Oceanside Museum of Art

Irving Gill building on the left, Frederick Fisher building on the right

Ancient Marks: The Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Marking

by Chris Rainier

Institutional Wellbeing: An Olfactory Plan for OMA

Masterpieces of San Diego Painting: 1900-1950

Oceanside Museum of Art is a hidden jewel in North County San Diego, located about half an hour north of San Diego on the coast. It is surprising to many native San Diegans that this museum has been around since 1997, but OMA has an impressive track record of regional exhibitions that highlight the most important artists in San Diego county and Southern California. Artists such as James Hubble, DeLoss McGraw, James Aitchison, Sam Maloof, Karl Benjamin, Millard Sheets, Chris Rainier, Michael C. Gross, Ethel Green, Burton Tysinger, Tim McCormick, and Pamela Jaeger just to name a few. What I find stimulating about the museum is that they are constantly pushing the envelope and exhibiting an eclectic range of art from Conceptual to Lowbrow and California Regionalism.

OMA is housed in side-by-side buildings designed by two of Southern California's most renowned Modernist architects. The classic 1934 Irving Gill building is nestled against the contemporary 2008 Frederick Fisher Central Pavillion creating the perfect union of past and present architecture. I really enjoyed the open and spacious central lobby and the layout of the exhibitions that were on view.

Institutional Wellbeing: An Olfactory Plan for Oceanside Museum of Art was in the Singh Family Gallery. Upon entering the exhibition I could smell a sweet aroma permeating out of the gallery, it was light yet invigorating. The conceptual artist Brian Goeltzenleuchter created a fragrance for the museum that was being distilled out of the ceiling in the mood altering blue meditating room. You really have to experience the room to understand where I am coming from. Overall a sensory stimulating exhibit that paired nicely with the visual overload of Lowbrow Art: Nine San Diego Pop Surrealists that was on view in their Gleason Gallery. Lowbrow Art was a humorous, satirical and philosophical exploration of pop culture. One of my favorite shows I have seen at OMA because the subject matter was so current and fresh, I hope they will do a follow up show in the future.

Don't forget to check out the Parker Gallery upstairs during your visit. I had the opportunity to see Cell Memory by Valentyna Roenko Simpson, an incredible installation of fiber portraits. I hope you will visit OMA soon, surf their website to keep up with their dynamic exhibition schedule http://www.oma-online.org/