Gwynedd Stuart
There's an infinite number of worthwhile art shows to see in L.A. and its environs between now and early next year — and 70 of those are part of Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA, the Getty's massive Latinx and Latin American art initiative that's taken over institutions throughout Southern California, from Riverside, down to San Diego and out to Palm Springs. Seeing all of it won't be easy, but it's doable. Earlier this month, we published part one of our 14-day agenda for seeing all of PST, which largely covered L.A. proper. You've covered all that ground by now (obviously), so let's venture away from the center of town.
From the South Bay down to San Diego, here are six more days' worth of once-in-a-lifetime art experiences to broaden your horizons. (Exhibits are ticketed unless the listing specifies that they're free.)
Alfadir Luna, El Senor del Maiz, 2012; Credit: Coleccion Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Monterrey
South Bay to Long Beach
Otis College of Art and Design, Ben Maltz Gallery: “Talking to Action: Art, Pedagogy and Activism in the Americas”
Curated by Bill Kelley Jr. with Karen Moss, this exhibit of works by “social practice artists” and art collectives from throughout Central America, South America, Mexico and the United States investigates how Latin American and Latinx people are reacting to subjects such as gender rights, migration, memory and racial violence. Look for art by Liliana Angulo Cortés, Efraín Astorga Garay, BijaRi, Giacomo Castagnola, Cog•nate Collective, Colectivo FUGA and more.
9045 Lincoln Blvd., Westchester; through Dec. 10; free. otis.edu/news/art-activism-americas.
Then head to …
ESMoA: “Hope”
Featuring video and conceptual art, “Hope” examines Cuba's identity and what has made it one of the most exciting places for contemporary art-making, spanning from the 1960s till today.
208 Main St., El Segundo; through Jan. 28; free. esmoa.org/experience/hope.
Then head to …
Torrance Art Museum: “The Cuban Matrix” and “Yoshua Okon: Oracle”
According to TAM's website, El Paquete Semanal is “a weekly terabyte packet of entertainment, downloaded web pages and information that is carried into Cuba, shared and consumed throughout Cuban society.” The exhibit “The Cuban Matrix” studies the phenomenon and the ways in which artists react to the limits placed on the information they can access. “Yoshua Okon: Oracle” is a video installation that centers on the child refugee crisis in Central America.
3320 Civic Center Drive, Torrance; through Nov. 4; free. torranceartmuseum.com/thecubanmatrix.
Then head to …
Angels Gate Cultural Center: “Coastal/Border”
Six SoCal-based artists — Mecca Vazie Andrews, Edgar Fabián Frías, Dany Naierman, Paul Pescador, Jimena Sarno and Sebastian Hernandez — examine the ways in which coastlines act as borders and what that means for Latinx communities.
3601 S. Gaffey St., San Pedro; through Dec. 17; free. angelsgateart.org/gallery/coastalborder.
Then head to …
Museum of Latin American Art: “Relational Undercurrents: Contemporary Art of the Caribbean Archipelago”
MOLAA follows up its terrific retrospective of the life's work of Chicano artist Frank Romero by fixing its gaze on the art of the Caribbean. The exhibit, which features more than 80 artists, is split into four thematic sections — Conceptual Mappings, Perpetual Horizons, Landscape Ecologies and Representational Acts — focused on 21st-century art.
628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach; through Feb. 25. molaa.org/exhibition/relational-undercurrents.
Then head to …
University Art Museum, CSU Long Beach: “David Lamelas: A Life of Their Own”
Argentine conceptual artist David Lamelas became internationally famous at the Venice Biennale of 1968 and in 1976 he moved to L.A. This show showcases the “breadth of his practice — encompassing post-minimalist sculpture, photography and video installations and films — presenting many of his key works in the United States for the first time.”
1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach; through Dec. 10; free. csulb.edu/university-art-museum/exhibitions.
Eugenia Vargas Pereira, Talking Head Transmitters, 2014; Credit: Courtesy of Eugenia Vargas Pereira
Orange County
Muzeo Museum and Cultural Center: “Deconstructing Liberty: A Destiny Manifested”
What do we associate with the American idea of “liberty?” Artists from South America to L.A. question those assumptions through performance, installation, video and photography (Eugenia Vargas Pereira, whose work is seen above, among them).
241 S. Anaheim Blvd., Anaheim; through Oct. 15. muzeo.org/?exhibition=deconstructing-liberty-a-destiny-manifested.
Then head to …
Chapman University: “Emigdio Vasquez and El Proletariado de Aztlan: The Geography of Chicano Murals in Orange County”
Emigdio Vasquez was one of Orange County's most prolific Chicano muralists. This exhibit examines his milieu, in particular the 1979 mural for which the exhibit is named, El Proletariado de Aztlan.
Guggenheim Gallery, 1 University Drive., Orange; through Jan. 5; free. chapman.edu/arts/pacific-standard-time.aspx.
Then head to …
University Art Galleries UC Irvine: “Aztlan to Magulandia: The Journey of Chicano Artist Gilbert 'Magu' Lujan”
Los Four co-founder Gilbert “Magu” Lujan — along with Carlos Almaraz, who has a retrospective on display at LACMA as part of PST: LA/LA — was one of the Chicano art movement's most iconic figures, but this is the first survey of his work. (Lujan's Hooray for Hollywood! mural, located at the Hollywood/Vine Red Line station, was name-dropped in our Best of Los Angeles issue last year.) The artist died in 2011.
712 Arts Plaza, Irvine; through Dec., 16; free. arts.uci.edu/event/aztlan-magulandia-journey-chicano-artist-gilbert-magu-lujan.
Then head to …
Laguna Art Museum: “California Mexicana: Missions to Murals, 1820-1930”
Between 1820 and 1848, California was part of the United States of Mexico. During that time period, and well into the 20th century, there was a rich cross-border modern art scene that produced beautiful, romantic depictions of rancho life in Old California. “California Mexicana” celebrates that history and that heritage.
307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach; Oct. 15-Jan. 14. lagunaartmuseum.org/california-mexicana-missions-to-murals-1820-1930.
Judithe Hernandez, The Purification, 2013; Credit: © 2016 Judithe Hernandez
Inland Cities
Millard Sheets Art Center: “Judithe Hernandez and Patssi Valdez: One Path Two Journeys”
This exhibit traces the histories of two of Los Angeles' most consequential Chicana artists. Both grew up in East L.A. and came of age during the Chicano Rights Movement, and both went on to solo careers that would leave a lasting impact on L.A.'s art world. This exhibit looks at the two artists' more recent works.
Read more here: “15 Female Artists Who've Shaped the L.A. Art Scene”
1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona; through Jan. 28; free. pacificstandardtime.org/en/exhibitions/exhibit/view/Hernandez-Valdez-One-Path.
Then head to …
dA Center for the Arts: “Aztlan: A Sense of Place”
Chicano art figures prominently throughout PST: LA/LA, and this exhibit focuses exclusively on the Chicano art movement and its legacy. Artists include Leigh Adams, Art Carrillo, Jimmy Centeno, Margaret Garcia, Mario Guerrero, Naiche Lujan, Heather McLarty, Cathi Miligan, Frank Romero, Nancy Romero, Marc Salazar, Mario Trillo, Ivan Deavy Zapien and others.
252 Main St., Pomona; Oct. 14-Jan. 28, 2018; free. dacenter.org/exhibitions/atzlan-a-sense-of-place-2017.
Then head to …
American Museum of Ceramic Art: “Kukuli Velarde: Plunder Me, Baby”
When Kukuli Velarde was a little girl in Peru, she became aware of the shame associated with being indigenous via a housekeeper who denied speaking Quecha. In “Plunder Me, Baby” she explores that indigenous heritage and makes it her own by creating ceramics that resemble pre-Columbian works but feature her own likeness.
Read more here: “Four Latinx Artists on Inspiration, Creation and Identity, in Their Own Words”
399 N. Garey Ave., Pomona; through Jan. 28. amoca.org/kukulivelarde.
Then head to …
Pomona College Museum of Art: “Prometheus 2017: Four Artists From Mexico Revisit Orozco”
Mexican muralist José Clemente Orozco’s 1930 fresco Prometheus presides over a dining hall at Pomona College. Four Mexican artists offer their reactions to the important piece — the first mural painted in the United States by a Mexican muralist — including Adela Goldbard, who created a papier-mâché Mexican landscape that she and her team proceeded to burn down.
Read more: “Artist Adela Goldbard and Her Crew Are Building a Mexican Landscape Just to Burn it Down”
330 N. College Ave., Claremont; through Dec. 16; free. pomona.edu/museum/exhibitions/2017/prometheus-2017.
Then head to …
Pitzer College Art Galleries: “Juan Downey: Radiant Nature”
One of two exhibits featuring Juan Downey's interactive sculptures (the other is at LACE in Hollywood).
1050 Mills Ave., Claremont; through Dec. 8; free. pitzer.edu/galleries/juan-downey-radiant-nature.
Then head to …
Scripps College, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery: “Revolution and Ritual: The Photographs of Sara Castrejon, Graciela Iturbide and Tatiana Parcero”
Three Mexican women photographers explore Mexican identity. According to the gallery's website, “While [Sara] Castrejón’s photos portray people under the intense pressure of war, Graciela Iturbide’s images shed light on life in Mexico’s indigenous cultures. Tatiana Parcero takes the medium in yet another direction, creating self-portraits that incorporate spliced images of her body with cosmological maps and Aztec codices.”
251 11th St., Claremont; through Jan. 7; free. rcwg.scrippscollege.edu/blog/2017/08/01/revolution-and-ritual-women-photographers-in-war-and-peace.
Hector Hernandez, Bulca, 2015; Credit: Collection of the artist/Courtesy the artist and UCR ARTSblock
Riverside
UCR ARTSblock: “Mundos Alternos: Art and Science Fiction in the Americas”
Science fiction has produced innumerable utopias and dystopias. In this exhibit, artists from throughout the Americas explore those alternate realities.
3824 Main St., Riverside; through Feb. 4. artsblock.ucr.edu/Exhibition/mundos-alternos.
Riverside Art Museum: “Myth & Mirage: Inland Southern California, Birthplace of the Spanish Colonial Revival”
Architecture buffs will love this look at how the Spanish Colonial Revival style has shaped Southern California for the past 100 years.
3425 Mission Inn Ave., Riverside; through Jan. 28. riversideartmuseum.org/exhibits/pacific-standard-time-lala.
Column at Sunnylands by Los Hermanos Chávez Morado, 1968; Credit: Photo courtesy The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands
Palm Springs
Palm Springs Art Museum: “Kinesthesia: Latin American Kinetic Art, 1954-1969”
More than 50 works by nine artists illuminate the pioneering roles of South American artists in the kinetic art movement of the ’50s and ’60s.
101 N. Museum Drive, Palm Springs; through Jan. 15, 2018. riversideartmuseum.org/exhibits/pacific-standard-time-lala.
Then head to …
Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center: “Albert Frey and Lina Bo Bardi: A Search for Living Architecture”
This exhibit traces the divergent paths of two visionary architects who were part of São Paulo and Southern California's emergence as architectural meccas. Frey immigrated from Switzerland to the United States in 1930 and Bo Bardi immigrated from Italy to Brazil in the 1940s.
300 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; through Jan. 7; free. psmuseum.org/calendar-2/352-albert-frey-and-lina-bo-bardi-a-search-for-living-architecture.
Then head to …
Sunnylands Center & Gardens: “Carved Narrative: Los Hermanos Chávez Morado”
In the 1960s, after a trip to Mexico City, Walter and Leonore Annenberg commissioned Pedro Ramírez Vázquez to carve a column like one they'd seen on their visit. In order to produce a proper replica, Vazquez engaged the Chávez Morado brothers, who created a bronze fountain that depicts the history of Mexico. This exhibit looks at their collaborations and individual studio paintings.
Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; through May 30; free. sunnylands.org/carved-narrative.
Omar Pimienta, Lady Libertad V1, 2007; Credit: © Omar Pimienta
San Diego
Oceanside Museum of Art: “UnDocumenta”
Curated by Alessandra Moctezuma, “UnDocumenta” focuses on art made by collectives and individuals around the San Diego-Tijuana border, highlighting the recent rise in interactive and participatory art.
704 Pier View Way, Oceanside; through Jan. 28. oma-online.org/undocumenta.
Then head to …
University Galleries, University of San Diego: “Xerografia: Copyart in Brazil, 1970-1990”
A very cool look at the ways Brazilian artists experimented with Xerox machines from the ’70s to the ’90s, including printing on metal and wood and making Xeroxed “films.”
5998 Alcala Park, San Diego; through Dec. 16; free. sandiego.edu/galleries/exhibitions/hoehn-family-galleries.
Then head to …
Mingei International Museum: “Art of the Americas: Mesoamerican, Pre-Columbian Art From Mingei's Permanent Collection”
From the Olmec and Maya civilizations in Mexico to the Moche civilization in Peru, this exhibit features ancient objects from the museum's permanent collection.
1439 El Prado, San Diego; through Feb. 18. mingei.org/exhibitions/art-of-the-americas.
Then head to …
San Diego Museum of Art: “Modern Masters from Latin America: The Pérez Simón Collection”
Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo, Fernando Botero, Jose Maria Velasco and Joaquín Torres-García are among the 75 artists whose work is on display in this drawn from one of the world’s foremost private collections, and which spans Latin America, from Mexico to Chile.
1450 El Prado, San Diego; Oct. 21-March 11, 2018. sdmart.org/exhibition/modern-masters-latin-america-perez-simon-collection.
Museum of Photographic Arts: “Point/Counterpoint: Contemporary Mexican Photography”
Mexican photographers including Iñaki Bonillas, Patricia Martín, José Luis Cuevas and Maya Goded exhibit work produced between 2000 and 2015.
1649 El Prado, San Diego; through Feb. 11; suggested donation. mopa.org/exhibitions/pointcounterpoint-contemporary-mexican-photography-2000-2015.
Then head to …
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego: “Memories of Underdevelopment”
Featuring art made between 1960 and 1985, “Memories of Underdevelopment” explores the “unraveling of the utopian promise of modernization” in the post-WWII era, particularly in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela.
1100 Kettner Blvd., San Diego; through Jan. 21. mcasd.org/exhibitions/memories-underdevelopment-art-and-decolonial-turn-latin-america-1960-1985.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.