Oceanside Museum of Art features David Adey, plus, plus, plus....

 by Patricia Frischer

David Adey

Here is a look at 5 of the 6 exhibitions currently on view of the Oceanside Museum of Art. 

David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies 

This survey show of 25 years of the work of David Adey, curated by the artist and Mark Quint is of interest particularly to see what he has been up to since receiving the SD Art Prize in 2010. It is an impressive gathering for a man who has never really been satisfied with two dimensions. The works ties together nicely with the title Sacrificial Bodies.

Adey uses his own body to map the surface of his skin and in doing so cuts and flattens the images much as a cartography might do. He uses commercial images from fashion magazines to make hearts out of lips,  but also gathers thousands of clips of snake oil sales adverts from the TV to enliven his flower encrusted mannequin. He has even resewn a lamb from the cuts of meat you might buy at the grocery and presents the entire carcass in a freezer. What could be a more sacrificial symbol than a lamb!

At first glance, the wood column that has been shot to within an inch of breaking, the beer bottles turned upside down and made into glasses and the shoes will acrylic heels sealing in his shit might seem like one-off jokes. But they give you a very good look into the mind of the artist who uses his unique way of seeing the world to create his art. The carefully cut out space for a glue gun in the book of Frankenstein, including the cut-out pages) was a favorite…what if the monster was glued together instead of stapled?

Adey gives himself permission to have fun,  be obsessive, craft with infinite care. We wish him another 25 splendid years. 

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey, detail

David Adey

David Adey, detail

David Adey, detail

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey

David Adey, detail

Brothers in Art: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell until Sept 6 

This two-sided exhibition started with a wonderful screen that was made by James Hubbell for the SD Art Prize exhibition  in 2013 at the Athenaeum Art and Music Library in La Jolla. It was a delight to see it again, standing tall and proud. The bright red side with its fabulous hinges and the subtle honeyed wood side with the carved surface and lovely hints of color. This is so representative of the man himself, strong and so kind. This exhibition curated by his son Brennan Hubbell, brings together the two brothers James and Burt Hubbell.  We included here a few close ups of favorites pieces and a video of the mountains. You can read the full report   Hubbell Brothers Reunited at Oceanside Museum of Art Picked RAW Peeled by Lonnie Burstein Hewitt. Photos by Maurice Hewitt, except as noted.

James Hubbell, reverse belwo

James Hubbell

Burt Hubbell's Mountain and James Hubbell's Mountain...both of sculptures by these brothers. 

James Hubbell

Burt Hubbell

Burt Hubbell

Aaron Kramer: Sense of Wonder until August 23

Two things are striking about the show featuring the sculptures of Aaron Kramer. This first was his wonderful sense of space in the solid and still works that you could not touch to animate. These immediately gave you a sense of the serious skills this artist had at his command. They are simple, uncluttered and profound.

The second striking thing was this man’s amazing teaching skills. You can easily imagine him showing the smallest student how you can take a piece of wire and some cardboard and make a toy that will delight you. He would help you to glance around you to find some trash, and help you bring it back to life. Imbuing inanimate objects with motion and emotion, makes them into treasures. That is a lesson, we could all learn. 

Aaron Kramer

Aaron Kramer

Aaron Kramer

Aaron Kramer

Aaron Kramer

Aaron Kramer

Kate Tova: A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind) until Sept 27

During the Covid 19 isolation, Kate Tova made a series of  “glitch” artworks she calls her Flux series. You can see these on the staircase at OMA. These are exciting, explosive views of flora, some on canvas and some cut out and reminding us of the Big Bang theory of evolution. They are an eye-popping rush of color pleasure.  Maybe these works or the pandemic wore her out, as now A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind) comes forth. Field of flowers with relaxing figures are pretty, but the star of this part of the show is the large canvas spilling out onto the floor in three dimensions beckoning us to lie down awhile even though we know we cannot do so. This is strangely not frustrating as it does carry some of the pop of the previous work which is invigorating.  Maybe we don’t all need to rest?

OMA Campaign for Expansion

An additional building to the east of the existing museum, does not just mean more space, it signals the re-imagining of the existing space as well. With less than a million dollars left to raise, the construction is anticipated to begin in early 2027, with a projected public dedication date in spring 2028. Take a look at the scale model, the rendered drawings and especially the video conception of the largest and most important cornerstone for the arts in Oceanside. 

David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies  until Nov 1 2026
Brothers in Art: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell until Sept 6 
Aaron Kramer: Sense of Wonder until August 23
Kate Tova: A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind) until Sept 27
 
Also showing Matrix Multiplied: Hybrid Approaches to Printmaking until August 2

Oceanside Museum of Art
704 Pier View Way, Oceanside, CA 92054
(760) 435-3720
Hours: Wednes to Sun 11:00am–5:00pm. Extended Hours on First Fridays 11:00am–8:00pm

Hunt Slonem: A Decade of Wonder at Madison Gallery in Solana Beach

 by Patricia Frischer

Is Hunt Sonem an expressionist or a pop artist? Do the works deserve their large prices? Do we need to hear stories of his youth and experience of butterflies and bunnies? The answers might not be relevant to you at all, because the sheer joy of the colors and shapes gives such immediate pleasure. At this times of such political turmoil, sometimes you just need this type of escape.

Madison Gallery has often shown Hunt Slonem’s art before, in fact this is the 10^th solo exhibition. There is more than a decade of work on display…about 80 pieces filling the entire gallery space. The landscapes inspired by some of the properties owned by Slonem near New Orleans were lovely additions with their gouged lines showing base colors.

The impressive salon hung wall with a large selection of works including  Lincoln and Churchill gives you an idea of how rich and varied these two decades of support by the Solana Beach gallery has been.  

detail of the work above

Hunt Slonem: A Decade of Wonder
May 2 to June 27, 2026
Madison Gallery
320 South Cedros Ave, Suite 200, Solana Beach, CA 92075
858 523 9155 INFO@MADISONGALLERIES.COM
 Gallery Hours Monday - Saturday, 10-5, Sunday by appointment only

30 Years of Madness at Barrio Glassworks in Carlsbad

by Patricia Frischer

Mad Art Glass is Rina Fehrensen & Michael Madd who for the last 30 years have created series after series of hand-blown forms. They saved back examples of all of these shows and exhibitions and sales and the works on display are a representation of all those years of work. The show 30 Years of Madness at Barrio Glassworks is the current show in the gallery’s building in Carlsbad. Barrio Glasswork also has a hot glass studio, with a series of "make your own" projects,  a full shop and an event space in the front and side porch. (We enjoyed a Tequila tasting from The Bad Stuff, Mariachi band, and some Mexican treats on a lovely Sunday in support of Feeding San Diego). 

With a stable of gallery artists, amazing guest glass masters, and a variety of exhibitions and items for sale, don't miss checking out this special venue just south of Carlsbad Village Road on Roosevelt.   Congratulation to Gary Raskin for creating this special space. 

 

The Shop at Barrio Glassworks

30 Years of Madness
Barrio Glassworks
On view until May 31. 2026
3060 Roosevelt Street, Carlsbad
Gary Raskin 760.696.3288
10:to 6 Tues through Sat, 10 to 5. Sun,  Closed Mon