“Golden State” by Martin Vielma
Curator Sally Key, a graphic design student at CSULB, will be debuting an ambitious first show at Sababa Restaurant and Lounge on Friday, November 30. The restaurant, located inside of the Long Beach Marketplace on PCH, will host an exhibition featuring seven different local artists as well as an opening-night battle between four Long Beach DJs.
“I had a thought to start [curating] before I graduated,” Key said, adding that her minor in Business Entrepreneurship showed her the importance of getting as much experience as possible before being thrown to the wolves of the job world.
The group art show, which does not have an official name, will feature all local Long Beach artists–almost all of them from CSULB. Among the artists will be Michael Nannery who is getting his MFA in print making, photography by Martin Vielma and flash art, which is reminiscent of classic American-tattoo style, by Christina Platis. The variety was important to Key.
“This show is a great opportunity for Long Beach art collectors to see some of the new up and coming work from the next generation of artists,” she said. “All of these artists have great careers ahead of them and as a community it is huge for all of us to come to celebrate them as they are really working towards where they want to be.”
Sababa Restaurant and Lounge will be starting the show at 7PM early diners can come and view the art installations, but can also stick around for the Battle of the DJs that starts at 9:30PM. “It’s a perfect spot to do what we’re doing,” Key says of Sababa. “There’s something for everyone, if you want to come in early and have a nice dinner, or if you want to come late for the DJs and drinks.”
What drives Key is also her desire to help the Long Beach art scene become more popular. “There’s a lot of cool stuff but no one knows about it,” she says. For her first group show, Key has pulled in fantastic Long Beach talent, from all different styles, the variety being what makes it so unique. “That’s what’s cool about the Long Beach arts.” And while this is Key’s first group show, she says it is especially important to her because all of the featured artists are her colleagues.
Even though curating is something Key is focusing on,
“I’m not in a huge hurry to open my own gallery, because that could be a disaster if I don’t know what I’m doing,” she admits. Key will also be having a show at Gallery Expo in Bixby Knolls on December 7 for First Friday and an official opening on December 8.
Sababa Restaurant and Lounge is located at 6527 East Pacific Coast Highway.
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