Carolyn Campagna Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum — Attraction in Long Beach

This museum apparently has a very good arts administration program for students. How do I know this? Several years ago, I chanced upon the museum at a fortuitous time: 1) Lou Reed, who had recently died, I believe, had a sonic/accoustic sort of sound room that I was able to enter with with a pal who is a retired Hollywood sound engineer; 2) Babette Mangolte, who has done some camera work for, among others, Jean Pierre Gorin and, I believe, Chantal Akerman, was not only hung--her work, folks, not her....--but also supported by the aforementioned museum administrators in training, who handed out white gloves that had to be used to finger Ms. Mangolte's work. O.K. That was a bit much for me. And the best of her nude NYC art happenings photography work from the seventies as photography at that particular exhibit is not my favorite homage to Marcel DuChamp's 'Nude Descending a Staircase.' But guess what? Mangolte's work was well placed. It was not only right around the corner from the Lou Reed sound cave, but also near some interesting photographs of places in or near decay. There was a haunting photograph of a piano of Elvis's at Graceland at the museum right between Lou Reed's sound room and the Mangolte exhibit. A grand or a baby grand. With real Tennessee light. And a bad carpet. Just like some of the King's hair dos sometimes. In any case, I was reminded of the beauty of that shot of Elvis's piano when I saw a shot or two that would make magnificent movie stills from Robert DuValle's and Robert Downey, Jr.'s recent "The Judge." DuValle meets Downey, Jr. in an Indiana funeral home near the beginning of the movie. There is a shot of a casket in the back that is DuValle's wife and Downey, Jr's Mother and some funereal flower arrangements and one character who knows both the Father--played by DuValle--and his son--played by Downey, Jr.--going out of a door to the left of the frame as the viewer watches. Boy. That light and those flowers and that casket and the scenario had everything to do with Elvis in this University Art Museum at Cal State Long Beach the day I was there and then some. And as for nudes descending a staircase, there was some apt still motion kind of photography. Of a figure showing and not showing through wood slats. Amazing stuff. And in the back of the museum was great conceptual art. The best, in fact, because not at all intended: A small, glass room encased mini-library of catalogues of past exhibits at this museum and at others and a computer at which one can access the visual arts. A repository of art that was unvisited. Empty computer just like Elvis's piano was empty; just like Lou Reed was recently deceased and reminiscent now as I write this of the coffin in "The Judge." A museum within a museum. A hall of mirrors of fun shows former and future. So now go and see!...Not just it. But all of them. The works and the artists. And, if you get hungry or thirsty, there is an excellent student coffee and sandwich place right around the corner. And there is plenty of disabled parking and it is close to the museum and to the student...

This is an otherwise excellent museum that has debased itself by permitting a major donor to fund the permanent exhibition of their incredibly mediocre art. The university should be ashamed it has consigned itself to this agreement in perpetuity. Absolute shills for the donors patronage. And of course the donor is just as shameless. Read about it in the LA times titled ‘The artist in CSULB’s new exhibit is a major donor. That’s bad, and...

If your a college student looking for something to do on campus look no further. Friendly staff and great environment. Exhibits change every semester so there is always something new to see. Plus it's free. The museum also host other events so it's good to stop by and see if there is something going on you might be...