‘SMOL’
Small works group exhibition
(Gallery I)

‘SMOL’ is a very special show for us here at Thinkspace. Shawn had been wanting to get this show together for a while and we were just about to dive into putting it together when cancer took her from us. We had a rough list coming to life and I made it my mission to bring her vision to life and I am so excited with how many creatives from our family were able to take part with such short notice. We’ve always been a champion of starting your collection out with smaller works and I still actively collect smaller works to this day. I like to think Shawn is proud of this show and proud of me and our family as we work to bounce back after the greatest loss any of us could imagine. This was the last show she was actively involved in putting together with me, which definitely makes this alll a bit too bittersweet… SHAWN FOREVER xo

‘SMOL’ showcase works sized 16×20 inches and under. We want to give young collectors and those on a budget the chance to get something nice for themselves, as well as encouraging all to collect smaller works as previously shared. They bring so much joy. The show title playing up the popular internet slang for saying someone or something is small in size, so cute that you just want to squeeze ’em.

Including new works from:
Cheese Arnon
Craig ‘Skibs’ Barker
Stephanie Buer
Bumblebeelovesyou
Carl Cashman
Young-Ji Cha
David Cooley
Cryptik
Dulk
Olga Esther
Sergio Garcia
Germs (aka Jaime Zacarias)
Matthew Grabelsky
Andrew Hem
Anthony Hurd
Hanna Lee Joshi
Leon Keer
Jolene Lai
Spenser Little
Alfred Liu
Huntz Liu
Lucas Lobo
Troy Lovegates
Mando Marie
Brian Mashburn
Dustin Myers
Tran Nguyen
Perez Bros
Kevin Peterson
Gustavo Rimada
Fandi Angga Saputra
Sentrock
Amy Sol
Stom500
Floyd Strickland
Roos van der Vliet
Kelly Vivanco
Casey Weldon
Jasper Wong
Brad Woodfin
Manuel Zamudio

Alongside small gems in our archives from:
Anotonio J. Ainscough
Langston Allston
Benzilla
Blic
Stephanie Buer
Adam Caldwell
Phoenix Chan
Sandra Chevrier
Paola Ciarska
Anthony Clarkson
Crash One
Sofia Enriquez
Ken Flewellyn
Priscilla S. Flores
Jacub Gagnon
Sergio Garcia
Shinnosuke Hariya
Humbly
Charlie Immer
Imon Boy
Cody Jimenez
Sarah Joncas
Oscar Joyo
Ozzie Juarez
Andy Kehoe
Simon Legno (Tokidoki)
Dan Lydersen
Pony Ma
Danny Martinez (aka Van Dam One)
Eli McMullen
Kiko Miyares
Vanessa Morata
Kristy Moreno
Jesse Morsberger
Mr. B Baby
Chaz Outing
Roja
Aof Smith
Anthony Solano
Super A
Rain Szeto
Andie Taylor
Toyameg
Jacqueline Valenzuela
Cinta Vidal
Brian M. Viveros
Wiley Wallace
Caroline Weaver

Meet me at the Boulevard, is a group exhibition highlighting the work of artists who have interconnected their involvement in Southern Californian car culture with their bodies of work. These artists have sought creative influence from their surrounding communities and their real life experiences. Their work is meant to bridge a gap between street subcultures and fine art. The work acts as conduit between the two worlds to create an open and honest dialogue about what it means to be from the streets of Los Angeles. These bodies of work could only have been made in this geographical location and by these artists. The essence of the work is reflective of that. 

Jacqueline Valenzuela creates multimedia paintings that magnify her firsthand experiences as a women lowrider owner, fine artist and automotive painter  in a community that has historically been male dominated. Mark Anthony Hocutt's training in the automotive industry as a custom painter has led him to create 70s style lowrider paint jobs on plexiglass that can ride the fine line between street art and fine art. Ashley Jennae Garcia is a nail artist who has been influenced by the imagery, nostalgia, and color palettes of the lowriding community; creating intricate nail art designs that women wear proudly. Jerry Peña creates multimedia paintings that are rooted in the various subcultures (such as hot rod culture) that molded his upbringing; resulting in works that merge imagery, texture and color reflective of these influences. Lastly, Jesse Jaramillo leans into sci-fi, Chicanismo, tattooing and lowrider culture to create pieces that act as curated pieces reflecting his past,present and future. As a group each individual artist holds an important pillar related to car culture. Meet me at the Boulevard,  is a culmination of this group's love for their communities and the vast inspiration that lays in their everyday life.

ARTIST BIOS:

• Jacqueline Valenzuela (b. 1997 East Los Angeles, CA) received a BFA in Drawing and Painting from California State University Long Beach (2019). Her work has been exhibited nationally, including the South Gate Museum, Mexic-Arte Museum, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, The Mexican Center for Culture and Cinematic Arts of the Mexican Consulate, The Cheech – Riverside Art Museum, the Brand Library & Art Center, and Muzeo Museum. In 2023 she participated in the inaugural cohort of the Ellsworth Residency at ArtShare L.A. and has now served on the judges panel for the residency for the third and fourth cohorts. She is a 2023-2024 California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship Awardee for Los Angeles County. As well as one of the 2024-2025 Professional Artists Fellowship Awardees for Long Beach City Arts Council. Valenzuela is currently an artist in residence at Arts at Blue Roof in Los Angeles. In Fall of 2024 Jacqueline will have a solo show, “Con Safos, Con Fuerzas”, with the Bakersfield Museum of Art (BMoA).

  Valenzuela is a multi-media artist whose practice is centered around depicting her personal experiences as well as the storytelling of other women who like her are in the Chicano world of lowriding.  Her art practice reflects the deep roots she has planted in the lowrider community by bridging the gap between fine art and this underrepresented community.

• Mark Anthony Hocutt (b. 1995 Whittier, CA) is a kustom automotive painter that works primarily in the automotive industry restoring and customizing car builds while also creating kustom painted plexiglass or metal panels. Hocutt’s education in traditional airbrush and automotive paint was built through various mentorships outside of a traditional academic setting. He has exhibited his work nationally with Flatline Gallery, Munzon Gallery, and Motherling. Fall of 2024 he will have his debut solo exhibition, “Diamond in the Rough”, with Munzon Gallery.

  Growing up near Whittier Blvd, Hocutt regularly experienced over-the-top patterned lowriders, hot rods, and restored classics. By the age of sixteen he had come to own his first project car, a 1984 El Camino, gifted to him by an uncle. Through years of hard work Mark’s admiration evolved into automotive building and customization. He would spend years and various apprenticeships learning the skills needed to mirror classic lowrider stylings from the 60s and 70s. By the age of twenty-five he became the owner of his own auto body shop that doubled as a creative space, The Kolor Studio.

• East LA native, Ashley Garcia, is a custom paint nail artist. Growing up blocks away from the boulevard, her family, specifically her grandfather, enveloped her in the chopper and lowrider lifestyle. Present day she owns her own nail studio, Studio 93. Ashley has mixed her love for creating out of the box nail sets with her love of cruising. She incorporates similar techniques to those seen in lowrider paint jobs to her nail art. As a self made nail artist of 10 years, she has impacted the Chicano community unlike no other.

  Most recently she has branched into the art world, displaying her nail sets as a form of installation. She has shown her work  with Nunca Siempre for “Xicana Y Que”, Munzón Gallery for “Sitting on Chrome”, and The Clarke Estate for “Nuestra Vida”.

• Jerry Peña (b. Los Angeles 1991) holds a Bachelor of Arts in Drawing and Painting from Cal State Long Beach. Recent exhibitions include Traditions, Muzeo Museum (Anaheim, CA, 2023-2024), Stranger At My Door, General Projects (Los Angeles, CA 2023), ans ROOTS/RAIZ, Brand Library (Glendale, CA 2023). 

  Peña explores what defines his cultural identity as a first generation Mexican American in his work. Jerry incorporates materials rooted in the manual labor jobs his parents have held since arriving in the country. Along with these materials Jerry also integrates found objects from flea markets and swap meets as well as items collected from his daily scavenging around the city of Los Angeles. These items stem from the various subcultures that have shaped his upbringing. American nostalgia, Kustom Kulture, and the Chicano experience all come together in conversation with art movements like Minimalism, Rasquachismo, and Abstract Expressionism to engulf the viewer in texture, color, and imagery that feel specific to a certain place and context.

• Jesse Jaramillo is a multi-disciplinary artist hailing from the high desert of Lancaster, Ca. As a CSULB alumni, their work has served communities across the state, country, and internationally. Jesse has experience working with companies such as Tecate, Vogue, Dr.Martens, The California Endowment, and Frito Lay, to name a few. In between his daily work, he also organizes community art events aimed at introducing young artists to elder low-riders, and bridging a generational divide.

  Jesse explores themes of Chicanismo, car culture, tattoo culture, and science fiction imagery to create tattoos, illustrations and paintings representing these worlds that inspire his work. 

Dama Gallery, in partnership with Art Gallery Studios (Mexico), announces Volume 4 -The Bureau of Queer Art - Pink Tide: A Celebration of Queer & Allied Contemporary Art

Ventura, CA – The Bureau of Queer Art, in collaboration with Dama Gallery, is thrilled to announce the opening of its Volume 4 - The Bureau of Queer Art- Pink Tide exhibition, and the release of the corresponding issue of the magazine and the launch of season four of its podcast. This vibrant celebration of queer and allied contemporary art will open on June 1, 2024, and will run through June 29, 2024, at Dama Gallery located at 1793 E Main St, Ventura, CA.

Volume 4 - Pink Tide Exhibition: Celebrating One Year of Queer Artistic Expression

The Bureau of Queer Art is excited to celebrate the one-year anniversary of its magazine and podcast with the fourth annual summer Queer & Allied contemporary art showcase, Volume 4 - Pink Tide. This exhibition will feature an eclectic mix of artistic expressions from 29 groundbreaking artists, highlighting the diversity and vibrancy of queer and allied contemporary art.

In addition to the main showcase at Dama Gallery in Ventura, CA, we are proud to announce that several of our featured artists will have extended solo exhibitions exclusively on Artsy.net, a leading platform for international collectors. This partnership allows us to provide our artists with exceptional global visibility and connect them with a broader audience.

We encourage art enthusiasts and collectors to visit Artsy.net to explore more works from the artists featured both in Ventura and in our publication. This is a unique opportunity to experience the depth and breadth of contemporary queer art presented by The Bureau of Queer Art and our partner, Dama Galleries.

The Bureau is dedicated to showcasing and supporting queer and queer-allied contemporary artists Through robust exhibitions, insightful publications, and dynamic multimedia platforms. Founded by Art Gallery Studios in Mexico City to nurture a more inclusive art community, The Bureau operates online and offline, providing critical visibility for emerging and established artists.

Opening Night Reception: 

Join us for the opening night on June 1, 2024, from 6 PM to 8 PM. The event will provide attendees an opportunity to meet many of the featured artists and enjoy an immersive experience of the dynamic and diverse world of contemporary queer art.

About the Magazine & Podcast:

The Bureau of Queer Art magazine and podcast have rapidly become cornerstones in the promotion and exploration of queer artistic expression. Volume 4 - Pink Tide will be available digitally for free and for purchase in print at the gallery and online. Previous volumes (1 to 3) can be downloaded for free digitally or purchased via our website at [artgallerystudioscom. Alongside the release of Volume 4, episodes of Season 4 of our podcast will be released, featuring in-depth interviews with the artists and discussions on the exhibition's themes. We invite listeners to explore and subscribe to our growing library of insightful interviews on your preferred podcast platform, ensuring you never miss an Episode.

Artists Featured in Volume 4 - Pink Tide:

Costa Gorel, Paul Gravett, Nancy Oliveri, Gemelxs, Gautham Acharya, Joan Cox, Mason Weiss, Oona Nelson, Alex Cabrera, Andres Juarez Troncosco, Caitlin Gill, Tommy Valentti, Alonso Yanez, Oli Boyer, Em Hagen, Joe Strickland, Jennifer Nerio, Jaqueline Valenzuela, Catherine Spencer, Sho Peng, Tom Atwood, Michael Borowski, Matias Brimmer, Gailan Gray, Theo Polymorphos, Brian Van Camerik, Varvara Vasilchenko, Forrest Lawson, Alejandro Herrera, Zara Feeny, Leah Cupino, Marne Lucas, Micheal Swank, and Minesok Chi.

We invite everyone to come and explore the depth and breadth of queer creativity and expression encapsulated in this year's showcase. The Bureau of Queer Art is proud to continue fostering a platform for dialogue, discovery, and celebration of the queer community and its allies through art.

For additional information and images or to request interviews with the artists or organizers, please contact:

Sponsored Gallery and Curator

Art Gallery Studios & The Bureau of Queer Art

Privada Zacatecas 120, 

Jardines de Tlaltenango

Cuernavaca, Mexico

https://artgallerystudios.com

Micheal Swank, Director

info@artgallerystudios.com 

Partner Gallery 

Dama Gallery  

1793 E Main St, Ventura, CA  

https://damagallery.com/

Join us in celebrating a milestone in queer art and culture at The Bureau of Queer Art's Pink Tide exhibition.

The Studio System Experimental Residency project is a unique attempt to bridge the gap between artistic practice and the public. First held in 2015, Studio System seeks to bring the dynamism of the artist's studio into the museum space, encouraging audiences to not only see works as they are in progress but to interact with the artist to discuss inspirations, sources, thoughts, feelings, content and context, as well as chart the progression of the works over the month long period that the project encompasses.

PARTICIPATING ARTIST RESIDENTS: Clarisse Abelarde, Wayne Martin Belger, Taylor Moon Castagnari, Raphaele Cohen-Bacry, Justine Di Fiore, Craig Knight, Snezana Saraswati Petrovic, Ashton S. Phillips, Tania Salha, Gwen Samuels, Sarah Svetlana, Dilan Torres, Jacqueline Valenzuela

Closing Reception Saturday, June 29th, 6-9pm. *The museum will be open for it’s regularly scheduled hours followed by a closing reception from 6-9pm.

On This I Stand: an interdisciplinary exploration of the lowrider community and automotive industry from a woman’s perspective.

On This I Stand is Jacqueline Valenzuela’s latest body of work that highlights her three-year fine-art hiatus to focus on painting lowriders in an auto shop instead of producing personal work. Valenzuela gained insight into painting approaches used by auto paint technicians as well as knowledge of various materials commonly used by car builders and car owners. This experience redefined what art meant to her. Since then, Valenzuela’s work has increasingly involved mixed media and non-traditional approaches.

Using bold colors, hybridization of abstraction and realism elements, lowrider kustom paint techniques, and various lowrider interior materials, Valenzuela created compositions that emphasize femininity in this male-dominated world. Every materialistic choice is specific to the narrative. Valenzuela’s surfaces range from larger-scale painting on canvas, assemblage style frames or found object installation. The idea of rasquachismo is evident throughout, especially with the deconstructed lowrider assemblage style frames and the found object installations. These pieces in particular unpack the aesthetics of lowriding. Resulting in a visual experience that is reflective of the imagery that Valenzuela comes across in her daily life as a woman that is fully engulfed in lowrider culture. Valenzuela has drawn inspiration from images she has taken while in the Kolor Studio Autobody and Paint shop, photos taken by her peers of her 1975 Cadillac El Dorado and sometimes even imagery of aesthetic choices made by women within the lowrider community. Pieces such as “Still Tippin”, frame a variety of tires and rims that were laying around the Kolor Studio. Moments like this draw Valenzuela in, almost asking the artist to paint them. This composition heavily influenced the creation of “Llantas (Tires)”, an assemblage type installation using the very tires and rims painted in “Still Tippin” as well as various other found tires positioned together to create a toppled over tower of tires, a sight that is common for Valenzuela in her studio that doubles as a body shop. The larger scale work in On This I Stand  is reflective of these moments Valenzuela comes across during her everyday routine at her studio. While the smaller scale works that function as deconstructed lowriders zoom in on details of lowriders and the hands of the women in this community. Long, curved nails; These personal aesthetic choices are common amongst the women driving these high customized cars. In a way the lowriders and the women’s aesthetics are extensions of each other, constantly informing one another. In “Switches”, there’s a zoomed in look of a woman’s hand hitting switches. A clear representation of the women who are cruising the boulevard while not sparing the feminine energy they emit. Ultimately, On This I Stand is a reflection of Valenzuela’s first-hand experiences or stories of the women within the lowrider community.

This annual juried exhibit showcases artwork from all over the state of California. MICA strives to highlight artists in all stages of their careers and offers them a chance to compete for a number of cash prizes, as well as the coveted solo show opportunity. This regional show features artwork from an extensive variety of mediums and explores creative movements happening in California.

Exhibition Dates: April 27th - June 23, 2024

Hours: Wednesday - Sunday 12pm - 5pm

Parking: Free all day parking is available in the parking structure underneath the Civic Center. Additional free parking is available underneath the Embassy Suites next door.

Indulge in signature cocktails and culinary delights at ARTMIX: An Upscale Night at the Museum.

This unforgettable visual experience includes an art sale and silent auction of work by leading California-based artists, perfect for adding to or starting your collection! Work included in the art sale will be available for public viewing Tuesday, April 30 - Saturday, May 9.

Start the night early at our Benefactor Reception, a hosted champagne reception that gives you the first opportunity to savor sophisticated culinary experiences and buy your favorite artwork.

Creative and colorful cocktail attire encouraged! ARTMIX is a 21+ only event.

BENEFACTOR RECEPTION

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Champagne reception and appetizers

Live music by DJ Cat & Chuck 1

First viewing of artwork for sale

Limited availability

Members: $150/ticket, Non-members: $175/ticket

GENERAL ADMISSION

7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Signature cocktails and culinary delights

Purchase art from local and world-renowned artists

Members: $75/ticket, Non-members: $100/ticket

To buy tickets: https://www.bmoa.org/artmix

Under The Same Sun: From Low-riders to Farmworkers

This exhibition highlights the work of five visual artists based in Central and Southern California whose practices each reflect a unique facet of the jewel that is California life. The works on view are vignettes that relate to our contemporary moment in California. As a group these artists acknowledge the daily occurrences of our shared region. The southern half of California signifies a multitude of ideas, this stems from its complicated history. The show focuses on the synchronous experiences emphasizing what is happening, existing, or arising at precisely the same time. The show embodies notions of solidarity, domestic life, playful ponderings over the sensate world, as well as cultural embrace and critique. Through this lens of synchrony differences are brought together in grandeur rather than accepting a splintered and isolated existence. The exhibition celebrates a diverse stratum of communal being from various scenes of sub-urban, urban and rural life. It is an acknowledgement that we are all a part of this everyday experience, a diverse but merely a small slice of things happening today in California all in a day’s work, under the same sun.

Narsiso Martinez - @narsisomartinez

Jacqueline Valenzuela - @pieldemazapan

Luis Ramirez - @artedeluis

Oscar Pearson - @oscarpearson_

Priscilla S. Flores - @abrazameymuerdeme

The exhibition will take place at The Elverhøj Museum of History and Art in Solvang, CA, USA @elverhojmuseum

Show runs April 20th through July 7th, 2024

Opening Reception April 20th, 2024 4-6pm.

2024 Left Coast Annual Juried Exhibition

Opening Reception: Friday, April 12, 7–9 pm

Music by Don Rowell Trio

Juried by Janna Keegan: Associate Curator, contemporary art and programming, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

Juror’s Talk & Artists Virtual Gallery Walk: Sunday, April 14, 3 pm

The 2024 Left Coast Annual Exhibition on view from April 12 through May 12, at Sanchez Art Center, will open with an evening reception Friday, April 12 from 7 – 9 pm. Juror Janna Keegan, Associate Curator, contemporary art and programming, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, selected 55 pieces from more than 1000 entries by artists on the left coast (Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington). The exhibition brings forth feelings of connection and relationships, society and cultures, as well as transformation and possibilities.

Through the creative lens of the artists, gallery visitors will be able to visualize and contemplate relevant societal issues spanning environmental concerns, urbanization, consumerism, womens rights and more, that have been brought together with a diversity of styles. Representational works blend with the abstract. Vintage photographic techniques are included with modern digital methods. Traditional mediums, including oil, acrylic and watercolor on a variety of substrates are interspersed with bronze and other metals, textiles, weavings, spray paint, charcoal made from money and natural materials, colorful intricate beading, found objects, and even concrete, reflecting the variety of media being used by contemporary artists today to create their work.

Dora Lisa Rosenbaum, reflecting on women without shelter, created "Burdens, Green Shoulder Bag" noting that she was "struck not only by the importance of their material belongings but also by the burden these become. There is a heaviness and hardness to every aspect of their lives". Taking on the topic of misinformation, Michael E. Goldman states that "truth and what rules apply to whom has become fluid. What we once took for granted is now flipped, chopped, reorganized and sent back to us from a new point of view." The artist presents this concept through the transformation of road signs that scrambles their original meaning. From her Plant Messengers series of botanical contact prints on fabric, Anne Mavor is showing "I Am Floating" with the intention of honoring and connecting with the energy and imagery of plants around her and to heal ancestral grief and separation from place caused by war, colonization, genocide, and migration. Artist and sculptor Gadget's piece "Urban Sprawl" from the series "Questioning Cities" combines individual unique functional parts that have been retired from their past use, posing questions about their origins, lifespan, and long term impact, and unites them to form familiar landscapes to explore and reflect on. Lorraine Woodruff-Long worked with data from 1850 to 2022, collected by a British climate scientist who encourages artists to use his research, to illustrate global temperature change.

A BETTER TOMORROW’
Group Exhibition
Gallery I

Opening Reception: Saturday, April 6 from 6-10pm

Thinkspace Projects

4207 W. Jefferson Blvd. + 4217 W. Jefferson Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90016

Our new group exhibition is named ‘A Better Tomorrow’ and we have aimed to inspire all those in the show to create a work that showcases how we can all work towards a better tomorrow for ourselves and for future generations. Be that via community activism / service, building on family traditions to keep one’s culture alive, fighting climate change, helping our animal population, teaching our youth, inspiring change in perspectives towards cultures unfamiliar to our own, saving our ecosystem / nature… whatever constitutes ‘A Better Tomorrow’ for them and their loved ones.

Featuring new works from:
Antonio J. Ainscough
Estefania Ajcip
Alex Face
Fajar Amali
Adrian Armstrong
Vincent Arnold
Reen Barrera
Benzilla
Blic
Destiny Branay
Brek
Ezra Brown
Stephanie Buer
Phoenix Chan
Cham Cristobal
Emilia Cruz
Cryptik
Delisha
Dragon76
Dulk
Leo Eguiarte
Sofia Enriquez
Jordan Ferguson
Liz Flores
Priscilla S. Flores
Jacub Gagnon
Brian “Dovie” Golden
GoopMassta
Shinnosuke Hariya
Willem Hoefnaggel
Anjastama Hp
Anthony Hurd
Charlie Immer
Ronald Jackson
Tosin Kalejaye
Leon Keer
Jolene Lai
Young Lee
Scott Listfield
Huntz Liu
Lucas Lobo
Lonesome Town
Yu-Chun Ma
Kiara Aileen Machado
Sean Mahan
Mando Marie
Steve Martinez
Eli McMullen
Millo
Vanessa Morata
Mister Toledo
Mr. B Baby
Alvaro Naddeo
Bell Nakai
Fumi Nakamura
Taylor Lee Nicholson
Jerry Pena
Kevin Peterson
Gustavo Rimada
Euan Roberts
Roja
Fandi Angga Saputra
Byun Sehee
Stom500
Andie Taylor
Yusuke Toda
TRNZ
Melly Trochez
Shar Tuiasoa
Jacqueline Valenzuela
Roos van der Vliet
Michael Vasquez
Daisy Velasco
Nuno Viegas
Brian M. Viveros
Cy Wang
Brad Woodfin
Wang Yalong
Yokoteen
Cheong Yoon
Jaime Zacarias (aka GERMS)
Manuel Zamudio

Join us for the opening reception for our next exhibition ⚡Battle of the Saints⚡ on Thursday, March 7 5pm-8pm at the LBCC Art Gallery, 4901 East Carson St., K100, Long Beach, Ca. 90808 (LAC Campus). The exhibition will be on view through April 27, 2024.

Battle of the Saints highlights the everyday icons worshiped across cultures. Their images and likeness have become so ubiquitous that they appear in our daily lives, from billboards to candles, key chains, murals, t-shirts, toys, and more throughout our world. Revered figures like wrestlers, saints, gods, artists, political activists, and athletes are just a few of the cultural icons whose likeness instills a profound sense of community. In this metaphorical “Battle of the Saints,” we playfully bestow a sense of “sainthood” upon these icons, acknowledging their elevated status within our community.

As part of SHG’s 50th Anniversary suite of programs, this group show will highlight prints from the Self Help Graphics Professional Print Studio alongside local Long Beach artists including:

@kalliarte, @alfredo_de_batuc, @almalopezgda, @aneesashami

@aprilbey_, @carolyn_castano_studio, @delilah.montoya, @deweytafoya, @evillustrations323, @ybarra_art, Isabel Martinez, @pieldemazapan, @jmloza_art, Jose Roberto Barrero, @josiahoballes, @laschicaspeligrosas, @mike.a.alcala, @naobustamante, @reyfromcultivarte, @sayonart, @victorgastelumthreedots, @chaz_bojorquez, @yreina_cervantez

Directions: Search for the Viking Bookstore. The art gallery is in the K Building, just south of the bookstore. Parking LBCC Campus, available in lots C, D, and E for $2

RSVP: selfhelpgraphics.eventbrite.com 🔗 in @shg1970 bio.

Artwork on flyer: Alma Lopez, Lady of Controversy, 2002.

IN THE PAINT, will be on view at Band of Vices. The exhibition is a preview of select works that will be a part of the upcoming private exhibition at the Los Angeles Lakers practice facility.

Location: Band of Vices

Exhibition Dates: 27 January - 24 February 2024.

Opening Night: Saturday, 27 January 2024, from 4-6pm

Jennia Fredrique Aponte

Christen Austin

Domonique Brown

Bryan Ida

Lamar Jones

Edwin Marcelin

Michael Massenburg

Khang Nguyen

Jora Nelstein

Sydni Peeler

Alicia Savio

Hedy Torres

Jacqueline Valenzuela

HK Zamani

Lakers fans and art collectors can purchase select works from the 2023-24 In the Paint Contributing Artists by visiting the digital marketplace at BandofVices.com/itp2024. Net proceeds from the artwork benefit the artists and the Lakers Youth Foundation.

Everyone who acquires art from the 2023-24 In the Paint collection will be invited to attend an exclusive art exhibition at the Los Angeles Lakers UCLA Health Training Center. The full 2023-24 In the Paint collection will be available for view at this private event with players and front office executives that will be held at the end of February 2024.

Regardless of where in this country our families  have planted roots there are clear cultural markers that our Latine communities have made. Whether it be street art, paisano cultura, cholo/a culture, street corner markets or bodegas, street vendors, the list goes on. These similarities seen in cities throughout the U.S. create a sense of a larger community for Latinx artist. Often times a viewer may come into contact with art made in a city that is not their hometown, yet the viewer is still reminded of their own neighborhood, friends, families and surroundings. 

“S.A. to L.A.”, brings together a diverse group of artists that highlight the vast similarities within the Latinx art community. These similarities bring with them a feeling of home, familiarity and comfort. The artist’s bring these feelings to the surface all while highlighting their own variances in themes and art practices. This exhibition is meant to hone in on the impact our presence has made within the communities we call home. And how these impacts spread beyond each individual city, actually creating a larger network of communidad throughout the country. 

I invite you to bring candles, florals and Polaroids of Virgen tattoos, murals or altars in your neighborhood that will permanently become part of an altar installation, “Siempre Protegida”. They’re offerings. If you remember my car hood installation back in 2021 I invited visitors to bring florals and candles it was amazing seeing the installation grow throughout the night. This installation will be up throughout the exhibition “Sunday Service: Slow Ride”.

Inspired by Félix González-Torres (1957-1996) who created installations that encouraged interaction between the art and the visitors. First saw his work during my spring 2017 trip to NYC with a cohort of my undergrad peers.

SUNDAY SERVICE:SLOW RIDE

Exhibition Dates: December 9, 2023 - Jan 6, 2024

Location: Munzón Gallery 1730 E Anaheim St. Unit A Long Beach CA 90813

Opening Reception: December 9th 6pm-9pm

La Guadalupana has transcended beyond the Catholic imagery brought over during the colonization of the Americas. She was originally a figure meant to give God the attributes of a maternal figure–  "unconditional love, solidarity, and a never-failing presence at the effective level," (Castillo & J. Rodriguez, 1995, p. 26). However, she has now transformed into a maternal figure for many cholo youth in the Chicano world– seen as a protective image to be carried by "the oppressed, the dispossessed, the outlawed, and the repressed,” (Castillo & L. Rodriguez, 1995, p. 128). For this reason, La Gudalupana and Catholic aesthetics/artistry have made their way into the Chicano world of lowriding. The connections between religious and ritualistic traditions can be seen throughout the lowrider community. Whether it be through the candy-painted, flaked-out rides with religious murals, the lavish interiors that can be compared to the intricate sculptures, stained glass, and murals in Catholic Churches. Even the parallels between cruising on Sunday mornings and going to church on the Sabbath are too striking to ignore. The mere act of building or cruising a lowrider has spiritualistic underpinnings similar to the act of worship. These aesthetic and symbolic elements have only cemented the importance of religious influence within the Chicano world of lowriding. 

In Sunday Service: Slow Ride, Jacqueline Valenzuela has used traditional oil painting techniques, assemblage, and installation works to analyze how Catholic aesthetics, particularly La Guadalupe, have become important themes in the Chicano world of lowriding. Using images of custom lowrider murals that Valenzuela painted over three years and combining them with skill sets she gained while working in the lowrider automotive world, Valenzuela creates pieces that evoke a feeling of worship. The assemblage and installation elements also draw on these skill sets while honing in on the idea of altar building and the performance of a spiritual quest. Overall, Sunday Service: Slow Ride delves into the way in which lowriding has become a place of worship for Valenzuela– where she creates, lives, and breathes within the lowrider world in a ritualistic manner.

What exactly is a tradition? It can be a shared experience established by a family and community to be sustained over time or part of a larger cultural expression, the origins of which may be lost to the past and distant spaces. Either way, our vast Southern California landscape claims many of these traditions as its own. Traditions pays homage to the many familial and cultural facets of our diverse region. This special collaborative exhibition, curated by Thinkspace Projects and Tlaloc Studios, celebrates the many ways we honor heritage, ritual, and family through the artistic expression of working SoCal artists.

Taking part in ’TRADITIONS’ are:

Adrian Armstrong | @adrianarmstrongart

Daniel Antelo | @downtowndaniel

Jimmy Bonks | @jimmy.bonks

Brek | @brushwork

Danie Cansino | @daniecansino

Jonni Cheatwood | @jonni_cheatwood

Giorgiko | @giorgiko.la

Elmer Guevara | @3lmski1

Daniela Garcia Hamilton | @dahnniii

Sydnie Jimenez | @syddd.viciouss

Haylie Jimenez | @_h4yli3

Mario Joyce | @mariojoyceart

Larry Li | @larryli_official

Natalia Lopez | @tatgeo_

Erick Medel | @erick.medel

Mike Meds | @mikemds

Kristy Moreno | @kristy.moreno

Estevan Oriol | @estevanoriol

Jerry Peña | @jerryalexispena

The Perez Bros | @theperezbros

Carlos Ramirez | @c.ramirez2323

Jaklin Romine | @jakioeoeo

Floyd Strickland | @floyd_strickland

Rain Szeto | @rainfsh

Georgina Trevino | @georginatrevino

Jacqueline Valenzuela | @pieldemazapan

Michael Vasquez | @michaelvasquez_

Daisy Velasco | @tinyriot_

Mario Ybarra Jr. | @mario_ybarra_jr

Exhibition showcasing community based artist and the work they are making to represent and push forward their communities.

Blossom brings together photographer Valerie J Bower, artists Emilia Cruz, Tania Lopez, Ana Morales, Ruby Osorio, and Jacqueline Valenzuela.

VALERIE J. BOWER is a Los Angeles based photographer. Her dream-like, monochrome street photography show a softer, feminine point of view on typically masculine themes and subjects. Focusing on BIPOC, she documents various street cultures and everyday life, primarily in Los Angeles. She has also explored the influences of West Coast and lowrider culture in other parts of the U.S., Japan, and Mexico. Her work also includes a collection of self-published books, zines, and other printed items such as letter writing and postcard sets. In 2017, Valerie’s photography book “Homegirls” was archived into the Thomas J. Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. 

EMILIA CRUZ is an artist based in Simi Valley, Ca. She was born in San Diego, Ca, while both of her parents were born and raised in different regions of Mexico. Her artwork pays homage to these roots through her use of bright and vivid color palettes. Many of her paintings celebrate familiar faces and feel as if they are placed in other-wordly settings. 

JACQUELINE VALENZUELA is a multi-media artist whose practice is centered around her experiences as a woman within the Chicano world of lowriding. Her art practice reflects the deep roots she has planted in the lowrider community by bridging the gap between fine art and this underrepresented community. 

TANIA LOPEZ is an aspiring 17 year old artist based in East Los Angeles, CA. Her art practice is acrylic paint on canvas.  Her artwork centers around  East Los Angeles's rich Chicano culture, focusing particularly on vendedores such as eloteras who are constantly criminalized for making a living. Her art aims to bring light to underrepresented Latinx community and celebrate it's beauty. She is of first generation, and pays homage to her parent's heritage, who were both born and raised in Puebla México.

ANA MORALES is an artist living and working in Los Angeles, CA. She completed her BA in Fine Arts from Cal State University Los Angeles in 2014. Her work explores nostalgic memories from her Mexican American upbringing and issues in femininity. Currently she is working on two bodies of work where she is exploring Barbie’s identity and painting Vedettes in Mexican cinema from the 70’s and 80s.

RUBY OSORIO lives and works in Los Angeles, California. Her drawings, paintings, and ceramic sculptures draw from a variety of sources - botanical drawings, photographs, and literary references - in an examination of the relationship between memory and fantasy. Her work has been exhibited locally and internationally in New York, London, Tokyo, Mexico City, Puerto Rico, and Athens, Greece. Solo exhibitions include Story of A Girl ( Who Awakes Far and Away) at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis and Laguna Art Museum, and three solo exhibitions at Cherry and Martin Gallery in Los Angeles.  Her work has been reviewed by Art on Paper,Los Angeles Times and Washington Post among other publications and resides in notable permanent collections such as the Eileen Norton Foundation,  the UBS Art Collection, and the Hammer Museum.

Munzón Gallery  is pleased to present "In the Now," a group exhibition that celebrates painting, drawing, and printmaking that beautifully captures the spirit of our era. The exhibition also marks the one-year anniversary of Munzon Gallery. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, November 4th, from 6-9 pm.

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Featured Artists: 

ABBY ACEVES

CHRIS ESTRADA

EDGAR MARTINEZ

ELIZABETH MUNZON

ESTEFANIA AJCIP

JACQUELINE VALENZUELA

JEREMY UGLOW

JHOANNA MORALES

JOSH VASQUEZ

LUIS RAMOS

MICHAEL TRAN

MIKE ALONSO ALCALA

NOEL RODRIGUEZ

RISSA MARTINEZ

Jardin de Rosas is an evolving, and empowering group show and celebration—on that nurtures and uplifts women creatives while reinforcing the notion that women deserve a dedicated place at the forefront of visual arts.

Exhibit explores home displays for Chicanos and maximalists in US
U. La Verne show includes paintings, assemblage, and installations

(LA VERNE, Calif. – Oct. 6, 2023) An exhibit celebrating eccentric display culture in American life will run from Oct. 31 through Nov. 30, 2023 in the Harris Gallery of Fine Art at the University of La Verne, titled “Cluttercore, Rasquachismo, and the Indelible Need to Display.” It was curated by Rachel Schmid.

In two seemingly different cultural communities, DIY-built displays for curated collections that reflect the lives and stories of their creators compete for breathing room. In both, recycled materials, found objects, and mass-produced kitsch find new meaning when carefully recontextualized as expressions of memory and identity.

Rasquachismo is a life outlook and artistic style originating from the Chicano (Mexican-American) communities of the American south west. Philosophically, it describes the mindset of beautifying from what little resources are available, repurposing everyday objects into new meaning or new life. It is surpassing survival into a thriving collective and placemaking from left overs. Often described as trashy, this aesthetic pairs arbitrary colors with often glorious excess. It could be a private altar in a hallway, a giant mural in an underpass, or an empty butter tub filled with salsa.

While rasquachismo has generations of history and expression, cluttercore is a newly recognized movement, with a basis in maximalist design aesthetics. Reminiscent of cabinets of curiosity, cluttercore’s sentimental interiors present found objects, familial memories, and curated kitsch. Crowded walls surround the creator with literally all the things make them happy.

In both instances, the designs and displays are a presentation of self; they are deeply linked with community and identity. The work in this exhibit touches the intersection of the two styles, visually highlighting their overlaps. Grand Rapid-based artist Mandy Cano Villalobos presents assemblages of mass-produced kitsch that meld pretty with beautiful-grotesque. Melora Garcia sculpts repurposed material into commentaries on familial memory and the dangers of the Anthropocene. Illustrator and designer Julia Emiliani contributes paintings of objects that link personhood representation with the things people cherished. Tessie Salcido Whitmore’s installation is process-based in her methodical collecting of antique materials, combined with pedestals as enduring methods of monumentalization. A still life by Anna Valdez doubles as a vanitas of old but recontextualized as utilitarian plastic and mass production of today is transfigured into objet d’art. Low-rider enthusiast Jacqueline Valenzuela’s art reuses car parts and elevates street culture to large-scale montages out of oil and acrylic.

The gallery is located in the Landis Academic Center at 1950 Third Street, La Verne campus. It is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday or by appointment. For more information please visit https://artsci.laverne.edu/art/exhibition.

Participating Spaces:

After Time Collective (Portland, OR), Altan Klamovka (Prague, Czech Republic), Dinghy Rig (Fort Collins, CO), DUO Contradiction (Stockholm, Sweden), DXIX (Colorado), ETAJ (Bucharest, Romania), Farm & Distillery (Berlin, Germany), Free range (Chicago, IL), Galerie Pluto (Bonn, Germany), Gallery 70 (Tirana, Albania), Gallery Lara (Tokyo, Japan), HilbertRaum (Berlin, Germany), Galique (Gyumri, Armenia), Hyperlink (Denver, CO), MalerinnenNetzWerkm (Berlin, Germany), MPAC (Zurich, Switzerland), The New Museum of Networked Art (Germany), Nulobaz (Tel Aviv,Israel), OHSH Projects (London, UK), OJOMX (Mexico City, MX), Our Neon Foe (Sydney, Australia), Pastor Projects (Tecate, MX), Proyectos Raul Zamudio (NYC), Struggling Art Space (Hong Kong/UK),

Southern California:

515, Art In Room, Artbug, A&T Gallery, AWOL, DMST Atelier, Dorado 806, Durden and Ray, Erect Walls, The Floating Gallery, Gallery ALSO, Idolwild, Junior High LA, LAST Projects, Landmarks of Art (LOA), Lauren Powell Projects, Libertine, Proxy Gallery, MAARLA, The Middle Room, Monte Vista Projects, Munzon Gallery, Nomadic Behavior Studio, OCCCA, Open Mind Art Space, Pio Pico, Prospect Art, Ruth Gallery, S-Gallery, Shallow Bath, S-Gallery, Shit Art Club, Shockboxx Gallery, Studio 203, Tiger Strikes Asteroid, UOOORS Collective, ViCA, Winslow Garage, Wonzimer

I’ll be participating in TRYST with Munzón Gallery (the people’s champ) and displaying a newer mediums sized piece.