A Manhattan Beach Memoir: 1945-2015

By Ellie Shalvarjian

Staff Writer

Gary Sweeney, a Manhattan Beach native, makes a nostalgic and magnificent art exhibit that is, not only a riveting ode to his family, but also an astounding documentation of how Manhattan Beach has transformed throughout the years.

The photography exhibit, called A Manhattan Beach Memoir: 1945-2015, involves a compilation of eighty photographs that Sweeney’s father, a self proclaimed amateur photographer, took throughout his childhood. Sweeney chose to do this exhibit as an ode to his childhood home, since he is planning to sell it.

In and outside of his home there are dozens of blown up photographs are plastered onto the walls. Many of the photographs include campaign posters and slogans from when his father ran and became mayor. While Sweeney lives in San Antonio, he still has a strong connection with Manhattan Beach since he grew up in the town.

The photographs are plastered from the very tops to bottoms of his walls, but they are large enough so that the visitor can clearly see every aspect of them. There are some smaller objects that could be difficult to see but they are put closer to the ground so that the viewer could directly walk up and look at them closer.

While a majority of the exhibit is photographs, it also includes relics such as the old 35th street sign, the street the house is located on, as well as old campaign posters. Sweeney is unafraid of El Niño damaging his exhibit since the photographs are printed specially so that it is nearly impossible for them to peel. To get all the objects placed quickly, Sweeney recruited a student from University of Texas San Antonio to help.

The exhibit’s most obvious feature is how personal it is and additionally how much time and effort has gone into creating the exhibit by choosing the certain photographs and making sure the photos fit perfectly in place. There are several small details that makes the exhibit even more personable, such as the sign in the front yard with a photograph of what the house originally looked like when Sweeney’s parents bought it in 1945. The photograph of when it was first bought is an interesting image to make the changes of the house more evident and astounding.

The photographs themselves are nostalgic and fascinating. There are pictures of his father, his mother, campaign slogans from when his father was running for mayor, and photographs of Manhattan Beach when his parents had first moved to the town. These images are extra interesting since they show how much Manhattan Beach has transformed by showing photos of the different stores and places throughout the town.

The only negative aspect of the exhibit was the difficulty to obtain a guided tour. On his website there are no more details on dates, times, and how to get tickets to get into the house. The only way to find out the times to get tours is from other resources.

Overall, “A Manhattan Beach Memoir: 1945-2015” is an awe-inspiring and intricate art exhibit that shows a magnificent display of photographs that demonstrate how much Manhattan Beach has transformed in the last fifty years. As long as the visitor is able to get a guided tour, it is an art exhibit worthy of any resident or visitor’s time.

“A Manhattan Beach Memoir: 1945-2015,” displayed on 320 35th street in Manhattan Beach, opened on Jan. 30th and runs until Feb. 29th. Sweeney provides guided tours every Wednesday from 4-7pm and admission is free.