Finishing School Filming on Saturday, December 4, 2010

As many of you know, we are currently filming a movie for our CA Biennial project (www.54thefilm.com). On Saturday, December 4, 2010 we will need your help!

We are shooting an important exterior crowd scene at dusk. We are asking folks to come around 3pm. Also, please wear white (or light) clothes without patterns, images, or visible logos. We will provide additional costuming. No experience is required and you won't have lines to recite! We will meet outside at the museum entrance.

Visit our Facebook Event Page for further details. Hope to see you! 

Finishing School's "54"

Finishing School, www.54thefilm.com , website

For the 2010 California Biennial, Finishing School will begin production of 54, their new participatory film project. The project explores the complex socio-economic, and political landscape of biennials - using the invitation to participate in one biennial as an opportunity to critique the very model through the critical dramatizing of another biennial. It is Finishing School's intention that the final version of 54 be presented as an official artwork in a third biennial. 54 employs relevant biennial histories and narratives, investigates the role of biennial audience as participants, and speculates about the impact biennials have on culture.

The film blends narrative, cinema vèrité, and improvised experimental cinematic styles. Intervention, homage, appropriation, and collaboration are important tactics in the making of the film. Described by FS as "absurdly complex" 54 is a multi-faceted project without traditional boundaries between the process of making the film, the completed film, and the interactive installation where it will be presented as a completed project. 54 is Finishing School's most ambitious project to date, both conceptually, and geographically.

Visitors to the CA Biennial are encouraged to participate in scenes filmed at the museum and surrounding locations scheduled during the course of the exhibition. Additionally, visitors are invited to meet them in Italy where they will also be filming in and around the Venice Biennale in June 2011. Please visit the project website for more information about the trip.

Visit  www.54thefilm.com for more information. 

Greetings from the Nationwide Museum Mascot Project and OCMAscot

It was great fun meeting and greeting you [over opening weekend]. We think it is very swell to be promoting and cheering for OCMA and the 2010 California Biennial. The OCMA staff and biennial artists have made it so easy for us to do our job. Congratulations to all for a super-duper exhibition!

Some of the highlights of [opening] weekend include finally getting to see people use and enjoy the Glofitti Room (thanks to Albert, Matt, Steve and John, et al.); doing the OCMAscot boogie for Finishing School’s new film ‘54’; getting photographed with OCMA’s Board President; watching curator Sarah Bancroft cut-a-rug; and people-watching inside the mascot costume. We gave lots of hugs, especially to serious people in suits (OCMAscot has a soft spot for them). A couple of kids and adults even volunteered to wear OCMAscot and made great mascots-in-training. We hope more people will be up for the challenge. We also grooved to Juan Capistrano’s music on Sunday. Most of all, we really enjoyed meeting all the Biennial artists—a very nice bunch of people.

Big props to Carlee Fernandez for her endurance and commitment to her very cool piece. Also, thanks to Steve Wilson for the moonlight walk and the great music and light show that ended in a beautiful blaze of glory (thanks N.B.P.D.) And finally, congratulations to all artists from NWMMP’s hometown of San Diego.

The business park that houses OCMA is very pleasant. We’ve been waving to passersby in vehicles on San Clemente Drive. People have been very friendly by waving back to us and honking. We hope it helps them notice the museum better!

On another note, we are looking to record some OCMA inspired theme songs.  If there are any musicians, sound artists, or music lovers out there that would be interested in this, please let us know– nationwidemuseummascotproject@gmail.com.

Please stay tuned for us at OCMA Free Second Sundays and other events from now through March. You may even see us in the greater OC and Los Angeles area.

Go OCMA and Go 2010 California Biennial!

xxoo,

NWMMP and OCMAscot ©

2010 California Biennial Opening Weekend

On October 23–24, 2010, the Orange County Museum of Art welcomed supporters, members, and friends to the opening weekend of the highly anitipated 2010 California Biennial. Saturday night's members' reception included live performances by Biennial artists Agitprop, Brian Dick, Carlee Fernandez, Finishing School, Flora Wiegmann and Juan Capistran. Sunday's public opening activities included a curator's talk by Sarah Bancroft, meet & greet opportunities with Biennial artists, and various performances throughout the day. Thank you to all who attended! (All photography by ColinYoung-Wolff.com)




OCMA Director Dennis Szakacs, Deutsche Bank curator Liz Christensen,
Biennial Curator Sarah Bancroft, and OCMA Board President Craig Wells



2010 California Biennial artists with curator Sarah Bancroft



Biennail artist Barry MacGregor Johnston and Curator Sarah Bancroft



Biennial artist Brian Dick and collaborator Christen Sperry-Garcia

Biennial artists Ed Giardina of Finishing School and Carlee Fernandez

Biennial artists Rebecca Goldfarb, Andy Ralph, OCMA's Albert Lopez,
Alathea Reese, Charie Adey and Biennial artist David Adey

Biennial artist Patrick Wilson (far right)




 

Biennial artist Flora Wiegmann performance

Biennial artist Wu Tsang (2nd from right) and friends

Biennial artist Agitprop (right) and his mobile interview cart

Biennial artist Luke Butler (right)

Biennial artist Juan Capistran

Biennial artists Finishing School within their installation "54"



Actress China Chow and OCMAscot




Biennial artist Nate Boyce (right) and friends on the Orange Court



Welcome to the OCMA 2010 California Biennial Blog!

The Orange County Museum of Art is pleased to present the 2010 California Biennial on view through March 13, 2011. The only exhibition of its kind in California, the California Biennial brings together a large cross-section of the State’s most innovative contemporary visual artists. The Biennial continues the Orange County Museum of Art’s four-decade long history of presenting new developments in California art. In 2008, the museum presented works by more than 50 artists and, for the first time, incorporated off-site projects with collaborating venues from Tijuana to Northern California.

Earlier this year, Biennial curator Sarah Bancroft invited 45 artists and collaborative groups to participate in this year’s exhibition. Bancroft visited more than 100 studios throughout the state and discovered an extremely diverse array of practices that include painting and drawing, film and video, installation, performance and dance, photography, sculpture, and sound and text-based work. The artworks engage through politics, representation and abstraction, identity and social practice, humor and play, and performance and audience participation; all hallmarks of art in the 21st century.

The Biennial exhibitions are highly anticipated by art enthusiasts and the art world. In addition to approximately 150 works of art and installations on display, the museum will also serve as the site for approximately 30 programs and performances that will appeal to diverse interests and continue OCMA’s history of presenting new developments in contemporary art. Visit http://www.ocma.net/ for details.

The 2010 California Biennial promises to be similarly full of artists, energy, accomplishments, and surprises. Stay tuned for updates, events, and new entries by participating artists.

2010 California Biennial Artists:
David Adey, Agitprop, Gil Blank, Nate Boyce, Luke Butler, Juan Capistran, Zoe Crosher, Brian Dick, Dru Donovan, Mari Eastman, Electronic Disturbance Theater/b.a.n.g. lab, Carlee Fernandez, Finishing School, Eve Fowler, Rebecca Goldfarb, Katy Grannan, Alexandra Grant, Sherin Guirguis, Drew Heitzler, Violet Hopkins, Alex Israel, Glenna Jennings, Barry MacGregor Johnston, Vishal Jugdeo, Stanya Kahn, Andy Kolar, Jennifer Locke, Los Angeles Urban Rangers, Tom Mueske, Tucker Nichols, Camilo Ontiveros, Nikki Pressley, Andy Ralph, Will Rogan, Paul Schiek, Taravat Talepasand, Wu Tsang, Zlatan Vukosavljevic, Nina Waisman, Flora Wiegmann, Allison Wiese, Lisa Williamson, David Wilson, Patrick Wilson, John Zurier.

The 2010 California Biennial is organized by the Orange County Museum of Art and curated by Sarah Bancroft, OCMA curator.
The exhibition is sponsored by Deutsche Bank.
Major support for the California Biennial catalogue is provided by the Segerstrom Foundation Additional support for the exhibition is provided by Barbara and Victor L. Klein, Toby Devan Lewis, Moira and Fred Kamgar, and the Nimoy Foundation
Media support is provided by The Armory Show, X-TRA and KPCC 89.3 and OC Weekly
A fully-illustrated catalogue published by the Orange County Museum of Art accompanies this exhibition, pre-sale orders available through the Museum Store (949) 759-1122 Ext. 242.