By Megan Sullivan
Assistant Circulation Editor
Each South Bay city has a landmark that sets it apart from the others; for Manhattan Beach it’s the pier, for Hermosa Beach it’s the Tim Kelly Statue and for El Segundo it is the smoke stacks, and now art.
Experience 27: Elsegundissimo is the newest exhibit at the El Segundo Museum of Art. It aims to portray the city of El Segundo through its diverse sample of pieces. The exhibit is intriguing, interactive and extremely creative, which ultimately makes it enjoyable to all viewers.
To see more photos of the exhibit, click here.
Elsegundissimo features 68 works from a multitude of different local artists who submitted works they feel encapsulate El Segundo. ESMoA began collecting feedback from El Segundo residents about what would help improve their city and from those suggestions, artists produced solutions by creating sculptures, photographs, paintings, and other pieces.
Viewers are now able to explore all of the works at ESMoA and can vote for their favorite pieces in hopes that eventually they become permanent installations to the city. The exhibit aims to beautify El Segundo and encourage a sense of community amongst artists and other residents.
The exhibit includes a huge variety of medias including photographs, paintings, sculptures, videos and maps, which keeps the viewer interested in the diverse artwork. Since the exhibit does not showcase only one aspect of art, there is a piece that appeals to all interests.
There are also a wide variety of colors, textures and subject matters featured in the exhibit. These aspects immerse the viewer in the exhibit because every wall is covered with artwork or lights or painted in bright colors. Some walls contain floral patterns or fur, which is intriguing and unconventional for an art exhibit.
Although there is a vast amount of subject matter discussed throughout the exhibit, every piece relates back to El Segundo, which keeps the viewer’s focus on community. Many of the pieces reference well-known buildings or areas in El Segundo, such as the water tower or smoke stacks. These references help to show the viewer how the artists connect to the community, creating a common bond between the artists and viewers.
Link: El Segundo City Council will ultimately vote to install the best piece of the exhibit.
The exhibit is also extremely interactive and easy to follow. There are iPads throughout the room that have information about each artist and the specific pieces, giving the viewer background to each work. Understanding the piece’s background helps the viewer better appreciate the exhibit as a whole. In addition, viewers were given the opportunity to vote for their favorite piece, which gives the exhibit a long lasting purpose.
Due to the large amount of works featured in the exhibit, it can be overwhelming for the viewers when they first enter the exhibit. Many of the pieces are placed next to one another, which makes it difficult to see where a work begins and ends. However, after a few minutes of exploring, the viewer can begin to better understand the works.
Link: ESMoA is a creative space in El Segundo that encourages the sharing of local artwork.
Elsegundissimo is an extremely fun, creative and refreshing exhibit due to its variety of artists and medias and its strong tie to the El Segundo community. It exceeds expectations by also creating a strong sense of connection between artists and viewers.
Experience 27: Elsegundissimo opened on March 5 and will remain open until May 21. Once the exhibit closes, ESMoA will take the most voted for pieces and submit them to City Council in hopes of them becoming permanent works throughout El Segundo.
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