensional glasses. Playing with multiple genres and motifs, the artist collective fabricates art from scratch as well as assembling mass-produced cultural icons. Viewers will see recognizable imagery from Renee Magritte, Edward Munch, and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as themes that emulate ancient civilization, medieval Europe, Eastern Religion, science fiction and tribal cultures morphing with psychedelic designs. As a result of their diverse use of imagery they stand aside the demarcation of fine art and kitsch, blurring the boundary.

The Ancient Gallery is a collective of artists: Nigel Brookes, founder of TAG, sculptor and assemblage artist; Iain Gunn, puppeteer and founder of Zirk Ubu; and Mark Johnson, sculptural engineer and lighting specialist. This nomadic collective that has displayed their work at the San Diego Museum of Art, Burning Man and other art driven festivals, strives to create visionary installations that engage the viewer through the medium of black light. Altering your normal perception the viewer is confronted with an ulterior universe that opens your mind to the curiosities of the world.

According to TAG, Total Information Awareness is the idea that we are made of systems that we can and can’t control, such as our nervous system, genetics, biological, social and digital. The average person interacts with media based systems, such as the TV, computer, or your phone, approximately 9 hours a day. With so much information coming and going it can be easy to get lost in a world of artificial intelligence. Being conscious of the material you upload to data mining systems such as facebook and twitter reflects an awareness of the dangers technology can present. Everything around you from the TV programs you watch, the news, and magazines can influence your personality and affect your thinking. Mindfulness of the information you publish and receive can alter your life, just as this installation can open your mind to new forms of perception.

San Diego NOW: Eight UCSD Visual Artists

San Diego NOW: Eight UCSD Visual Artists presents top artistic talent emerging from one of the finest conceptual art institutions in the nation, University of California, San Diego. Designed to encourage a meaningful dialogue between Masters of Fine Arts students and the larger San Diego art community, San Diego NOW features artists working in a variety of media, including video, painting, photography, sculpture and performance with a shared concern for the changing dynamics of society and our place within it. The exhibition presents the work of artists James Enos, Jesse Mockrin, Zac Monday, Omar Pimienta, Lesha Maria Rodriguez, Tim Schwartz, Julia Westerbeke, and Suzanne Wright. San Diego NOW is curated by Danielle Susalla and will be on view through January 3, 2010.

UCSD has a long tradition of encouraging artists to move beyond specific mediums, inspiring them to create conceptually grounded work that pushes current boundaries. Charged with social, political, mythical, organic, and personal narratives, each artist in San Diego NOW is developing a unique mode of expression that will be heard beyond this community as they continue to grow. Oceanside Museum of Art is proud to present this dynamic group of San Diego artists who are at the forefront of contemporary art making.

Learning about Tolerance and Cultural Diversity Through Art, Food and Film

Our current exhibition Fabric of Survival: The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz has been an emotional experience for many viewers because of its powerful message of hope, tolerance and faith. Holocaust survivors and their families have returned to the exhibit for Esther’s amazing story of how she survived the Holocaust as a teenager in Poland. She created 36 stunning appliquéd and embroidered fabric panels depicting her ordeal.

Our docents have been teaching about tolerance using Esther’s art as a gentle way for kids to learn about the Holocaust and Jewish culture. The museum has Free Family Art Days for kids to engage with art in a fun and comfortable setting where they can make art that reflects concepts and themes from the exhibitions. At our last two Family Art Days kids painted ceramic tiles with themes of hope and tolerance inspired by the exhibition. The tiles are displayed at the entrance to the exhibition.

Another way for people to learn about Jewish culture is to experience its delicious cuisine. Tomorrow, Thursday, October 1st at 6:00 p.m. the museum will screen the romantic comedy “Crossing Delancey” and serve a Kosher style dinner in the beautiful setting of the museum. Chef Steve Akin of DZ Akin’s Delicatessen will prepare appetizers of potato knish, chopped liver on cocktail breads, deviled eggs, and frenzy; a main course of brisket, potatoes and carrots, hot kasha, stuffed cabbage rolls and homemade brown gravy; and dessert of homemade chocolate dipped macaroons and assorted rugalach as well as wine, coffee and tea. Call the museum at 760.435.3720 for reservations.

Join us Sunday, October 4th at 1:00 p.m. for a Free Youth Film Festival with special guest Joe Fab, award winning and Emmy nominated producer, writer, and director who will introduce the film “Paper Clips.” In 1998 the children of Whitwell Middle School in Tennessee undertook a challenging documentary film project that would open their eyes to the diversity of the world beyond their insulated valley. With no prior knowledge of the Holocaust they promised to honor and memorialize every lost soul, collecting one paper clip for each individual exterminated by the Nazis. The powerful documentary “We Must Remember” will screen at 2:40 p.m. introduced by the student producers from Carlsbad High School who created the project with broadcast journalism teacher Doug Green. The students spent hours interviewing Holocaust survivors from Southern California and veterans who helped liberate the Dachau concentration camp. The students came face to face with a generation of survivors who, in many cases will be telling their stories for the last time. Admission is free for both films and the exhibition.

Fabric of Survival: The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz will be on view through October 25, 2009.

Ride Away with Wisdom

In a society of instant gratification, Delayed Gratification by Dave Ghilarducci will put you to work in order to discover the real story behind his current installation. San Diego artist Dave Ghilarducci has installed a bicycle with a generator connected to the back wheel that powers an LED display. When the visitor climbs on the bicycle and takes a ride, the LED will project words of wisdom from Aldous Huxley's dystopian novel "Brave New World." Delayed Gratification, curated by Emily Phelps, will be on view in the Parker Gallery July 14 through September 25, 2009.

“Meet the Artist” Dave Ghilarducci Saturday, August 8th at 2:00 p.m. and learn more about the creation and insight behind this interactive exhibition. For more informaion about the artist visit
http://www.daveghilarducci.com/index.html

"Meet the Artist" is free with admission and free for OMA members, students, and military.

Meet the Artist Valentyna Roenko Simpson

Artist Valentyna Roenko Simpson has created a fiber installation in our Parker Gallery that will astound you with its scale and fiber detail. Each piece is hand felted and enhanced with machine embroidery creating portraits that appears individualized, yet universal, suggesting a link reaching back to the origins of human history. The title of her exhibition, Cell Memory, reflects her interest in DNA and the power it holds for unlocking the secrets of human ancestry. Themes of identity, ancestry, science and memory permeate her artistic vision.

“Meet the Artist” Valentyna Roenko Simpson on Saturday, June 20th at 2:00 p.m. and hear her talk about the universal thread of humanity that lies within our DNA. “Meet the Artist” is free with museum admission and complimentary for members of Oceanside Museum of Art as a benefit of membership. Cell Memory will be on view in the Parker Gallery through July 10, 2009.

Fabric of Survival: Learning about the Holocaust through Art

Art is a powerful tool for teaching people about history. In our next exhibition Fabric of Survival: The Art of Esther Nisenthal Krinitz you will be enlightened by a young girl's story of surviving the Holocaust in Poland.

Esther Nisenthal Krinitz was a teenager in rural Poland when the Nazis invaded her quiet village changing her life forever. Separated from their family, young Esther and her sister survived the Holocaust pretending to be Polish Catholics, eventually coming to America after the war. In New York, Esther began her life as Mrs. Max Krinitz, and continued the sewing and embroidery she learned as a child. A gifted seamstress, Esther decided, at age 50, to tell her story in cloth, stitching thirty-six beautiful and poignant appliqué and embroidered panels which comprise the exhibition Fabric of Survival.

The exhibition will open on Sunday, June 14th with a Holocaust Memorial Service “Threading Together Tragedy and Hope: A Service in Memory of the Holocaust Victims” from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. conducted by Rabbi Dorit Edut. Through the beauty of words of prayer, poetry and song the victims of the Holocaust will be remembered. The memories of those who perished and survived the Holocaust hold for us the message of our own survival and the courage to respond to oppression and inhumanity in our times. The service is complimentary, light refreshments to follow. Fabric of Survival will be on view through October 25, 2009.

Cultural Arts Programs at OMA

Oceanside Museum of Art is not only a place where you can view stimulating contemporary art exhibitions, we also have a dynamic cultural arts schedule featuring concerts, lectures, family art days and more. On the calendar for April and May is "Rock the Night with KPRI/102.1" on April 16th from 7-9pm, "Springtime at the Getty" on April 23rd, "Fragrance Forum" on April 30th from 7-9pm, "Free Family Art Day" on May 3rd from 1-4pm, "Vigilucci's Jazz at the Museum with the David Patrone Jazz Quartet" on May 7th from 7-9pm and "Art After Dark" on May 22nd from 7-10pm. 2009 is jam packed with fun events that reach out to everyone. I will attest to the fact that I love the museum and the exciting events we present, especially with so much on the calendar. I am particularly excited about “Art After Dark” on May 22nd that will feature The DJ Eddie-G spinning ‘70s disco classics.

The cultural programming surrounding our exhibitions gives members and guests the chance to deepen their experience with the museum. We’re here to educate and spark creativity and wonder for visitors that walk through the museum doors all year. After all, as Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than intelligence," and what better place to stimulate creative energy than a museum. During the concert or lecture that you attend in the near future, make sure to spend time in the galleries exploring the three exhibitions on view: Lowbrow Art: Nine San Diego Pop Surrealists, Institutional Wellbeing: An Olfactory Plan for Oceanside Museum of Art, and Commesso Made in America: Gemstone Fine Art. Visit the Events page on the OMA website and mark your calendar for some cultural experiences today! http://www.oma-online.org/

Dinner and a Movie at the Museum

The award winning film, “Like Water for Chocolate” will be screened with delicious Mexican cuisine served in the museum for the next Culinary Cinema Series. This unique program pairs food themed films with the mouth-watering cuisine inspired from the film.

"Like Water for Chocolate" is a romantic drama set in Mexico at the turn of the 20th century. The story is centered on two lovers, Tita and Pedro who are unable to marry because of Tita’s family obligation to take care of her mother. As the story unfolds Tita discovers that her mouth-watering dishes have the magical effect of transferring her emotions of despair and desire into her cooking.

Join us at the museum on Saturday, March 21st at 6:00 p.m. for this touching love story and a gourmet Mexican dinner prepared by chef Juan Manuel Padilla of Frida’s Restaurant in Chula Vista. Dinner includes wine or beer, a variety of specialty regional hors d’oeuvres, chef Juan’s famous Chiles en Nogada, and a delicious Mexican dessert bar with tea and coffee. Cinema Society of San Diego president, Andrew Friedenberg will introduce the film with background on the actors and director. Reservations are required in advance and limited to 80 guests. Cost is $60 for OMA members, $75 for non-members. Call the museum at 760-435-3721 for reservations.

Commesso Made in America "Gemstone Fine Art"

Commesso Made in America,“Gemstone Fine Art” is the first museum exhibition of the American made fine art of creating commesso di pietre dure e tenere, stone mosaic pictures. The artwork is made from precise placement of hand cut rocks and gemstones, with an occasional shell or other hard material. Pietre Dure means hard stone, such as agates, jades, jaspers, and chalcedony. Pietre Tenere means softer stone such as marble, lapis lazuli, malachite, and turquoise. Each stone has to be hand cut and placed into the mosaic painting without grout, requiring countless hours of intense concentration and skill. The exhibition will be on view in the Parker Gallery at Oceanside Museum of Art March 3rd through May 1, 2009. Guest curator and artist Dennis Paul Batt will discuss the process and history behind Commesso during an informal “Meet the Artist” on Saturday, April 25th at 2:00 p.m. “Meet the Artist” is free with museum admission and complimentary for members of Oceanside Museum of Art as a benefit of membership.

The American style of Commesso was initiated by a group of dedicated artists beginning in the 1930s who developed their own techniques using whatever tools and machinery were available and reached its peak in the late 1960s – 1980s. Today Commesso is a nearly extinct art form with few American practitioners and is rarely exhibited. Assembled for this exhibition are some of the finest contemporary Californian Commesso artists such as the late William Grundke, one of the most celebrated Commesso artists; his son Conrad Grundke, an award winning Commesso artist who currently teaches Lapidary and Intarsia at Saddleback College; Charlotte Burk; Anne Timmins; Amy Spencer; and San Diego artists Dennis Paul Batt and the late Jonny Johnson. To learn more about the American version of this art form visit www.americanmastersofstone.com.

Lowbrow Art gallery talk with co-curators Jerry Waddles and Michael C. Gross

Jerry Waddle and Michael C. Gross, co-curators of LOWBROW ART: Nine San Diego Pop Surrealists, will talk about Lowbrow Art and the artists in the exhibition on Thursday, February 26th from 7:00-9:00. Jerry is the owner of Ducky Waddles Emporium, a book store, art gallery and center for cultural studies in Encinitas. Michael C. Gross is an art director, illustrator, photographer, film producer, director and painter and has been working with the OMA exhibition department for years. You have probably seen one of the many movies Gross has produced such as Ghostbusters and Schwarzenegger's famous movies Twins and Kindergarten Cop. Waddle and Gross make a great team of first-hand Lowbrow experts, actually living through the genesis of this movement that began in the '60s with girlie pinup art and gig posters. The talk is free for OMA members as a benefit of membership and $5 for nonmembers.

Lowbrow Art: Nine San Diego Pop Surrealists

Blurring the boundaries of high and low art, Oceanside Museum of Art brings the Lowbrow art of 9 San Diego artists into the museum with the upcoming exhibition LOWBROW ART: Nine San Diego Pop Surrealists.
With origins in pop culture, comics and hot rod street culture, Lowbrow Art reaches beyond the conventional art world to include a visual feast of pop surrealism created by the finest alternative culture artists from the San Diego region. Featuring local greats Mary Fleener, Scott Saw, Tim McCormick, Scrojo (Craig Haskett), Jason Sherry, Charles Glaubitz, Ron Wharton, Pamela Jaeger and Jen Trute. Each artist extols their narrative world of fantasy through a personal approach reflecting the regional underground culture. Guest curators are Jerry Waddle of Ducky Waddles Emporium and Michael C. Gross. A preview reception introduces the exhibition on Saturday, January 24th from 5:00- 7:00 p.m. Lowbrow Art will be on view through May 24, 2009.

Last Chance to view Millard Sheets Exhibition - Closes January 4, 2009

Damngorgeous: Millard Sheets and his Southern California Legacy has been a popular exhibit at Oceanside Museum of Art since September. But, sadly all exhibitions have to come to an end and this one closes Sunday, January 4, 2009. The Los Angeles Times wrote a great review of the show that drew visitors all the way from Los Angeles.

Not only did Sheets play a major role in bringing the art of California to the national arena, he was a prominent teacher at Chouinard Art Institute, Scripps College, Claremont Graduate School and Otis Art Institute. He made a lasting impact with the expansive exhibition program he directed at the Los Angeles County Fair that introduced millions of Californians to the finest American, European, and Asian arts and crafts. Sheets’ artwork can be found in over 46 museums including the Smithsonian, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, among others.

I hope you get the chance to see this world class exhibition before it closes.

Culinary Cinema Series featuring "Babette's Feast" & French Classic Cuisine Dec 6

OMA Culinary Cinema Series
December 6, 2008 5:30 PM

If you enjoy classic films, epicurean delights and fine art, then you should attend the Oceanside Museum of Art's Culinary Cinema Series on Saturday December 6th at 5:30 PM. Third in our Culinary Cinema Series that pairs food themed films with mouth-watering cuisine, "Babette's Feast" is presented in the beautiful modern setting of the museum. Academy Award winning director Gabriel Axel tells the story of two elderly Danish sisters whose pious life is humorously altered with the unexpected arrival of Babette Hersant, a 19th century Parisian political refugee who cooks them a French feast they will never forget.

Join us at the museum for this delightful film and delectable French cuisine prepared by master chef Carol Blomstrom. Dinner includes hors d'oeuvres of tiny toast with crème fraiche and caviar, artichoke mousse on sesame crackers, salad with haricot vert and red-onion, entrée of coq au vin over noodles, and white and dark chocolate mousse for dessert.

Reservations required in advance, limited to 100 guests. Cost is $60 for OMA members, $75 for non-members. Vegetarian entrees available upon request. Call the museum at 760-435-3721 for reservations. 5:30 PM pre-film reception, wine & hors d'oeuvres. 6:00 PM "Babette's Feast" screening, dinner following the film.

DAMNGORGEOUS:Millard Sheets and His Southern California Legacy

Image: Millard Sheets, Cotton Pickers, 1929, oil on canvas

The current exhibition DAMNGORGEOUS: Millard Sheets and His California Legacy at Oceanside Museum of Art is a world class exhibition of the celebrated California Regionalist Millard Sheets. There are over 40 diverse works of art in the show including oils, watercolors, lithographs, drawings and etchings that provide viewers a comprehensive look at his impressive career.

What makes this exhibit so unique is the personal connection viewers have to the artist through his daughter's narrative. Carolyn Sheet's Owen Towle provided her personal collection of her father's treasured works of art to the museum for this special exhibit. During a lecture and walk through of the exhibition Carolyn shared many heart warming stories about her father and his career as an artist.

The book Damngorgeous: A Daughter's Memoir of Millard Owen Sheets, written by Carolyn, was the catalyst for the show. In this book Carolyn wanted to tell her fathers story and the Oceanside Museum of Art worked hard to bring together an excellent collection of his work that would compliment her loving story. You will see styles from every period in Sheets' career from the 1920s to the 1980s, including his last painting of an island off the coast of Northern California and the painting he hung in the Paris Salon early in his career. You will travel through the many countries and styles that Sheets explored in this captivating exhibition that is on view through January 4, 2009.

The Vibrant Edge: Paintings of Karl Benjamin

If you love color, then you must check out the new exhibition at Oceanside Museum of Art, The Vibrant Edge: Paintings of Karl Benjamin from the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Karl Benjamin is one of the founding fathers of Hard Edge Painting, a style involving consistent geometric shapes and perfectly straight edges that awe you with perfection. California was the creative center for this style of art that emerged in the 60s as artists began reacting to the organic forms of abstract expressionism. Karl Benjamin is one of those living ledgends who currently resides within walking distance to Claremont College, where he taught for many years.

Don't miss the kaleidoscope of colors in The Vibrant Edge, on view at Oceanisde Museum of Art until October 19, 2008.

The Meaning of Tattoos

In contemporary pop-culture, tattoos bring to mind artistic expression, rebellious people branding themselves with imagery that makes them unique and individualistic. After viewing the enlightening exhibition Ancient Marks: The Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Marking at Oceanside Museum of Art in San Diego, CA, I have a deeper appreciation for the sacrifice and discipline people all around the world endure to have a permanent marker of their identity on their skin.


Chris Rainier, a National Geographic editor and documentary photographer has captured the rituals and cultural traditions behind the symbolic art of body altering in his stunning collection of over 30 black and white photographs. From the savannas of Africa to the streets of Los Angeles, Rainier brings to light how tattoos and body altering reflect sacred beliefs, form identity and tell stories of ancient cultures.

Jazz at the Oceanside Museum of Art June 19

Vigilucci’s Jazz at the Museum presents one of San Diego’s most popular jazz and blues bands on June 19th at Oceanside Museum of Art.
The evening will begin at 7:00 p.m. with a pre-concert reception featuring Vigilucci’s scrumptious hors d’oeuvres and signature wine.

Vigilucci’s has joined with the museum to present an evening of great jazz, great art, and great tastes. In addition, you’ll be able to view two exhibitions during the pre-concert reception and during intermission. Currently on view are Masterpieces of San Diego Painting: Fifty Works from Fifty Years, 1900-1950 and Ancient Marks: The Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Marking.

June 19 ~ 7:00 p.m. ~ $15, $10 for OMA members.
Admission at the door, open seating.