Museum Revives OsCene

“Overland #7,” by Fran Siegel, colored pencil, ink, and pigment on cut paper and wood, featured in the OsCene exhibit that opens at the Laguna Art Museum on Sunday. It’s been four years since the Laguna Art Museum staged the last OsCene, a much anticipated survey exhibition of what is fresh, exciting or super cool in Orange County art.

First organized and titled by the museum’s former curator, Tyler Stallings, OsCene initially elicited a few snickers, but when the shows opened it was clear that Orange County’s often-belittled art scene was growing up at last.

This year, under the guidance of the current chief curator, Grace Kook-Anderson, the exhibition’s scope broadened to include artists from Long Beach and San Pedro. “Those areas have often been overlooked but they form a bridge between Los Angeles and Orange County,” she said.

She has chosen works by 49 visual artists (painters, sculptors, multi-media and performance artists) and also included 25 filmvideo artists juried in by Keiko Beattie, and she enlisted Ashley Eckenweiler to curate OC’s best music.

While the show was intended to be a bi-annual event, Kook- Anderson sees tri-annual shows in the future in order to allow more artists to emerge and to stave off repetition. To widen her options, she also sidestepped adopting a theme, allowing the works to speak on their individual merits. “The show allowed me to take a close look at artists in the area and also pay homage to Tyler’s vision,” she said.

Exhibiting both skill and curatorial daring, she tests assumptions with OsCene, 2010. For example, while youth might be assumed among emerging artists, entrants range in age from early 20s to notches past middle-age and over half are women. “This is really a multi-generational show. I chose from the best submissions without regard to age, ethnicity or gender,” emphasized Kook-Anderson. However, she expressed disappointment at the lack of ethnic diversity among submitters.

Instead, the show is full of diverse media and ideas. A few highlights:

Local artist Cheryl Ekstrom’s Out on a Limb,” a tattered wedding dress turned into a sculpture and metaphor for marital woe and reconciliation.

James Miller’s small paintings titled “Nexus” and “Blue Horizon No.2” evidence why the 23- year old Laguna College of Art and Design graduate has already caught the eye of collectors.

Also noteworthy are Laguna Beach artist Brad Moore’s photos “Jung Hye Sa, Anaheim, California” and “MS International, Orange, California.” While Moore has exhibited his work nationally and internationally, he said that this is the first showing in his hometown.

The OsCene also offers a couple of innovations: The public can “sponsor” an artist of their choice. $500 will net getting to know the artist and benefiting the museum’s exhibition and education fund. Sponsorship details as well as the artist line-up can be previewed at www.lagunaartmuseum. org

MoblMuseum iPhone, an application designed specifically for OsCene 2010, can be downloaded for free on iPhones and iPod Touches from the Apple App Store. The application will include audio clips, videos and interviews with artists.

The OsCene 2010 opens to the public Sunday, Feb. 21; Kook- Anderson will give a guided tour of her selections at 1 p.m. Tickets can be bought online for the museum reception, 7-10 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 20, $20 online or $25 at the door.