Originally published at https://www.ci.oceanside.ca.us on May 14, 2019.
Arts and culture are among a community’s greatest assets. The Oceanside Public Library, which directs the Arts Commission, serves the community by promoting literacy, information access, civic engagement, and cultural awareness. Through this work, it has become well versed in bringing people and organizations together to advance arts education and opportunities that make them more equitable and accessible to everyone.
The Library has been involved in most cultural arts events in the city. In 2017, CJ Di Mento, Library Division Manager and staff liaison for Oceanside’s Arts Commission, learned about a pilot program where the California Arts Council would select cultural districts that highlight diversity and unique artistic identities. Di Mento then coalesced four lead partners — the Oceanside Public Library, Oceanside Museum of Art, Main Street Oceanside, and Visit Oceanside — to collaboratively pursue the state’s cultural designation, and to shine light on Oceanside’s eclectic culture and diverse array of arts and cultural assets.
“Oceanside is home to a lot of genuine, hardworking artists, artisans and creatives and the Cultural District designation seemed like a perfect fit,” said Di Mento. “Once we took inventory of all our arts assets, events, and people, the fact was apparent that these elements make up the personality of our community and bring incredible value to Oceanside.”
Oceanside’s Sunset Market and Noche Mexicana Festival
After visiting each finalist and touring the geographic districts, the California Arts Council named Oceanside one of 14 inaugural Cultural Districts and “an emerging cultural coastal town rife with theaters, museums, galleries, and practicing artists.”
Below we take a closer look at two of the notable art assets that beautifully capture the diversity and coastal vibe of the Oceanside CA Cultural District.
Oceanside Museum of Art Showcases Southern California Artists
Oceanside Museum of Art (OMA) is one of the city’s most distinguishing art assets and the only museum of its kind in North County. Located in the epicenter of downtown Oceanside, OMA takes center stage along the rich cultural corridor that stretches from San Diego to Los Angeles. Using national data from Americans for the Arts, it is estimated that OMA’s annual 25,000 visitors (more than half of which come from outside the region) generate half a million dollars for Oceanside’s local economy.
Oceanside Museum of Art and Music at the Museum
The Museum’s first exhibit opened in 1997 in the beautiful and historic Irving J Gill building. A decade later, OMA expanded its footprint from 5,000 to 20,000 square feet which transformed the quaint regional museum into one of significance with three major exhibition spaces and a smaller gallery. Today, OMA rotates 10-to-12 exhibits annually with a focus on Southern California artists and art. It also hosts a series of music events (some free, some ticketed) to introduce the museum to new and different audiences.
For First Friday Art Walk, OMA’s exhibits and gallery is open and free to the public and features live performances by local musicians. With their glass doors opening onto an outdoor terrace with beer, wine, and food available for purchase, the museum blends music, art, and community for an evening that captures Oceanside’s coastal vibe. OMA also partners with local restaurant Pacific 333 for its ticketed Music at the Museum events, which combines live culturally-inspired music with local art, wine, and cuisine.
“The Museum prides itself on being a bit edgy and featuring events that are atypical in a fine art museum,” said Maria Mingalone, Executive Director of OMA and a lead partner for the Oceanside California Cultural District. “OMA does present historical exhibitions that put the history of the Southern California art into context, but we primarily showcase the living artist community and connect it with relevant issues, and we always strive to offer something fresh and a little unexpected.”
OMA’s annual Art After Dark
Every October OMA presents Art After Dark, an adult-only event that is best described as equal parts carnival, vaudeville, and circus. Attendees are encouraged to dress according to the theme and interact with a lineup of creative talent like stilt walkers, fire breathers, trapeze artists, and aerialists. The event offers music, dancing, and drinks and all proceeds from ticket sales support the Museum’s annual programs fund. This year’s Art After Dark will take place Saturday, October 26th from 7–10 p.m.
Oceanside International Film Festival Celebrates Icons of Local Culture
Oceanside Intl Film Festival (OIFF) is North County’s longest-running film festival. It presents independent cinema from around the world and pays tribute to local culture and artists. This year’s event featured creative works from Brazil, France, Spain, and Turkey and recognized films in 13 new categories including best director, best screenplay, and best editing. Now in its ninth year, OIFF is an influencer in the festival circuit having seen many of its alumni go on to receive industry accolades and critical acclaim.
“North Countians always go to San Diego for events. We drive down there for art galleries and restaurants and theatres and concerts,” said Carly Starr, Creative Director for OIFF. “Now North County, Oceanside, in particular, has created vibrant art, music, and festival scenes. San Diegans are finally coming to Oceanside to take advantage of all that we have to offer.”
OIFF premieres a never-before-seen episode of TNT’s
Animal Kingdom
OIFF 2019 presented a series of special events aimed at celebrating the icons of local culture. Opening night rolled out the red carpet for the arrival of film industry guests, followed by the showing of a never-before-seen episode of TNT’s Animal Kingdom. Cast and crew participated in a post-show Q&A where episode director/actor Shawn Hatosy, actor Ben Robson, and writer/producer Daniele Nathanson took questions in front of a sold-out audience. Animal Kingdom was filmed in over 70 locations across Oceanside and from some of the city’s historic landmarks like the Oceanside Pier, The Strand, and the Oceanside Transit Center, making the crime drama a local fan favorite.
OIFF also celebrated legends in the skate and surf culture, Tony Alva and Taylor Steele. The festival debuted the San Diego Premier of The Tony Alva Story which chronicles Alva’s rebellious journey from the streets of Santa Monica to the godfather of modern-day skateboarding. The festival also welcomed surf filmmaker Taylor Steele for a special three-hour event where Steele took fans through stories and scenes spanning his award-winning career.
OIFF has closed its curtains for the year but Oceanside locals will have an opportunity to catch the festival’s films, which will be added to KOCT programming (Cox Channels 18 and 19 and AT&T Channel 99) pending filmmaker approval.
OIFF presents the San Diego debut of
The Tony Alva Story
Oceanside International Film Festival Celebrates Icons of Local Culture
Oceanside is one of only three designated Cultural Districts in San Diego County. Whereas Balboa Park and Barrio Logan have very established Cultural Districts, Oceanside is still emerging in a grassroots sort of way.
A 14-person steering committee comprised of talent from historical and arts organizations, lodging and business, city planning and economic development now focuses on the preservation and growth of the Oceanside California Cultural District. In tandem, the Oceanside Arts Commission has created the city’s first-ever cultural plan with emphasis on city-wide arts and culture activities and providing opportunities wherever people are.
In 2018, Oceanside’s annual visitor spending was $382 million with 16 percent of that spent on arts and culture and museums in the community. For Visit Oceanside’s CEO Leslee Gaul, the Cultural District designation gives her the opportunity to distinguish the city as a destination and brand art assets and cultural events for visitor experience when they come. US Cultural and Tourism Department studies show that 8 out of 10 leisure travelers participate in a cultural event or activity while on vacation. These events are a huge part of the visitor experience and help define Oceanside’s personality and culture.
ALT 949’s INDIE JAM concert at the Seau Amphitheater and Oceanside Pier
“What we have now in Oceanside is more relative to what people want to experience as opposed to that high impact attraction, which is still popular, but more people are seeking that unique and authentic experience,” said Gaul. “If we have cultural assets that impact the quality of life for our locals and help create a sense of community, that is going to attract visitors and businesses. We never want to become a tourist trap. We want to create a destination that is authentic, attractive and sustainable.”
Like many cities across America, Oceanside sees the value in creating cultural spaces, which enables arts and cultural activities and practices that reflect the city’s unique identities and diverse histories, while promoting a sense of place for both locals and visitors alike.