The Agenda: SF Design Week, Light Sculptures in LA, and a Santa Barbara Gem
Author:Lindsey ShookExhibit
Helen Pashgian is one of a group of LA artists in the ’60s who started experimenting with new materials: fiberglass, resin, plastic, and coated glass. In this ethereal exhibit, Pashgian has taken over the LACMA gallery with 12 molded-acrylic columns. A meditation on material and light, the artist heated and softened large slabs of acrylic, which she then wrapped around wooden molds to harden. The effect is that of floating forms that reflect and refract light. Just like you would with a massive Serra sculpture, you’re encouraged to move around the objects and take in the constant state of flux in these seemingly static objects.
When: Through Sun. 6/29
Where: LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles
Design Extravaganza
This annual weeklong affair is chock full of events for the design-minded. Our picks for your calendar: On June 12, Zinc Details and FormFactorsSF host “Design Inc.: How to Design a Brand” with local designers like Max Gunawa of Lumio and Michael Good of Opus Garten. Don’t miss the opening party on June 13, where you’ll have the chance to hob nob with design industry folks at AirBnB HQ. On June 14, Swissnex presents a panel discussion about what’s next on the frontier of sustainable materials for innovative design. And on June 16, get a studio tour of Gensler’s Harrison Street studios followed by a screening of documentary Sign Painters. Did we mention that there’s a taco bar?
When: Fri. 6/13–Fri. 6/20
Where: Various venues, San Francisco
Studio Talk
Lux Art Institute’s seventh artist-in-residence Beverly Penn talks about her bronze castings of local flora, an experiment that grew from her interest in the dividing line between nature and culture. Tour Penn’s studio and admire her works while you sip on wine at this relaxed reception.
When: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m., Tues. 6/24
Where: Lux Art Institute, 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas
Peter Sarkisian’s Dusted
Show
Video artist and filmmaker Peter Sarkisian gets his due at this intriguing exhibit that forces the viewer to look below the surface. Sarkisian became known for boundary-pushing works such as Dusted (pictured above), a projection of two-dimensional video images onto a three-dimensional cube, with sound added to create an experiential environment. The show also includes a selection of paintings by Peter’s father Paul Sarkisian, a well-known avant-garde artist in ’60s and ’70s LA.
When: Through Sun. 7/27
Where: Orange County Museum of Art, 850 San Clemente Dr., Newport Beach
Tour
Ask any local interior designer about Casa del Herrero, and they’ll tell you it’s one of Montecito’s design gems. The estate, its name translates to “house of the blacksmith,” is one of the best examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in the states. Designed by architect George Washington Smith in 1925 for proprietor George Fox Steedman and his wife, every last detail remains essentially unchanged today. A tour of the grounds and gardens is a bucket list item for every design enthusiast. Advanced reservations are required! Call (805) 565-5653.
When: 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Sat. 6/14 and Sat. 6/21
Where: 1387 East Valley Road, Santa Barbara
Screening
Photographer Jan Staller became famous for his study of urban and industrial landscapes in the Greater New York area from the 1970s through the 1990s. (You’ve no doubt seen his work in The New York Times Magazine, Life, Fortune, and Forbes.) Along with an exhibit spanning 30 years of the photographer’s work, there’s a documentary examining his philosophy and process that’s a must-see before the survey comes to a close this weekend.
When: Through Sat. 6/14
Where: Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla
