LAGUNA BEACH, CA.- Laguna Art Museum is presenting Black and White: Contemporary Art from the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation on view July 2 through October 9. Curated by Foundation Director Billie Milam Weisman, the special exhibition features 30 artworks from the Foundation created by artists living and working in California across different generations.

“We’re pleased to partner with the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation and Billie Milam Weisman on this special exhibition, showcasing a unique variety of works from modern and contemporary California artists,” said Julie Perlin Lee, Executive Director of Laguna Art Museum. “The exhibition will celebrate Mr. Weisman’s legacy and passion for the arts, as well as our mission of presenting California art.”

Each of the 30 artworks featured in Black and White will demonstrate a diverse array of artistic approaches, materials and techniques used by Southern California-based artists over the past half century. The exhibition is a cross-section of works from the Foundation by artists who draw attention to black and white—as palate and, in some cases, as theme. Funding for Black and White has been provided by the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation. Additional funding has been generously provided by Angel and Tom Papa and the Joan B. Rehnborg Exhibition Fund.

“Frederick R. Weisman would say that when you are fortunate enough to be able to collect art, you have a responsibility, not only to the artists but also to share their works with the public. The Foundation would like to thank the Laguna Art Museum for the opportunity to bring a sample of our collection to their community,” said Billie Milam Weisman, Director and President of the Frederick R. Weisman Art and Philanthropic Foundations. “The theme of this selection of works is variations on black and white as used by a diverse selection of California artists. Especially in California, the effects of sunlight greatly influence artists in the creation of their work, with black being the absorption of light and white reflecting it. Each of us sees color differently, and while the powerful contrast of a black and white palette creates visual drama, monochromatic works utilizing varying shades of gray or sepia may be more deeply engaging. This exhibition features artists who have explored the formal, conceptual, and technical possibilities of black and white, monochromatic, and ‘in-between’ shades.”

Billie Milam Weisman is the Director and President of the Frederick R. Weisman Art and Philanthropic Foundations. She was born in Minnesota and raised in Los Angeles, as was her late husband, Frederick R. Weisman. For over nine years during Mr. Weisman’s lifetime, Billie worked closely together with her husband to acquire works for the Frederick R. Weisman collections, as well as to foster and expand the activities of the Foundations. Today, she continues to carry on the legacy of her husband’s art and philanthropic endeavors.

Billie received her Masters of Arts degree in Art History with honors at the University of California Los Angeles, followed by a post-graduate internship in art conservation at the Fogg Art Museum at Harvard University. She was Senior Art Conservator at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, as well as Conservator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the Getty Museum. In addition, she had her own art conservation and consulting business. She has traveled internationally with exhibitions and lectured in conjunction with exhibitions and professional meetings.