The first time I went to Long Beach thirty years ago, the only thing I know about the city was that it was the home of the Queen Mary. But since then, I discovered two museums there and they became the main reason for my trips to Long Beach.
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) celebrates its twentieth anniversary with the largest and most comprehensive exhibition of its permanent collection. When the museum opened in 1996, it was the brainchild of Dr. Robert Gumbiner (1923-2009) - a physician as well as an art collector and philanthropist, who acquired what once was a roller skating ring and transformed it into the museum galleries.
Through his numerous visits to Mexico, Central and South America, Dr. Gumbiner became enamored with modern and contemporary Latin American art. But initially, he was drawn to figurative works. The large drawing of a voluptuous female nude with a mirror by Fernando Botero is a perfect example of Dr. Gumbiner's early collecting.
But since then, the museum collection not only grew in size, but became much more diverse in terms of style and medium. Seeing the black-and-white photograph (Osvaldo Salas, 1960) of Ernest Hemingway chatting with Fidel Castro, one becomes aware of how much the scope of the museum's collection has widened.
The sculptural drawing by Francisco Morales, executed using graphite on a shifting wood panel, is a perfect example of the sense of adventure that now defines the Museum of Latin American Art. MOLAA's recent accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums comes as a well-deserved affirmation in celebration of its twentieth anniversary.
The Long Beach Museum of Art, which has been around since the '50s, has a new and particularly diverse exhibition, "Vitality and Verve: In the Third Dimension" showcasing works by up-and-coming street artists, muralists, and other contemporary artists "placing an emphasis on their unique sculptural and installation practices". Upon entering the room-sized mixed media installation by Aaron de la Cruz, one finds themselves happily lost in the colorful vortex of sculptures and wall paintings.
In another gallery, a large-scale installation by Craig Barker (Channel 3 only, 2016) brings together wood panel paintings, light boxes, chairs, televisions... you name it. The exuberant spirit of this work reminded me of the burst of energy I usually get from a shot of vodka.
And speaking of getting drunk and being particularly happy --that was my impression of the darkened gallery with Aaron Li-Hill's photographic images on the walls reflected in pools of water on the floor. Take a look at the image of this installation and decide for yourself if it's the end of the world as we know it -- or the possibility of a new beginning.
To learn about Edward's Fine Art of Art Collecting Classes, please visit his website. You can also read The New York Times article about his classes here, or an Artillery Magazine article about Edward and his classes here.
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Edward Goldman is an art critic and the host of Art Talk, a program on art and culture for NPR affiliate KCRW 89.9 FM. To listen to the complete show and hear Edward's charming Russian accent, click here.