November 5-15, 2020
LAGUNA BEACH, CA (October 5, 2020) — Laguna Art Museum will present the eight annual Art & Nature, a multidisciplinary exploration of art’s many and various engagements with the natural world, from November 5 through November 15, 2020.
In collaboration with the City of Laguna Beach, the museum has commissioned a work of art for Art & Nature – a site-specific multicolored kinetic installation (a “Skynet”) off Main Beach over Main Beach Park. Entitled Sunset Trace, it will seamlessly weave through the palm trees along the shoreline, traversing sections of the walkways and cliffs between the gazebo and Main Beach in a stunning, windburn display. Sunset Trace will be on view from November 5 through November 15, 2020.
Inspired by the graceful murmuration of birds flocking together, or schools of fish coalescing and moving simultaneously, Patrick Shearn’s signature Skynets are a constant reminder of nature moving around us. Suspended using transparent monofilament netting and rigged inconspicuously, the undulating forms appear to levitate in midair, finessed by the unique wind patterns of each site, revealing unseen natural elements in unusual, dramatic ways
Art & Nature serves a number of purposes: to provide a festival of art and ideas for the community; to inspire artists; to find and develop connections between art and science; to raise awareness of environmental issues; and to celebrate Laguna Beach as a center for the appreciation of art and nature. The museum’s executive director, Malcolm Warner, explains why Laguna Art Museum is the ideal organization to conceive, develop, and present the popular program:
“The theme of Art & Nature speaks particularly to the identity of Laguna Beach, which for over a hundred years has been a center for art, the appreciation of nature, and environmental awareness. In 1929, when the Laguna Beach Art Association built an art gallery to show and sell their work, they chose a commanding location on the coastline close to the natural wonders they loved to paint. The present museum occupies the same site. There could be no more appropriate venue in which to explore the art-nature connection.”
Commissioned Artist
Patrick Shearn is an LA-based artist specializing in larger-than-life, immersive public art installations. The artist’s signature kinetic sculptures, called Skynets, earned him international renown after the debut of Liquid Shard enamored the city of Los Angeles. The installation transformed an underused public square in the heart of downtown into a bustling destination overnight. Shearn has since brought Skynet installations to various locations in the U.S. and abroad where viewers are invariably compelled to slow down and take time to follow the undulating movement of the artworks, which appear to hang in thin air.
Shearn’s expertise in animatronics, robotics and visual effects–gleaned from a 30-year tenure in the film industry as a creature maker and visual effects supervisor–has lent traction to a prolific career as creative director for his studio Poetic Kinetics.
Under Shearn’s guiding vision, Poetic Kinetics has designed, fabricated, and implemented a wide range of projects that encourage audience participation–from interactive projection mapping and pyrotechnics to enormous mobile sculptures. Notably, Poetic Kinetics’ projects both engage the immediate public through interactivity and reach viral notoriety on social media.
Related Programs
Keynote Lecture: On November 6, 2020, artist, designer, and thinker Dan Goods will give the keynote lecture. He is passionate about developing experiences that remind people of the gift and privilege of being alive collaborating on projects around the world. He develops his own projects, is a consultant for the Museum of the Future in Dubai, and for his day job runs a team of creatives called The Studio at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where they transform complex concepts into meaningful stories that can be universally understood. The Studio’s work is seen in public spaces, art museums, and is in outer space. Dan was recently honored with NASA’s Exceptional Public Service Award. In the past he was selected as “One of the most interesting people in Los Angeles” by the LA Weekly. He graduated valedictorian from the graphic design program at Art Center College of Design.
Artist Lecture: On November 7, 2020, artist Patrick Shearn discusses his work, including Sunset Trace, in an online lecture.
Family Festival: LAM offers a day of free admission on November 7, plus an online program including virtual tours, and drawing and book-making workshops for all ages.
About Laguna Art Museum
Laguna Art Museum is the museum of California art. It collects, cares for, and exhibits works of art that were created by California artists or represent the life and history of the state. Through its permanent collection, its special loan exhibitions, its educational programs, and its library and archive, the museum enhances the public’s knowledge and appreciation of California art of all periods and styles, and encourages art-historical scholarship in this field.
Laguna Art Museum stands just steps from the Pacific Ocean in the beautiful city of Laguna Beach. The museum is proud to continue the tradition of the Laguna Beach Art Association, founded in 1918 by the early California artists who fostered a vibrant arts community. The gallery that the association built in 1929 is part of today’s Laguna Art Museum.
Location
Laguna Art Museum is located at 307 Cliff Drive in Laguna Beach, on the corner of Pacific Coast Highway and Cliff Drive.
Hours
Monday - Tuesday, Thursday - Sunday: 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Closed Wednesdays
Closed Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day
Admission
General admission: $7.00
Students (18+) and Seniors (60+): $5.00
Visitors aged 17 and under: FREE
Museum members: FREE
Media Contact: Cody Lee, Director of Communications | 949.494.8971 x211 | clee@lagunaartmuseum.org
307 Cliff Drive at North Coast Hwy.
Laguna Beach,
California
92651