News, Beach, Santa Monica

Four Artists For Glow 2013 Celebration Announced

Posted Oct. 5, 2012, 5:15 am

Mitch James / Mirror Contributor

It may be a year away, but organizers of "Glow 2013" today announced the four artists chosen by the Glow curatorial committee to create major works for the Sept. 28, 2013 event.

Between 100,000 and 200,000 visitors are expected to converge on Santa Monica Beach during the course of one night, making it among the largest public art events in the U.S.

Earlier today at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel (Glow partner and sponsor), Mayor Richard Bloom announced the artists selected to create work for the third iteration of the City's signature celebration.

"I am excited to unveil the remarkable artists the Glow curatorial committee chose to create major works," Bloom said. "They represent the vision and engagement for which this event is known."

The artists are:

Janet Echelman builds living, breathing sculpture environments that respond to the forces of nature — wind, water and light — and become inviting focal points for civic life.

Glenn Kaino’s art is consistently expansive, with each body of work exploring new territory, from magic, model kits and comic books to animation and ancient seafaring. His highly sophisticated computer engineering skills and knack for finding superbly skilled collaborators promise to provide Glow a rich and surprising experience.

Victoria Vesna, Ph.D. creates work that can be defined as experimental creative research that resides between disciplines and technologies. With her installations she explores how communication technologies affect collective behavior and how perceptions of identity shift in relation to scientific innovation.

Los Angeles based media artist, Rebeca Méndez, debuts as Glow’s first artist-in-residence, a new component of Glow 2013.

Her participation will be an important new format for Glow and may take the direction of pop-up art events, an online only component, or other concepts all designed to engage the community during the weeks and months leading up to next September.

“I am delighted to be Glow's first artist-in-residence and look forward to exploring the richness and power of the Pacific Ocean as it washes ashore in Santa Monica," Méndez said. "I have had to travel great distances for other artist-in-residence programs, including Iceland, so I am particularly excited to have this opportunity so near my own home.”