Far–Sited: Sculpture Symposia 1965/2015
The Intersection of Industry, Art, and Innovation

Conservation 2013 – 2015
Exhibition September 7 – December 13, 2015
Conference October 16 – 18, 2015

In 2015, the University Art Museum, California State University, Long Beach will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the International Sculpture Symposium, held on the campus of California State University, Long Beach. The first of its kind in the United States, the symposium partnered an international cadre of artists with local companies to create innovative sculptures using industrial materials and new technologies. The sculptures formed the core of the University Art Museum monumental sculpture collection located throughout the CSULB campus.

Paramount Steel, Bethlehem Steel Shipyard, Fellows and Stewart shipyard, North American (El Toro), and North American (Downey) were among the companies that participated in this groundbreaking partnership. Extolled by the New York Times, Los Angeles, Magazine, Art and Architecture, Sunset, Canadian Art, Westways, Art in America, and Fortune, the symposium brought remarkable artwork to Southern California.

Today the sculpture collection is an integral aspect of the CSULB campus known for its modernist architecture and showcase landscaping. Since 1965, the collection has grown to twenty-two works.

We are celebrating this anniversary in three ways:

• An exhibition exploring the history of the symposium and the work of the artists who installed their work on campus (September 7 – December 12, 2015).

• A conference examining art in the public realm, the future of the practice integrating new ideas and technologies. (October 16 – 18, 2015)

• A conservation initiative treating a select group of works in the university collection, preserving a legacy of modernist architecture and sculpture.

We invite you to join us in this series of events honoring the extraordinary people who had an incredible vision linking art, technology, and industry. We have attached levels of sponsorship and encourage you to call us to discuss your involvement. We are looking forward to sharing our excitement about this project with you.

Far-Sited: Conservation

It is the nature of outdoor sculpture to suffer the abuses of time, wear and tear, and the environment. Thanks to a recent survey by Conservator Rosa Lowinger, we have identified and prioritized our sculpture collection’s need for conservation treatment. The treatments range from simple cleaning, to resurfacing, to deeper structural modifications. As part of the anniversary celebration, our goal is to raise enough funds to provide the needed treatment to all twenty-one works in the collection. For more information about contribution opportunities, click here.

Far-Sited: The Exhibition (September 7 – December 13, 2015)

The exhibition will celebrate the artists and industry partners that participated in the CSULB International Sculpture Symposium of 1965. Visitors will have an insider’s look at original artists sketches, photographs of the construction process, personal letters, and other ephemera of one of the first US sculpture symposiums of its kind. The archive, never on display before, will explore the behind-the-scenes dynamics of what it took to actualize this historical event. For more information about contribution opportunities, click here.

Far–Sited: Art in the Public Realm–New Technologies and Practices (October 16 – 18, 2015)

Art in the public realm—parks, streets, subway corridors, bus stops, and public buildings—has changed rapidly in the past two decades from a monumental sculpture placed on a corporate plaza to performance, technology or social service-based work. This evolution has created challenges that reflect issues affecting the entire arts community. Cross-disciplinary panels including architects, artists, historians, engineers, futurists, technocrats, musicians, environmentalists, business leaders, scientists, conservators, and philosophers will examine future trends

Two-hour panels offer the opportunity for speakers and audience to engage in provocative and in-depth conversations; special events and long breaks provide those personal moments of networking; and keynote speakers enlarge the discussion from regional to international concerns. For more information about contribution opportunities, click here.

A Legacy of Innovation

Tearing down walls has become a tradition at the University Art Museum. We have removed barriers between new technology and traditional visual art media; between campus audiences and our regional community; and between passive entertainment and interactive engagement. From the first International Sculpture Symposium in the United States (1965) to the 2008 5D Conference examining technology and narrative media to the 2012 sound installation by Lou Reed, an icon in rock ‘n roll history, the UAM has brought new art and new ideas to the region.

Tearing Down Walls and Creating New Access We have worked hard to eliminate barriers in our programming. Now it is time to look at physical barriers and welcome our campus and community friends with a new entrance. Thanks to elegant conceptual designs by nationally renowned architect Fred Fisher, we have an exciting site plan, which tears down the wall hiding the doors into the museum and provides a plaza that will become a new hub of student and community activity. The entrance plan resolves several existing issues:

• Visibility: With a wall in front of the entrance and no permanent signage, the hundreds of students walking from the parking lots to their classes don’t know that the museum exists. Located in the middle of campus, finding the museum is a challenge for outside visitors. The planned open plaza and readily visible front entrance will welcome visitors with an inviting setting that complements the exhibited contemporary art projects.

• Engagement: The plaza surrounding the new entrance will provide a space for student activities including concerts, performances, receptions, and, of course, museum programs. As they explore activities on campus, community visitors can also enjoy the plaza activities from formal performances to simple people watching.

• Community Bridge: The museum serves as a bridge between the campus and the community. The visible entrance with an open plaza will allow visitors who are unfamiliar with campus to readily locate the museum. In addition, the plaza offers a space that can be used for receptions, donor events, and community activities. In close proximity to the Carpenter Center, the pyramid, and the Japanese garden, the plaza serves as an outdoor cultural hub on campus.

For information about contribution opportunities, please click here.