Long Beach Creative Group Presents Pop Surrealism

The Long Beach Creative Group presents a new group exhibition, Pop Surrealism, which opens April 29 and 30, and continues every Friday through Sunday until the closing on May 27. The show will feature 48 works by 45 local arts in a variety of media. 

According to Wikipedia, “Pop Surrealism, also known as Lowbrow Art, is an underground visual art movement that arose in the Los Angeles, California area in the late 1960s. It is a populist art movement with its cultural roots in underground comix, punk music, tiki culture, graffiti, and hot-rod cultures of the street. It often has a sense of humor – sometimes the humor is gleeful, impish, or sarcastic. Juxtapoz magazine, launched in 1994 by Robert Williams, Greg Escalante, and Eric Swenson, has been a mainstay of writing on lowbrow art and has helped shape and expand the movement.”

To offer a visual idea of Pop Surrealism manifested, Masterclass.com lists five famous surrealist artists which include Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Frida Kahlo, Man Ray, and Max Ernst. 

“Pop Surrealism represents a concerted effort by LBCG to diversify our program offerings,” said Helen Werner Cox, longtime LBCG board member and exhibit coordinator. “We are committed to reaching out to new audiences this year, and provide new, emerging, and established artists with the opportunity to have their work shown in a professional gallery setting.”

There were more than 200 works submitted and, from these, three jurors selected the pieces that are included in the show. Francisco Gutierrez, Stephanie Han, and Mick Victor served as jurors for this exhibition.

“The final collection came from a large cast of voices,” Victor said, “and I got to simply appreciate how well so many of the ideas and images were presented.”

Marka Burns, board president for the LBCG, said, “we were thrilled that so many people responded, and we’re confident that the selected works will represent the diversity of our city.”

This exhibition is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Arts Council for Long Beach, the City of Long Beach, and the ongoing support of the Briggs Family Trust.

During exhibits, the gallery is open to the public Fridays through Sundays, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. No appointment is required.  

Time: 1 to 4 p.m., April 29, 30 to May 27

Cost: Free

Details: LongBeachCreativeGroup.com

Venue: Rod Briggs Gallery, 2221 East Broadway, Long Beach