Essential to the Flourishing of the Human Spirit: Destination: Art Celebrates Its 10 Year Mission
Destination: Art has resolutely built its dream of a diverse and inclusive art space that is a South Bay community hub….and a celebration 10 years in the making takes place on November 16th. What began as an all-volunteer co-op has grown to a thriving business as Destination: Art celebrates its 10th Anniversary.
“Classes and workshops have always been a key part of our community,” remarked founding and current President Margaret Lindsey. “But we quickly pivoted during the Pandemic to online instruction, art exhibitions and receptions to stay connected to our artists, and we succeeded, not just survived.”
“It also became apparent that our artists needed to return to the camaraderie of in-person gatherings as quickly as possible after Covid, and we evolved again. After returning to on-site instruction, we now offer 40 educational programs per year.”
Destination: Art has also pushed its Community Outreach programs well beyond its past efforts. As its Mission Statement explains that art is essential to the flourishing of the human spirit, this Downtown Torrance art space now provides several programs that benefit the entire South Bay.
FRIENDS of Destination: Art is a program offered bi-monthly for young adults on the autism spectrum, in partnership with the Autism Society of Los Angeles. Participants learn about culture, acceptance and making social connections while working on art projects.
Art for Everyone is a half-day workshop for anyone who thinks he or she is not creative or artistic. These small projects teach some basic design principles, build confidence and engage the participants in discussion about their individual creative process.
Creative Conversations is a series of talks by professionals on how creativity can be applied to all walks of life. Speakers have covered music, landscape design, the coffee business, the floral industry, interior design, wellness journaling. The small group discussions capture the sense and understanding of creativity existing in a myriad of organizations.
Tuesday Paint-Ins, where artists work on their own projects with mentoring available, foster a vital sense of community and self-confidence.
There are a minimum of six exhibitions per year in the gallery. Apart from the Associate Artists’ show, all artists are juried and produce a wide array of works in a variety of mediums—from oils to mixed media, and a refreshing breadth of genres.
Solo exhibitions are booked months in advance by non-members or associate members to exhibit their work in the Lounge.
After doubling its footprint in May 2022, there are now 12 studio artists-in-residence, 20 gallery artists, and more than 120 associate artists.
“To continue our success, we will celebrate our 10th Anniversary as a showcase of all our programs that benefit the community,” concludes Lindsey. “We are fundraising with the goal of engaging a development director to lead us to the future, ultimately hiring an executive director.”
For more information on the 10th Anniversary Celebration and Reception, visit www.destination-art.net.
1815 West 213th Street, Suite 135, Torrance CA (310) 742-3192