Museum displays 41 works of newly acquired art featuring Keith Haring and Rafael Soriano

LONG BEACH, CA.- The Long Beach Museum of Art debuted 41 newly acquired art works in its latest exhibition entitled Enriching and Engaging – Selected Recent Acquisitions. The exhibition runs from March 7, 2014 – June 15, 2014. Among the artists featured in the exhibition are Keith Haring, Claire Falkenstein, and Rafael Soriano, the renowned Cuban artist whose work Añoranza Idealizada is being displayed for the first time. In addition, the Museum is the first institution in California to have a Soriano artwork in a permanent collection.

The selections are from recent acquisitions to the permanent collection and represent either the work of active Southern California artists or works of art donated by collectors living in Southern California. This selection includes works made between 1967 and 2013 and it features many types of works including sculptures, paintings and lithographs. The two lithographs in the collection were created by Haring and the sculpture is a model of Falkenstein’s Structure and Flow fountain that is the centerpiece of Claire’s at the Museum Restaurant located on the Museum campus. The restaurant is named after the artist as her works nearly surround the exterior of the Elizabeth Milbank Anderson home.

Rafael Soriano (Born 1920 Cidra, Matanzas, Cuba), Añoranza Idealizada, 1992. Oil on canvas. Gift of the Rafael Soriano Foundation 2013.1

Soriano is one of the major Latin American artists of his generation and his family is pleased that one of his pieces is now at the Long Beach Museum of Art. “For us it is thrilling to have a new audience viewing and experiencing his work,” said Hortensia Soriano, daughter of the artist. “The work has a certain ethereal quality that I believe is a perfect fit with such a majestic state as California and that the people in the area will value the beauty of his painting.”

“We are absolutely honored that the Soriano family donated this wonderful piece of art for the Museum’s permanent collection,” said Ron Nelson, executive director of the Long Beach Museum of Art. “We know our members, as well as the general public, will appreciate it and it reflects our commitment to showcasing artists that have made an impact in their respective field.”

A smaller, complementary exhibit entitled Boats and Harbors runs from March 7, 2014 – October 5, 2014. Nearly all of the artworks are from the Museum’s permanent collection and the subject matter of boats and harbors span the time period of the early 1930s to 2010. Many of the artists whose works are presented in this exhibition either worked, lived, or visited Southern California and painted local waterfront and harbor scenes along the coast and in San Pedro.