As fans of contemporary art, we’ve always been somewhat surprised by its lack of representation in museums. Galleries like Thinkspace Gallery in Culver City, California–one of our personal favorites–often share the exceptional work of artists today, but why not museums? Thankfully, Long Beach Museum of Art and Andrew Hosner of Thinkspace have teamed up, along with Jasper Hong and Pow! Wow!, to bring an extraordinary display of contemporary art to a museum setting.
With its Vitality and Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape exhibit, Long Beach Museum of Art is breaking down barriers, and setting a new trend for museums worldwide. Executive Director, Ronald C. Nelson explains, “An opportunity to present an exhibition such as Vitality and Verve: Transforming the Urban Landscape rarely happens in a museum setting. For this exhibition the museum has, for the first time, bared its walls to show murals and paintings created by some of the top international artists working in their field.”
Scrolling down these images, you will probably recognize some of these artists as they have been featured on this site. Participating artists include: Aaron Horkey, Alex Yanes, Andrew Schoultz, Audrey Kawasaki, Brendan Monroe, Brandon Shigeta, Cryptik, Esao Andrews, Greg ‘Craola’ Simkins, Hot Tea, James Bullough, Jeff Soto, John S. Culqui, Low Bros, Meggs, Nosego, Nychos, Saber, and Tristan Eaton.
According to the museum, the exhibit “examines the current developments in the growing field of urban contemporary art. It will feature site-specific ephemeral murals and multi-media installations by established and emerging cutting-edge artists who will be demonstrating the skilled and nuanced application of their craft.
“Vitality and Verve aims to illuminate the sensory value and powerful practice of these artists as they transform the urban landscape around them. The meticulous renderings, the hyper-realistic imagery and patterns and the gestural strokes assert the diversity in a fully immersive experience.”
Above: James Bullough / Photo by Eugene Kim for My Modern Met
Artwork by James Bullough / Photo by Eugene Kim for My Modern Met
Artwork by Audrey Kawasaki / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Me
Artwork by Esao Andrews / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Jeff Soto / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Alex Yanes / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by C215 / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Photo by Brandon Shigeta and Vincent Ricafort/Pow! Wow! of Kamea Hadar and Reach’s collaboration / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Meggs / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Cryptik / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Andrew Schoultz / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Meggs / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Nosego / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Aaron Horkey / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by DOTS / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Matt Small / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met
Artwork by Hottea / Photo by Eugene Kim of My Modern Met