Current Exhibitions
Newspace: Selections from the Collection of Ken Cave and LBMA
In 1973, Southern California artist Jean St. Pierre lead a cohort of artists who were part of the first graduating MFA class from the University of California, Irvine. Collectively, they activated exhibition spaces around Orange County and held a brick-and-mortar location in Costa Mesa on Superior Boulevard until 1974. St. Pierre then relocated the operation to Los Angeles, and took occupancy at 5241 Melrose Ave to run what would become the Newspace gallery until 1975, when local art enthusiast Joni Gordon took ownership.
Joni Gordon became an advocate for the arts while she was enrolled at UCLA studying English and Anthropology. Because of its close proximity to the Anthropology department, exposure to the nearby art department opened a new world for her. At the time of Gordon’s attendance, artists such as Richard Diebenkorn, Tony Berlant, and Vija Celmins all held residencies in UCLA’s art department, and their studios were accessible to students.
Gordon began her career working at galleries around Los Angeles in the late 1950’s, during a time when the Los Angeles art landscape was blossoming in unprecedented ways. Ferus Gallery debuted Warhol’s Soup Cans, Edward Kienholz was showcased at LACMA, and with Abstract Expressionism and Pop Art shifting the concept of what defined art, Gordon was able to be a sponge in the epicenter of this evolution. She soaked in all the change, and anything seemed possible to her.
In time, she began working with art collector and philanthropist, Betty Asher. The two women collaborated on studio tours, art events in their homes, and curated small-scale exhibitions.
In 1975, Gordon contacted Jean St. Pierre to request a publication on Newspace artist Chris Burden. At this time, St. Pierre had been living in the gallery and had to close the doors to the public due to financial hardships. The two of them scheduled a day to meet, and by the end of their visit, Gordon made a deal with St. Pierre to take over the gallery, as well as to pay off his financial debt. Gordon owned and operated Newspace Gallery from 1975 to 2006, providing a platform for many artists. At the time, those artists were considered to be emerging local talent, but are now acclaimed and celebrated, such as John Sonsini, Chris Burden, Seiji Kunishima, Dan McCleary, and Jay McCafferty.
In 2023, Orange County collector, Ken Cave, whom resides in Costa Mesa, donated a large portion of his collection to LBMA. The majority of the works in his collection were acquired from Newspace Gallery between 1974 and 2006. The works he collected were from some of the artist’s most esteemed exhibitions. For example, he collected Jean St. Pierre’s Monochromatic White paintings from 1975, some of John Sonsinis’ first works on paper, and Seiji Kunishimas’ stone sculptures.
The works from the Ken Cave collection provide just an introduction into the many facets of Newspace, but give insight into the history of Joni Gordon’s space and the way in which she devoted herself to supporting these artists and their visions.
Alongside the Ken Cave collection, a selection of artists from LBMA’s permanent collection, such as Chris Burden and Jay McCafferty, are included. This exhibition remembers and salutes Newspace as a platform that played a significant role in shaping the fabric of the Los Angeles art world. LBMA is honored to hold these works in the permanent collection, and hopes to tell an integral part of a large story through this exhibition.
Past Exhibitions
Tidawhitney Lek: Living Spaces
November 10, 2023 – March 3, 2024 (Extended)
In a captivating extension of her critically acclaimed Household series, Long Beach resident and distinguished artist Tidawhitney Lek is honored to introduce her inaugural solo museum exhibition Living Spaces. This striking artistic journey boldly defies the boundaries of domesticity and leads us onto the vibrant sidewalks of life.
Lek’s latest creation transcends not only the physical confines of walls but also the constraints of time, weaving together a vivid tapestry of family, culture, generational and personal history, drawing inspiration from her deep Long Beach roots. Living Spaces serves as a powerful testament to our shared experiences during life’s transitional moments, where our individual narratives seamlessly connect with the broader human journey. Drawing inspiration from diverse landscapes and cultural contexts, Tidawhitney Lek masterfully craftsvisual “quilts” that seamlessly blend the intimate stories of ‘the family’ with the personal narrative of ‘I,’ bridging the gap between the spaces we inhabit and those we inherit.
Lek’s work takes us on an emotive journey to salvage the fragile traces of memory, breathing life into forgotten histories while preserving the allure of bygone times. With unwavering dedication, she captures the very essence of Cambodia Town in Long Beach and the vibrant atmosphere of Anaheim Street, immortalizing the vivid sights, scents, and traditions that define this culturally rich neighborhood. With every brushstroke, Lek invites us into bustling local markets and serene moments of women congregating for picnics on lush, green grass, scenes that reflect the enduring spirit of togetherness and celebration.
Tidawhitney Lek, Local Market, 2023, Acrylic, glitter, and oil on canvas, 72 x 144 inches, Courtesy of the artist and Sow & Tailor, Los Angeles
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Carl Aldana
September 15 – October 22, 2023
Born in Guatemala City, Carl Aldana (b. 1938, d. 2019) spent his early childhood surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and volcanoes, and regarded the Guatemalan highland weavings as an influence in his painting. Aldana described his childhood memories of “that Technicolored Central American Country” and the abundance of multicolored regional and traditional costumes that have influenced his palette throughout his career.
Long Beach was Aldana’s home and muse for many years. His painting of the historic Villa Riviera on Ocean Boulevard was featured on the City of Long Beach’s Centennial Poster. His paintings of Long Beach were included in California Cityscapes organized by the San Diego Art Museum in 1991. Often, he painted the same subject from varying viewpoints over the course of many years capturing the history of a particular building or site. On nearly daily excursions, Aldana sketched and painted Long Beach’s neighborhoods and views capturing both the changes in the cityscape and particular moments in time: sunsets, sunrises, and even the arrival of the Hale-Bopp comet.
Virginia Katz: Transitory Nature
April 15 – July 23, 2023
LBMA Juried Photography Exhibition
December 10, 2022 – March 5, 2023
Posed with the question, “How do you define an alternate reality within the medium of photography?”, artists from across Southern California were encouraged to examine the multitude of narratives apparent in any given photograph. The Museum extends a warm thank you to the jurors, Deanna Templeton and Robert von Sternberg, each dedicated to the medium of photography, and highly esteemed in their individual practices.
Artists:
Allison Anderson, Ricardo Asthenia, Matthew Brabant, Ray Bravo, Louise Buckley, Mykeko Carmona, Dillon Chang, Stephen Childs, Zachariah Corbin, Rachel Deruyter, Ailene deVries, Roland Escalona, Daniel Gonçalves, Noah Gottesman, Andrés Hernández, Louis Jacinto, DeAnn Jennings, Kovi Konowiecki, Volha Krayeva, Taylor Lacayo, Chris Lagares, Immanuel Leka, Toria Maldonado, Ashley Moore, David Palmer, Amit Pandey, Ashley M. Ratcliff, Joshua Rayburn, Zachary Ruddell, Kevin Saenz, Rana Salloom, Linnea Stephan, Jaymee Sumpter, Tasman Thorsness, Joseph Van Hooten, Drew Vaughn, Todd Weaver, and Michael Wells.
Points of Intersection
August 6 – November 5, 2022
Brimming to the rafters, Points of Intersection by Serbian-American artist Daniela Soberman references the architecture of her family’s first home in former Yugoslavia. Home in this context, is a place of impermanence; a temporary dwelling familiar only because of the people who share in its assemblage. Made of contoured interlocking panels that jut hard edges from the connecting axes, the site-specific installation bears a tremendous presence. Soberman has long been interested in the idea of façades; much of her work appears one way, but is inherently the opposite. This installation is no exception. Despite its monumental scale, the artist’s edifice is light as a feather. The scale, the fragility, and the nature of its construction determined by the hands who came together to build it, speak in equal parts to the constraints we place upon the ‘worlds’ we create. This cobbling together of disparate pieces, reveals an inextricable human spirit.
Out of Step / Out of Line
June 26 – July 3
In the tattoo studio, artists are called to perform; clients request their hand to illustrate a pre-conceived idea, approved and transferred from carbon paper to skin. In their studio practice comes the freedom to move out of line, to work without expectation, and explore different mediums and subject matters. Co-curated with San Pedro-based artist Nathan Kostechko, this exhibition examines the latter— artists who navigate a fine line between an external perception of their work via tattooing, and their own interests, backgrounds, and cultural heritage that inform a wider practice. Many of these artists have helped pave the way for others with multi-faceted creative work in today’s contemporary culture.
Participating artists: Daniel Albrigo, Emma Bagley, Shawn Barber, Shay Bredimus, Bryan Burk, Scott Campbell, Danie Cansino, Matt Carignan, Aron Dubois, Gianni Gigliotti, Don Ed Hardy, Mat Hurtado, Coulter Jacobs, Jesse Jaramillo, Nathan Kostechko, Chris Martin, Matt McCormick, Mister Cartoon, Shizu Saldamando, Tamara Santibañez, Cheyenne Sawyer, Zac Scheinbaum, Derrick Snodgrass, and Carlos Torres.
1962-1972: Southern California Exhibitions
Extended through March 20, 2022
In 1952, the Long Beach Museum of Art—then Municipal Art Center, introduced the Purchase Award. The annual juried exhibition invited California artists practicing between the Mexico border and Santa Barbara to submit a painting or sculpture of any size, depicting any subject—the only requirement being it was completed within the previous two years. Each year, at least one juried artwork was purchased by the Museum, and subsequently accessioned into the Permanent Collection.
1962-1972: Southern California Exhibitions, on view in the Josephine Molina Gallery focuses on the works exhibited and acquired during this decade, under the leadership of then Director Jason Wong. The Purchase Award tells a rich history of supporting, exhibiting, and collecting the artists of our time in every decade. Works by artists including Melvin Edwards, Tony Berlant, and Phyllis Davidson offer a distinct window into the social, cultural, and political ideas during this era.
Tristan Eaton: Permanent Collection
July 16 – October 31, 2021
Tristan Eaton showcases two exhibitions at LBMA Downtown in conjunction with All At Once at LBMA. A selection of the artist’s work from the LBMA Permanent Collection includes a floor to ceiling mural made with Nychos during Vitality and Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape.
Space as Presence
Extended through June 27, 2021
Space as Presence at LBMA Downtown features large-scale installations from Southern California artists Christine Nguyen, Elyse Pignolet and Fran Siegel whose works mold to, and evolve with their surroundings. This malleability forms from a tiling process used by each artist; their “canvas” has no limitation, and the works as a result grow until they feel complete, changing to the shape of their environment. Nguyen, Pignolet and Siegel each navigate the intersections of material, narrative and space.
LOCATION
356 E 3rd St.
90802
HOURS
Thursday – Sunday: 11am – 4pm
FREE ADMISSION
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356 E 3rd Street
Long Beach, CA
90802
(562) 317-7300
Visitor Services
In 2019, the Long Beach Museum of Art and Art Exchange merged to form LBMA Downtown, a dynamic art campus in the heart of the East Village Arts District. “It’s the perfect marriage for the Museum…” – Executive Director, Ronald C. Nelson. Read more.
LBMA Downtown is home to five artist studios. Local artists are on-site daily working with mediums ranging woodworking to fine art painting and glass. Artists and respective contact information can be viewed here.
Newspace: Selections from the Collection of Ken Cave and LBMA
