Upcoming Exhibitions

From September 13 to December 13, 2008, Santa Monica Museum of Art presents three new exhibitions: Martin Kersels: Heavyweight Champion, Project Room I: Henry Taylor: Girrrrrl!, and Project Room II: Bruce Pollock: Circling West.

Martin Kersels: Heavyweight Champion is the first retrospective of this influential and pioneering Southern California artist. Spanning the years from 1994 to 2007, the exhibition includes thirty three multi-media artworks ranging from small sculptures, to large-scale photographs, to monumental installations. Kersels has long been esteemed in Southern California artistic and academic circles, and his work is in many collections worldwide. The advent of Heavyweight Champion marks a timely opportunity for this 2008 Guggenheim Foundation Fellow to enjoy the broader recognition and respect his work and creative achievements so well deserve.

Project Room I: Henry Taylor: Girrrrrl! is the first West Coast museum exhibition of a Southern California artist whose painting practice pointedly and poignantly examines the profound social, political, and racial disparities that persist in the United States. Girrrrrl! is comprised of 4 major new works depicting scenes from Taylor’s personal life and urban community.

Project Room II: Bruce Pollock: Circling West is the artist’s first solo museum exhibition and West Coast debut. Pollock presents a series of seven 24” x 24” abstract oil paintings that are monochromatic explorations of the same subject matter. He also creates an expansive, site-specific wall drawing that is a linear interpretation of the geometric scheme used in the paintings. Both the panoramic and the more compact works reveal the artist’s fascination with mathematical systems and the recurring patterns and forms found in the natural world.

The exhibitions are accompanied by a diverse range of extraordinary programming. All these events are held at SMMoA.

Friday, September 12, 7–9 p.m.;
Members’ Preview from 6–7 p.m.
Opening Reception for
Martin Kersels: Heavyweight Champion

Featuring Puttanesca performing songs from their upcoming CD atop Martin Kersels’ sculpture/stage Rickety: Joe Baiza, guitar; Jacob Cohn, alto sax; Weba Garretson, vocals; Ralph Gorodetsky, bass; and Wayne Griffin, drums. Free admission. RSVP required for Members’ Preview; anna.nickila@smmoa.org; 310.586.6488, ext.116.

Opening Night Workshop
Ages 6 and up
Friday, September 12, 6–8 p.m.

Space is limited. RSVP and pre-payment required: asuka.hisa@smmoa.org or 310.586.6488, ext. 118; 6–7 pm, SMMoA members only: $10; 7–8 pm, General admission: $15.

Emerging Artists Family Workshop:
Willow Weaving
Ages 6 and up
Saturday, September 13, 1–4 p.m.

Weave objects from Danish willow with artist and master weaver Steen Madsen, who collaborated with Martin Kersels in the creation of Dionysian Stage, on view in the exhibition.
Space is limited. RSVP and pre-payment required: asuka.hisa@smmoa.org or 310.586.6488, ext. 118; $20, $15 SMMoA members.

Heavyweight Lecture Musicale
Tuesday, September 23, 7–9 p.m.

When words are not enough… Martin Kersels uses visual material, song, music, and dance to describe his work. Followed by Q&A with the artist.
Free admission.

Exclusively at GRACIE

Drop by SMMoA’s unique shop/storage/installation to see all the newly arrived only at GRACIE clothes, books, bags, puppets, jewelry, and other extraordinary objects inspired by the exhibitions on view.

The Ransom+Scout line of irresistible Italian leather handbags and accessories brings to life an unusual collection of whimsical characters, including Ransom, Scout, Apollo and Truman. Each character has their own clever backstory developed by a noted Hollywood screenwriter.

Another GRACIE exclusive is the dramatic black and white wearable pendant art of the Carol Frederick Collection. Each striking design is framed in polished aluminum and strung on a black leather cord. They come in a variety of geometrical shapes and sizes. A unique blend of art and technology, these lightweight necklaces can be worn individually or in layered multiples.

SMMoA’s Twentieth Anniversary Artist Plate Project is perfect for serving outdoor summer meals. Highlighted in the Los Angeles Times and Juxtapoz Magazine's Style Sheet, this limited edition is available as a set of twelve porcelain plates, each 14 inches in diameter. Each plate is signed and numbered. Original artwork for the Plate Project was contributed by Mark Bradford, Kota Ezawa, Gajin Fujita, Charles Gaines, Joe Goode, Salomón Huerta, Kerry James Marshall, Kim McCarty, Raymond Pettibon, Allen Ruppersberg, Alison Saar, and Álvaro Siza. There are just a few sets left; call 310 586-6488 to secure your set now.

Exciting New Privileges for SMMoA Members!

SMMoA has just been invited to join the select Modern and Contemporary Reciprocal Museum Association. Advanced level SMMoA members will now enjoy reciprocal privileges in an additional tier of participating national institutions, including the Hammer Museum, the Institute for Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, and the New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York. SMMoA members continue to enjoy the exceptional reciprocal privileges of the North American Reciprocal Museums (NARM) program that includes museums such as SITE Santa Fe, The Studio Museum in Harlem, the University of California, Berkeley Art Museum & Pacific Film Archive, and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. To find out more about the benefits of supporting SMMoA, a vibrant small museum that fosters diversity, innovation, and discovery in contemporary art, please contact Anna Nickila, 310 586-6488, ext. 116; anna.nickila@smmoa.org; or visit our membership pages.

Join the team that brings extraordinary contemporary art experiences to Southern California. SMMoA is looking for people who are interested in volunteering at exhibition openings and special events, and working in SMMoA's museum store GRACIE: Shop/Storage/Installation. Please contact Elizabeth at 310 586-6488, ext. 112 to find out more about an exciting range of involvement opportunities.