Vitality & Verve: In the Third Dimension at the Long Beach Museum of Art

August 1, 2016, In The News

Abrazos y Besos (detail), 2016, Aaron De La Cruz, Installation view at Long Beach Museum of Art

Abrazos y Besos (detail), 2016, Aaron De La Cruz, Installation view at Long Beach Museum of Art

The Long Beach Museum of Art presents Vitality and Verve: In the Third Dimension and is once again one of the first museums in North America to feature urban contemporary artists that will transform the gallery space with ephemeral murals and three dimensional works creating a fully immersive experience within installations. An ambitious collaboration with POW! WOW! Long Beach, the exhibition builds on the success of the Museum’s highly acclaimed summer 2015 Exhibition Vitality and Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape which showcased local and internationally celebrated artists. This year’s carefully selected artists were given the freedom to experiment using new techniques and new media to create dynamic large-scale works. With the curatorial assistance of Thinkspace Gallery, participating artists include: Craig ‘Skibs’ Barker, Susan Beiner, Rebekah Bogard, Bumblebeelovesyou, Isaac Cordal, Patsy Cox, Ariel DeAndrea, Aaron De La Cruz, Sergio Garcia, Glazed Paradise (Mark Jenkins & Sandra Fernandez), Andrew Hem, Kiel Johnson, Sarah Joncas, Jean Labourdette (aka Turf One), Drew Leshko, Aaron Li-Hill, Troy Lovegates (aka Other), Telmo Miel, Jaime Molina, Brendan Monroe, Luke O’Sullivan, Felipe Pantone, Erika Sanada, Slinkachu, Mark Dean Veca, Cinta Vidal, Hilary White, Yoskay Yamamoto, Alex Yanes, and Ernest Zacharevic with Martha Cooper.

Their work, traditionally outside of the institutional mainstream, is typically seen in and around public spaces. In this exhibition, artists have full access to the Museum to create art with materials such as ceramic, wood, plaster and paper.  Each mural and installation has a narrative and invites the community to connect to a visual network of global perspective.

Divide Divide and Conquer, 2016, Aaron Li-Hill, Installation view at Long Beach Museum of Art

Acting as a double-edge-sword, public art can stimulate positive change and/or contain imagery and language of controversy. For this exhibition the work of these talented artists provide multiple opportunities for accessibility, creating bridges that invite those who do not normally visit a museum to come in, and propels museum-goers to get out onto the street and view art with a fresh angle.

Vitality and Verve: In the Third Dimension is represented by artists who have created something broader than the artistry of their installations. They have inspired collaboration as well as a cultural exchange that is ongoing in the City of Long Beach.

For more information about Vitality and Verve: In the Third Dimension, visit the Museum Calendar.


[2016, August 1] Vitality & Verve: In the Third Dimension at the Long Beach Museum of Art. Retrieved from Art LTD. Newsletter: Museum Connections. http://www.artltdmag.com/mc/0816-lbma.html

Posted: In The News