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

Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency at Space 4 Art @ Art Produce Gallery

 by Patricia Frischer

Marcos Ramirez ERRE: (translation)
Someday the anvil, tired of being an anvil, will become a hammer

Disruption, resistance, and social change are concepts that many of us have had since protesting against the Viet Nam war. Did we think this would still be necessary in 2026? Hell no, but  here we are, again and again. 

As one of the artists in this show, Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency  curated by Alessandra Moctezuma, I will not presume to speak for the others, but in my artists statement I share:

“In this series, I have taken the  traditional paper doll—part of my childhood play, but also an idealized identity—as a vehicle for political expression. Each hand-cut figure carries a protest banner or is connected to a feminist or political slogan . This  transforms these fragile, easily torn and  intimate objects into a public  presence. I like that this represents a collective strength while still being essentially girly. I have always believed that repeated images gain validity. Yes, they are decorative and nostalgic but they are also a quiet act of resistance.  My small  images when put all together can carry powerful demands for change.

Our lives are being constantly reshaped by our memories. My tears will be mixed with the paint for these paper dolls and they will always have a personal meaning for me, probably not applicable to anyone else. But that authenticity seems key to me. We wear these little fragile selves which are irreplaceable because they somehow hold great meaning.”

I am proud to show alongside these artists who care so deeply. We are all calling out for some action, no matter how small. Doing nothing is not now an option. 

Other artists on view in the exhibition include: Electronic Disturbance Theater (EDT), Terri Hughes-Oelrich,  Nick McPherson (Nicholas Danger), and Teresa Mill. Thanks to Space 4 Art in partnership with Art Produce for presenting this opportunity for artist to express themselves and especially to Katie Ruiz, program associate for Space 4 Art.  

Michelle Montjoy

Michelle Montjoy

Doris Bittar

Doris Bittar

Katie Ruiz

Jennifer de Poyen

Cameron York

Nicole Gonzalez

Linda Litteral

Claudia Biezunski-Rodriguez (Sew Loka)

Patricia Frischer

Patricia Frischer

Patricia Frischer's series Paper Doll Insurrection
with special appearance by
Katie Ruiz and curator Alessandra Moctezuma

A very artistic spread of food for the opening - because an army marches on its stomach.

Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency
Curated by Alessandra Moctezuma
Art Produce Gallery
Presented by: Space 4 Art in partnership with Art Produce
On view until  May 14, 2026
Artist Panel Discussion: May 14 from  6-8 p.m.
3139 University Ave., San Diego
Gallery Hours: Fridays 1-7 p.m.; Saturdays 12-6 p.m.; or by appointment

Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the Museum of Contemporary Art in La Jolla

by Patricia Frischer 

Ebony G. Patterson

What makes this a must-see exhibition is that Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean and Alicia Keys have a home in La Jolla and although only a small part of the collection is in the house, about 10% of the 1000 art works they own i.e. 140 pieces by 40 artists,  are on display in our own Museum of Contemporary Art Museum. This is the only west coast venue for the show that started in Brooklyn, New York and has now been at five venues. We expect lots of Los Angeles art lovers will be visiting before the end of the exhibition August 9^th.

Keys and Dean have been married since 2010 and the collection was founded in 2014. This is not just a family collection, but it is a cultural platform because of the ethics that they bring to their acquiring practice.   If they sell a work, a portion of the sales goes back to the artist. If the artist wants to borrow any of the works from the collection, they are immediately granted that right. Artists have often stayed in one of their homes, been invited to dine and generally supported. In the music world, royalties are a regular part of the income of the creator, so they recognized that does not happen in the visual art world. They want their collection to be a legacy for their artists  and a legacy for their blended family as well. 

Yes, they focus on Black contemporary art and artists from the diaspora, but their strategy is to look at the art first, not the color or the price tag. The show is titled Giants fittingly because there are a large number of very large works in the show. Sometimes, you have to be large to be heard as we all know. There are giants of the art world including for example : Jean-Michel Basquiat, Nick Cave, Gordon Parks, Ebony G. Patterson, Mickalene Thomas, and Kehinde Wiley just to name a very few. But the concept is to encourage giant ideas, giant conversations, giant audiences, and to encourage everyone to be their own giant selves. Keys and Dean are giant collectors and they want to encourage black collectors to collect artists of color.

Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys is organized by Kimberli Gant, the Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, and Indira A. Abiskaroon, the Curatorial Assistant of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, where the exhibition debuted. The coordinating curator for the exhibition at MCASD is Associate Curator, Amy Crum. There is an Official Exhibition Playlist. Do take the time to see the video interview of the Keys and Dean on the lower level of the exhibition near the elevator. A similar interview* is included below, but seeing the big screen for this giant exhibition is worthwhile. 

We highly recommend this exhibition and suggest you take a leaf out of the Dean's book and have a "Just Because" viewing party and go with friends. 

Ebony G. Patterson

Amy Sherald

Gerald Moreles

A piano used by Alicia Keys early in her career

Gordon Parks

Kehinde Wiley

Esther Mahlangu

Jean-Michel Basquiat

 

Deborah Roberts

Deborah Roberts

Frida Orupabo

Tschabalala Self

Barkley L. Hendricks

Kwame Brathwaite

Nick Cave

Nick Cave

Deana Lawson

Hassan Hajjaj

Mickalene Thomas

Derrick Adams

                                                 

Derrick Adams

Nina Chanel Abney

Titus Kaphar

Meleko Mokgosi 

Meleko Mokgosi 

Arthur Jafa

Other artist in this exhibition: Radcliffe Bailey, Ernie Barnes,  Jarvis Boyland, Jordan Casteel,  Jerome Lagarrigue,  Odili Donald Odita, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Zohra Opoku,  Jamel Shabazz,  Malick Sidibé, Lorna Simpson, Sanlé Sory, Vaughn Spann, Henry Taylor, Hank Willis Thomas, Qualeasha Wood, Kennedy Yanko and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye.  

Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean and Alicia Keys

*

A variation of the video in the exhibition created by the Brooklyn Museum

Hometown Heroes  includes artists recently acquired by Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz. Pimental and Cruz were discovered at the Por Vida coffee shop in Barrio Logan by Chata who exposed the Dean and Keys to their work. 

Chata

MJ Pimentel

Arthur Cruz

Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
Hometown Heroes
On View until August 9
Museum of Contemporary Arts San Diego
700 Prospect St., La Jolla, CA 92037
Thursday—Saturday: 11AM—7PM, Sunday: 11AM—5PM