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.