‘Sun, Sand, Surf’ invites fresh look at Palm Beach County coastal life

Artwork featured in “Sun, Sand, Surf,” an exhibition showcasing photographs, paintings, prints and decorated surfboards inspired by South Florida’s coastal culture. [Photo by the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County]

A free Cultural Council for Palm Beach County exhibition will invite Palm Beach County residents to see the familiar local seascapes through the eyes of local artists.

“Sun, Sand, Surf” will bring together photographs, paintings, prints and decorated surfboards from Nov. 6 to Dec. 31 in the council’s William R. and Joyce A. Kruger Family Gallery in downtown Lake Worth Beach.

Jessica Ransom, the council’s director of artist services and the exhibition’s curator, says the coastal theme offers a broad range of possibilities. Some artists take in an entire beach, while others focus on a single shell. Realistic scenes share the theme with abstract interpretations, and sunrises, sunsets and the changing light of the golden hour provide additional inspiration.

Visitors also can expect surfboards embellished with paint and mosaics, adding another dimension to the exhibition’s coastal imagery.

One highlight is the pairing of works by Sarah LaPierre and her late father, Joe LaPierre. After encountering Joe’s work at a studio in Jupiter, Ransom invited Sarah to participate and asked to include her father’s pieces. Visitors will see their individual styles and the father’s influence on the daughter.

“It’s really nice to represent both of them,” Ransom says.

The exhibition also provides a chance to consider the coastline as each generation of artists experienced it.

“Our landscape has changed over the years,” Ransom says. A more recent work might show “a new pier or something that didn’t exist” in an earlier landscape.

Even when changes such as beach erosion are not the painting’s main subject, the image preserves details that viewers can compare.

“We can look back and go, ‘Oh, look how it looked back then,’” Ransom says.

Asked what the exhibition says about Palm Beach County’s relationship with its coastline, Ransom answers with one word: “Reverence.”

“I think that people are in awe, always in awe of the ocean, the power of it, the beauty,” she says. Artists are “making us remember how important it is to take care of it.”

Ransom hopes to include historical panels from the Surfing Florida Museum about surfing in Palm Beach County. The potential collaboration would connect the artwork with a local pastime and introduce visitors to another cultural organization.

For Ransom, the exhibition is an opportunity to show residents the quality and variety of artwork being created close to home. Works for purchase will span a range of prices.

The free opening reception, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., will offer a chance to meet the artists and ask about their techniques and inspiration. Advance registration is requested.

Ransom hopes the experience stays with visitors when they return to the beach.

“I think when you live here, it’s often easy to forget because you see it every day,” she says.

A familiar sunrise or sunset can become part of the daily routine. Her hope is that visitors pause long enough to appreciate it again.

“Sun, Sand, Surf” will be on view at the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County at 601 Lake Ave. from noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. For exhibition details and opening reception registration, visit palmbeachculture.com.