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.