The Art Gallery at Golden West College is pleased to present In the Palaces Beneath the Sand, a solo exhibition from multimedia conceptual artist Lorenzo Baker, curated by Jasmine McNeal. In the Palaces Beneath the Sand explores different forms of light and traces the visibility of Black spaces and their effects on universal truths. Through installation, video, ready-made objects, and collage, the exhibition explores the nuances between public and private space. Highlighting aspects of culture, Baker addresses the impact language has on our perceptions of the past, presenting viewers with future identity formations and alternative perspectives of the body. In the Palaces Beneath the Sand Baker obscures interactions with Black spaces, challenging our relationship to themes around site and location. Illuminating how physical space generates experiences in culture, and in return, affects the construction of social and individual truths, Baker’s artworks subvert our understanding of visibility. Tracing Blackness and its historical past, we learn that Black culture is not only immeasurable in a month but exists in a continuum within the spaces we create every day.

There will be an artist talk on February 29 at 4pm over Zoom. Please visit the GWC Art Gallery webpage for details. The Art Gallery at Golden West College serves to engage the college campus and larger community through offering multiple exhibitions and events from a diverse range of professional artists throughout the academic year. The Art Gallery celebrates innovative contemporary art of varying media and themes with a focus on regional artists, especially those working in Orange County. Located in the coastal community of Huntington Beach, also known as “Surf City,” Golden West College is highly regarded for academic quality and innovation. Founded in 1965 as part of the multi-college Coast Community College District, GWC provides enriching and innovative programs that help students: transfer to four-year institutions, earn associate degrees, complete certificates in career and technical education, advance their careers, and demonstrate college readiness.