In the Press
Lux Art Institute Re-opens Store Project
ENCINITAS, Calif. — (November 9, 2010) — Lux Art Institute, San Diego’s first LEED certified interactive art destination, will be re-opening the Lux store at its monthly Lux@Night event on Wednesday, November 17, 7-9 p.m.
In its newest state, the store is devoted to items commemorating the museum, such as tote bags, shirts, hats and note cards featuring never-before-seen photos of Lux resident artists at work and images of their most striking creations.
As a special and ongoing feature, the store is also showcasing the artwork of students ages six to sixteen, with a variety of products designed or created by kids who have participated in Lux education programs. This Lux Kids line of products includes decorative pillows and tees screen-printed with student drawings, as well as note cards emblazoned with images of students’ sculptures, paintings and drawings. All proceeds from the sale of Lux Kids items directly support Lux education programs, including camps, classes and the growing Summer Art Camp Scholarship Program.
At the same time, the store project will continue its signature twist of spotlighting the craft of local artists. For this current installation, the store will showcase the work of San Marcos-based sculptor Michael Whiting. Inspired by the connection between early video game graphics and minimalism, Whiting creates image-based steel sculptures that are playful in subject matter but severe in scale and material. Whiting observes that while original video gaming images were simplistic because of lack of technology, minimalist art was reductive by design and intention, and he points out that both movements had “quite opposite intentions with very similar results.” His large-scale sculptures are built from square shapes (or “pixels”) and at first appear abstract, but at a closer look form clever and recognizable representations of familiar objects.
Whiting, a design instructor at MiraCosta College’s Oceanside campus, has created a variety of new work for the Lux store including miniature steel puppies; laser-cut, painted and purposely distressed handheld pieces; and stuffed animals made from vintage fabrics and buttons. Whiting is represented by Edward Cella Art and Architecture in Los Angeles and Plus + Gallery in Denver, and his large-scale public works are installed all over the West Coast.
In its former incarnations, the Lux store project has been known as Specimen, which was a collaboration with gallery owner Mark Quint and artist Adam Belt, and subsequently as J & K Souvenir, Inc., a pop-up shop created by San Diego art stars Jean Lowe and Kim MacConnel.
Lux plans to feature different local artists and products in the store space throughout the year. Store goods will range in price from a few dollars to a few hundred dollars. The Lux store is open during regular visitor hours and at special events.
Lux Art Institute, located in Encinitas, Calif., is redefining the museum experience with the region’s only artist-in-residence program that invites artists to live and work on site, while producing a commissioned work of art – start to finish. This one-of-a-kind institution welcomes visitors to not only “see art,” but also to “see art happen.”
Throughout each year, Lux hosts several significant regional, national and international artists who participate in its residency program. Visitors from across the country are able to participate in exclusive liaison-led tours, providing intimate access to the artist-in-residence, the artist’s exhibition and the museum’s permanent collection of indoor and outdoor art. Lux also offers a wide range of innovative programming for all ages.
The recipient of the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s top design award, the Grand Orchid, and the first art museum in California awarded LEED certification for new construction, Lux is located alongside one of Southern California’s few remaining coastal wetlands. The five-acre site also overlooks the San Elijo Lagoon and is surrounded by a wildlife preserve that stretches to the Pacific Ocean.
Through its Phase II Capital Campaign, Lux plans to add more than 25,000 square feet of galleries and classrooms. Once completed, the new building will also feature a hilltop plaza and a series of gardens climbing between the galleries and the Artist Pavilion.
Lux Art Institute is located at 1550 South El Camino Real in Encinitas, Calif. Hours are Thursday and Friday, 1 to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and cost is $10 for two visits. For more information about donations, memberships, volunteer opportunities and more, visit http://www.luxartinstitute.org or call 760-436-6611.