FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – May 30, 2013
WHAT: Main Galleries – Kustom Kulture II
WHERE: Huntington Beach Art Center – 538 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
WHEN: July 13 August 31, 2013
OPENING RECEPTION: July 13, 7-9 pm
PHONE: 714.374.1650
GENERAL INFO: www.HuntingtonBeachArtCenter.org 714.374.1650
MEDIA CONTACT: The ACE Agency, Ashley@theaceagency.com 949.285.9239
Huntington Beach Art Center Presents Kustom Kulture II
An exploration of motorcycle, car and surf culture curated by C.R. Stecyk and Paul Frank
[Huntington Beach, Calif.] – The Huntington Beach Art Center is pleased to present Kustom Kulture II, a twenty year anniversary tribute to the original exhibition presented at the Laguna Art Museum in 1993. KKII is being curated by surf historian C.R. Stecyk, a conceptual artist whose work is in the Smithsonian, MOCA and Laguna Art Museum. He is also known for his work with Dog Town and the Z Boys. Co-curating is artist and designer Paul Frank, creator of Julius the Monkey and Park La Fun, a clothing and accessories brand based in Los Angeles, CA. Stecyk was a curator on the original Kustom Kulture and a young Paul Frank was then in attendance, later claiming to be influenced by Big Daddy Roth and other artists in the show. The exhibition will explore a contemporary look at Kustom motorcycle, car and surf culture, with related art in all its manifestations. This exhibit coincides with the Vans 2013 US Open of Surfing in Huntington Beach. The summer¹s biggest youth culture festival, the Vans US Open of Surfing returns July 20 28 with 2013 marking the 20th anniversary of the prestigious surf contest, and 54 years of consistent, competitive surfing at the iconic Huntington Beach Pier.
The original Kustom Kulture exhibition was seen as a breakthrough, introducing edgy, skill driven creations into museums and leading to a new aesthetic and direction in the art world. The exhibition spawned a host of publications including Juxtapoz, High Fructose, and BLISSS! paving the way for exhibitions such as Don Ed Hardy’s Eye Tattooed America, Beautiful Losers, MOCA¹s Art in the Streets and MOMA’s Tim Burton retrospective.
Kustom Kulture II celebrates the original exhibit and expands its reach more deeply into other aspects of pop culture not covered in the first exhibit such as the cartoon art of Basil Wolverton, the influential importance of Margaret Keane, the visionary work of Stanislav Szukalski, the Kustoms of George Barris, video clips from popular TV shows back in the day such as Leave It To Beaver, The Munsters, Adams Family and others. Also Included this time is recognizing the impact of surfing and surf related art on southern California and the tie in with the City of Huntington Beach, Surf City, USA.
The exhibition has been graciously sponsored by youth culture brand Vans, who is also the title sponsor of the US Open of Surfing for 2013. The nine-day event attracts crowds of upwards of one million people and showcases a 10-acre interactive festival featuring more than 100 exhibits, autograph signings, concerts, guest emcees and prize giveaways. Live webcast and information is available on www.usopenofsurfing.com.
The Huntington Beach Art Center is a public/private partnership between the City of Huntington Beach and the Huntington Beach Art Center Foundation. During its 17 years of operation, the Art Center has achieved a regional and national reputation for featuring the work of emerging artists from all backgrounds and viewpoints. For more information on exhibitions, programs, and gallery hours please call the Art Center at 714.374.1650 or visit the website.
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HBAC MISSION – The Huntington Beach Art Center is a community arts and cultural center serving Huntington Beach and the Southern California region. The Center presents the works of artists producing in all media. Through exhibitions, performances, film/video screenings, lectures and educational programming, the HBAC serves to advance public awareness and understanding of cultural, historic, and contemporary perspectives. The HBAC creates opportunities for local, regional and national artists and the community to share in a climate of experimentation, education and experience.
