Current Exhibition Current Exhibition
Let Me Fix You a Plate Let Me Fix You a Plate
April 18 - June 29 , 2025
In Let Me Fix You a Plate, Keith Magruder invites us to gather around the table not just for a meal, but for a conversation about history, memory, and the power of storytelling. Inspired by the lessons passed down from his grandmother stories often absent from mainstream history Magruder reflects on the ways knowledge is shared within families and communities.
Central to this exhibition is the dining table, a domestic space where food becomes a metaphor for culture, heritage, and the resilience of Black communities. Magruder considers Manhattan Beach’s own history through the lens of Bruce’s Beach, a once-thriving Black-owned resort seized from the Bruce family in the 1920s. This exhibition serves as both a celebration of Black prosperity and a meditation on the Black Renaissance honoring the past while envisioning a future of renewal and success.
Employing trompe-l'œil techniques with paper and watercolor, Magruder recreates everyday objects with striking realism, evoking nostalgia and the warmth of home. Butterflies, delicately incorporated throughout the installation, symbolize both ancestors and migration—drawing parallels between the movement of species, the influence of food, and the global diaspora of Black people.
Through this immersive installation, Magruder offers a space for reflection and reconnection, reminding us that history is not just recorded in textbooks but passed from hand to hand, from plate to plate.
Workshops with Keith Magruder Limited Spaces Left!
Watercolor Workshop w/ Keith Magruder
Discover the versatility of watercolor in this hands-on workshop with artist Keith Magruder. Designed for all skill levels, this class focuses on using affordable, easily accessible paints and paper to create beautiful works of art. Keith will introduce fundamental watercolor techniques such as layering, blending, and creating texture, all while exploring storytelling through color and composition. Whether you ' re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this workshop will help you gain confidence and develop your unique painting style without the need for expensive materials. All Materials included!
2:00pm-5:00pm Ages 13+ #45998
Saturday, June 7
10:00am-1:00pm Ages 18+ #45996
Saturday, June 7
Gallery Tours Gallery Tours
Do you want to learn about our current exhibition through the guidance of our amazing Gallery Attendants? The Manhattan Beach Art Center is proud to start hosting guided gallery tours of our current exhibition on Wednesday nights and Thursday afternoons and evenings. Tours will run until Thursday, June 26th at 3pm.
Each tour will lead you through the ga or background information about the artist, their work, or the installation of the piece. After the tour, there will be ample time for you to create your own pieces in the Education Space with the guidance of a Gallery Attendant.
Tours are free! Please RSVP below.
Wednesday Night Tours
Wednesday, May 7 -June 25
7:00pm - 8:00pm
RSVP Here
Thursday Tours
Thursday, May 8 - June 26
1:00pm - 2:00pm RSVP Here 7:00pm-8:00PM
RESIDENTS – MAY 19 NONRESIDENTS- JUNE
DIGITAL DRAWING #45478
Adults
July 7 - Sept 8 Mon 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
INTRO TO OIL PAINTING #45489
Adults
July 9 - Sept 10, 2025 Wed 6:30PM - 9:30PM
INTRO TO CHARCOAL #45488
Adults
July 10- Sept 11, 2025 Thurs 6:30PM
FOUNDATIONS DRAWING #45479
Adults
Jul 11- Sept 12, 2025 Fri 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
FOUNDATIONS PAINTING #45479
Adults
Jul 11 - Sept 12, 2025 Fri 12:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Summer Camp Registration Now Open!
With summer right around the corner, get your little artist’s plans sorted for camp today! Allow them to gain hands-on basic pottery learning experience at our Kid’s Clay Intensive camp. Or, join us for Art Lab Camp where your artist will focus on a different creative process or material everyday.
Art Lab Camp
2:00PM-5:00PM Ages 5 but less than 11 June 23-26 #44447 2:00PM-5:00PM Ages 5 but less than 11 July 7-10 #44448 2:00PM-5:00PM Ages 5 but less than 11 August 4-7 #44449 2:00PM-5:00PM Ages 5 but less than 11
June 16-19 #44446
August 11-14 #44450 2:00PM-5:00PM Ages 5 but less than 11
Kid’s Clay Intensive Camp
June 16-20
#40589 9:00am-Noon Ages 8-14
June 23-27 #45090 9:00am-Noon Ages 8-14 July 7-11 #40591 9:00am-Noon Ages 8-14 August 4-8 #40592 9:00am-Noon Ages 8-14 August 11-15 #40593 9:00am-Noon Ages 8-14
Upcoming Silver Metal Clay Pendants Workshops
with Chris Brooks
Ages 18+
Saturday, May 31 #45223 9:30am-3:30pm
Ages 18+
Saturday, August 2nd #45498 9:30am-3:30pm
In these workshops, beginning and returning students will learn several ways to set a 8mm stone in a large faceted stone in silver clay. This small class offers plenty of individual attention in an intimate setting. Fee includes all materials and the use of all tools.
Please bring your own lunch, and glasses for detailed work if you need them. Firing will be done offsite and you will pick up your pieces at the Art Center. The class is located at the Manhattan Beach Art Center.