Tempestad with the Schoolhouse and the Bus

February 27, 2018 by adamuseum

In an age where politics play a key role in social and economic turmoil, activists strive to increase a sense of awareness of the consequences of government decisions. This awareness spreads in several ways, such as culture, writing, research, and in this case, forms of art. Through the comparative analysis of the film, Tempestad, and the exhibition of the Schoolhouse and the Bus, I hope to convey the urgency of ramifications that stem from the social dichotomy in society. Tempestad, […]

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Comparison of Chris Burden’s Urban Lights and Valeska Soares’ Vaga Lume

February 27, 2018 by adamuseum

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) recently purchased Vaga Lume (2007), by Valeska Soares. Made up of numerous fine chains attached to light bulbs, the artwork evokes a similar feeling and experience to Urban Light installation (2008), by Chris Burden, at Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Urban Light, a sculpture by Chris Burden, features 202 restored antique street lamps, ranging from 20 to 30 feet in height. It has become an iconic Los Angeles attraction. Set on […]

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Art and Politics

February 27, 2018 by adamuseum

In the exhibition, The Schoolhouse and The Bus we see how Pablo Helguera and Suzanne Lacy address issues that are very prevalent today. Given our current political situation, our country is very divided, giving the appearance of deep cultural difference, when in reality, there are great similarities to our everyday experiences. Helguera’s view on Panamericanism is vital in our current political and social climate. We must exemplify how The School of Panamerican Unrest relates to our daily lives. In The […]

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Santa Barbara Fall Exhibitions: Sentiment and Resilience

February 27, 2018 by adamuseum

In front of the long, thin chains hang from the ceiling, each connected to a lightbulb above. There’s hesitation as the museum visitors wonder if they’re really allowed to touch them. Once one person does, the rest follow, clicking on and clicking off the bulbs, forming patterns of light on the ceiling above. Within moments, giggles ensue. People stand within the long chains, causing them to ripple, crash into others, bending, twirling, spinning as lights flicker and photographs ensue. The […]

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Re-examining the Scope of the Canon: The Different Portrayals of the Age of Contact

February 27, 2018 by adamuseum

The “Age of Contact” was a period in the 18th century when the Spanish first began to interact with the Native people of California; this time period can also be identified as the Mission period. From September 27 to December 8, 2017, two different museums in Santa Barbara displayed artifacts from this time period, when the Spanish initially interacted with the Chumash, but tell two very different narratives. The Santa Barbara Mission’s permanent exhibition highlights the historical narrative of the […]

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Reflecting on the Connection Between Art and Economics

February 26, 2018 by adamuseum

Pursuing a double major in Art History and Economics, I am often asked why I am interested in such two different areas. The intuitive answer is “Because I love both of them.” However, I began to wonder, is there a connection between art and economics? Art often seems abstruse, vague, and intangible — it is a form of creativity, a value of beauty, a consummation of dreams. In contrast, economics appears pragmatic, based on monetary values, as well as calculation […]

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The Artist’s Role in Social Change

February 26, 2018 by adamuseum

Socially engaged art could change the way we view political discourse. An exhibit on “The School of Panamerican Unrest” by Pablo Helguera was recently featured at the AD&A Museum at UC Santa Barbara, as a part of the “Pacific Standard Time: LA/LA” show. The artwork is visually comprised of a tent-like yellow schoolhouse with a bell hanging at the top. The material of the work, though, is not visual – it is human interaction. “The School of Panamerican Unrest” was […]

Categories: contemporary art

Still We Rise: A Movement Forward

February 13, 2018 by adamuseum

In response to recent events, the AD&A Museum and UCSB’s Theater and Dance Department’s, Professor Monique Meunier, hosted Still We Rise, an artistic accumulation of Professor Rick Benjamin’s poems, scenes from Professor Risa Brainin’s Staging the Daffy Dame, and Prof. Meunier’s own choreography and music selections. The event successfully displayed a poignant and artistic social commentary on the negative sentiments directed to immigration and DACA.  DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allows minors entering the country to remain safe […]

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Museum Fest: Opening the doors of the AD&A

June 14, 2017 by adamuseum

Technology is revolutionizing every aspect of life and its influence has, year-by-year, trickled into the perpetually churning mechanisms of Museums. No longer entrenched in its former educational stigma, Museums are emerging as highly interactive and inclusive receptacles for innumerable forms of culture. Current developments in society present an inversion of the past idea of the function of museums, symbolised through our evolving use of these institutions. Even in the relative past of the last generation, people would visit museums for […]

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