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September 25, 2006
Elsa Longhauser, Executive Director and Curator, and Lisa Melandri, Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Programs, Santa Monica Museum of Art, 8-11-06
Founded in 1984, the Santa Monica Museum of Art creates dynamic exhibitions of contemporary art in all mediums and across disciplines, complemented by outstanding educational programs for people of all ages. The only non-collecting museum in Southern California, SMMoA devotes its exhibition spaces—the main gallery and two Project Rooms—to exploring and advancing the work of contemporary local, national, and international artists whose unique bodies of work merit sustained inquiry and recognition. SMMoA diversifies its artistic vision by inviting distinguished guest curators to organize selected exhibitions. Opened in 1988, the museum’s exhibitions and programs celebrate the innovative perspectives of artists who profoundly influence contemporary art and culture.
The museum’s programs cultivate dialogue among diverse communities and increase accessibility for under-served audiences. SMMoA is a longtime participant in the Getty Multicultural Internship Program, which provides funded internships for students. The museum has won three International Association of Art Critics awards and been praised by the National Endowment for the Arts for “the clarity of the organization’s institutional goals; the high quality, interesting and provocative programming; and the museum’s ability to reach into, and beyond, the communities served by the major museums and other artists’ spaces in the Los Angeles area.” The California Arts Council lauded the museum as “a model organization programming at a level much higher than organizations with greater resources.”
Elsa Longhauser has guided the Santa Monica Museum of Art as Executive Director since her appointment in June 2000. Her curatorial vision is complemented by a wealth of art historical and administrative expertise, and a dedication to creating local, national, and international exhibitions and programs that provide audiences with a deeper awareness of contemporary art issues and ideas. With a focus on rigorous scholarship, the highest museum standards, and a commitment to contextualizing the contemporary art experience across historical and national boundaries, Ms. Longhauser’s leadership has transformed SMMoA into one of the core museums “doing the heavy lifting” (LA Times) in Southern California and into a preeminent kunsthalle respected by arts professionals in the United States and abroad.
Since arriving at SMMoa, Ms. Longhauser has organized an array of pivotal exhibitions, including VALIE EXPORT: OB/DC+CON(STRUCTION); The Book Show; Raymond Pettibon 1978-2001; Cavepainting: Peter Doig, Chris Ofili, and Laura Owens; Alfred Jensen: Concordance; Fred Wilson: Objects and Installations, 1979-2000; Dark Places, created in collaboration with guest curator Joshua Decter with installation design by servo; Álvaro Siza/Architect: Drawings, Models, Photographs, created in collaboration with the Pritzker Prize-winning architect; and an upcoming site-specific installation by world-renowned artist Michael Asher.
Lisa Melandri is Deputy Director for Exhibitions and Programs at the Santa Monica Museum of Art (SMMoA), where she organizes exhibitions and manages oversight of the museum’s infrastructure and exhibition/education program. She is curator for the upcoming exhibitions Enigma Variations: Philip Guston and Giorgio de Chirico, (September 2006 with co-curator Michael Taylor, Philadelphia Museum of Art) and William Pope.L: Garden of Earthly Delights (September 2007), and organized the exhibition Rosamond Purcell: Two Rooms (2003), which is still touring nationally. Ms. Melandri also curates the Project Series at SMMoA, where she has featured the work of such artists as Mariella Bettineschi, Abby Donovan, Mark Dutcher, Kota Ezawa, Roger Herman, Virgil Marti, Adrian Meraz, and Hugh Pocock.
Posted by David Lemberg at September 25, 2006 09:08 PM Return to ARTSCAPE home page