Surf Art: Exploring Southern California’s Coastal Culture

Two museums. One Epic exhibit.

A dual exhibition Surf Art: Exploring Southern California’s Coastal Culture between the California Surf Museum and the Oceanside Museum of Art is now on view. Featuring over 60 artists—both next-gen and industry giants—the exhibit explores art that has emerged from the surf lifestyle.

“Surfing is part of a defining identity of California’s image and has had an indelible effect on global society,” says Jim Kempton, Executive Director of the California Surf Museum and co-curator. “Everyone who has experienced the feeling of riding a wave understands just how hard it is to describe that incredible sensation, referred to as ‘stoke.’”

The current intersection of surf and art, however, extends far beyond art documenting life. Both have stretched to encompass each other and the areas of popular culture, fashion, and other commercial applications.

Artists who surf may take this creative energy in many directions and may explore subjects outside of surfing and surf culture. From traditional art making methods to works in resin, murals, surfboards, graphic art, sculpture, or fabric, the work conveys the creative power that all artists experience, on or off the wave.

“A large-scale exhibition on this subject is an exciting avenue to explore,” says OMA’s Executive Director and co-curator Maria Mingalone. “It illuminates a vibrant sector of our artistic community and has an appeal to a wide audience.”