Thursday, February 27, 2025

Please join us for an artist talk with Julian Tan. He will share a special presentation on his Athenaeum show, End Trances, and how it connects to his career and process. A members-only reception will take place from 5:30–6:00 p.m. The reception for all ticketholders will take place at 6:00 p.m., followed by a lecture at 6:30 p.m.

“The gaze is ours to give, and the journey is ours to take.”—Chat GPT analyzing End Trances

For his exhibition End Trances, Los Angeles–based painter Julian Tan has created a body of work centered on a blinding, mysterious light in the sky and humans’ moments of wonder, panic, and solace as they witness it. In creating these paintings, Tan was thinking about recent trends including the use of AI in art making, the vastness of knowledge at our fingertips in a world dominated by instant information, public fascination with unidentified aerial phenomena, and a pervasive sense of being at the precipice of something—whether the end of the world or a cultural shift we have yet to understand as a society. The unknown light offers us all a glimpse of our own humanity, a sublime focal point in each work that remains open to interpretation.

Julian’s work reflects his personal experiences and his fascination with the intersection of history, politics, and cultural change. As a second-generation Chinese American, the tension of not fully belonging has given him a unique perspective, one that informs his exploration of identity, culture, and the way people navigate a rapidly changing world. His paintings aim to capture the present while reflecting on the past and imagining the future, offering a lens through which viewers can connect with shared experiences and universal questions.

In his BFA studies at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, Tan immersed himself in foundational principles of design, art history, and critical theory, setting the stage for a serious pursuit of painting and a life as an artist. While the program introduced him to conceptual thinking and problem-solving, it was the painters in the program and the drawing classes that left the biggest impression on him.

He went on to earn an MFA at the University of California, Davis, dedicating himself to refining his techniques and developing an original visual language. Tan spent most of his time at UC Davis deeply immersed in understanding and creating abstract painting and sculpture. While he loved earnestly creating and looking at abstraction, he began questioning whether it could express the ideas he wanted to communicate. This challenge led him to rethink his approach and focus on work that carried more personal and cultural meaning. Painting became a way for him to say things he felt couldn’t be said with words. Now, working from his own studio, Tan is propelled by questions of the future, universal truths, and a desire to create works that capture a “mirror’s gaze of the near future.” Alongside his wife and dogs, Oso and Sumi, he continues his search for expression that resonates with universal truths about the human experience.

JOAN & IRWIN JACOBS
MUSIC ROOM
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library
1008 Wall Street
La Jolla, CA 92037

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

LECTURE BEGINS AT 6:30 PM.
MEMBERS-ONLY RECEPTION FROM 5:30–6:00 PM.
GENERAL RECEPTION AT 6:00 PM.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS:
Free for members / $20 nonmember / $5 student

Online ticket sales are subject to ticketing fees.

Saturday, March 1, 2025

Please join us for an artist talk with Ana María Herrera. She will share a special presentation on her Athenaeum show, Layered Memories, and how it connects to her career and process. A members-only reception will take place from 5:30–6:00 p.m. The reception for all ticketholders will take place at 6:00 p.m., followed by a lecture at 6:30 p.m.

Experience an intimate evening with Ana María Herrera, the renowned multidisciplinary artist behind Layered Memories, currently on exhibit at the Athenaeum Art Center. In her artist talk, Herrera will discuss her history and creative process, sharing how her identity as a Mexican-born American artist and community advocate informs her assemblages and creative process.  

Through mediums like painting, photography, woodworking, and sewing, Herrera’s work captures the cultural dynamics of life along the U.S.-Mexico border, exploring themes of resilience, empowerment, and connection. This is an opportunity to hear directly from the artist about the inspirations and stories behind her pieces.  

ATHENAEUM ART CENTER
1955 Julian Avenue
San Diego, CA 92113

CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS

LECTURE BEGINS AT 6:30 PM.
MEMBERS-ONLY RECEPTION FROM 5:30–6:00 PM.
GENERAL RECEPTION AT 6:00 PM.

INDIVIDUAL TICKETS:
Free for members / $20 nonmember / $5 students and residents in the Athenaeum Art Center’s neighborhood 

Online ticket sales are subject to ticketing fees.