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.