We were impressed with the Oceanside Museum of Art on our recent visit. Located at 704 Pier View Way in downtown it includes two building, one formerly City Hall and a second eye appealing glass fronted addition, built in 2003.
A look at the Museum's website revealed an exhibition of World War 11 watercolor artists. This was completely new to this Writer who never knew such art existed. But it turned out that in 1943 the U.S., Congress established a Combat Art Program which produced a California styled watercolor art form to depict scenes of life during the U. S. greatest war.
The exhibition at Oceanside is the first of its kind of this little known art much of it forgotten over the years. Some of the artists produced work while very close to the actual fighting. Ed Reep painted while the Anzio beachhead battle raged. Navy artist Standish Backus painted as the 4th Marines landed in Japan at the close of hostilities.
Also present at the time of our visit was an exhibition entitled from ' Page to Screen' featuring the designs of Neville Page used in AVatar as well as Star Trek, Cloverfield, and Piranha. Still another exhibition showed contemporary Native American art forms from the San Diego region entitled "Defying Expectations".
The Oceanside Museum of Art is located at 704 Pier View Way in Oceanside. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday thru Saturday, Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Telephone 760 721-2787 wwwoma-online.org.
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