MAIN GALLERY: CHAMPIONS! - Sports in Contemporary Art

An exploration of Soccer and other sport related themes in Contemporary Art in celebration of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

GALLERY TWO: We Are Minnesota: Art as Resistance

Work and ephemera responding to political unrest. Curated by Mark Fisher.

MAIN GALLERY: STUDIO SYSTEM

The Studio System Experimental Residency project is a unique attempt to bridge the gap between artistic practice and the public. First held in 2015, Studio System seeks to bring the dynamism of the artist's studio into the museum space, encouraging audiences to not only see works as they are in progress but to interact with the artist to discuss inspirations, sources, thoughts, feelings, content and context, as well as chart the progression of the works over the month long period that the project encompasses.

During this month-long experimental residency, artists will transform the gallery into an open studio, creating new work on site and inviting the public into their process.

2026 Artists: Abby Zhang, Asari Aibangbee, Bettina Weiss, Galen Cheney, Hollis Hammonds, Kevin Brophy, k0j0 (Koi Ren & Joey Verbeke), Robin Jack Sarner, and Zoè Gruni.

GALLERY TWO: From a Greek Isle

A Partnership Between Torrance Art Museum and Cycladic Arts

From a Greek Isle highlights the ongoing partnership between Torrance Art Museum and Cycladic Arts in Alyki, Paros, Greece. Created to foster cross-cultural artistic exchange, the residency program offers Southern California artists the opportunity to live and work for 25 days on the island of Paros.

Cycladic Arts is an artist-run space located in a renovated traditional Cycladic home in the fishing village of Alyki. Dedicated to artistic dialogue and international collaboration, the program brings together artists from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.

This exhibition features work created through the Cycladic Arts Residency Program (2023–2025) by artists Tom Dunn, Kim Manfredi, and Steven Wolkoff.

DARK ROOM: CULTURIDE

CULTURIDE documents a motorcycle journey from Los Angeles to New York City and back, exploring conversations with artists and arts professionals about creativity, community, and the role of art in sustaining democracy in America. Traveling across the country’s shifting landscapes and cultures, the riders ultimately arrive in Brooklyn to present an exhibition before continuing their journey home.

The documentary captures a two-wheel odyssey through the American art landscape, exploring connection, collaboration, and the evolving cultural identity of the nation.

There will be no opening reception for the exhibition. Instead, a closing reception will be held on Saturday, August 29, from 6–9 p.m.

TRYST: INTERNATIONAL ART FAIR

Torrance Art Museum, along with the City of Torrance, is pleased to announce that TRYST will be returning August 2026! TRYST is the world’s largest international art fair dedicated exclusively to artist-run spaces, collectives, and independent organizations. More than a conventional art fair, TRYST is a global gathering centered on international exchange among grassroots, artist-led initiatives.

Now in its fourth edition, TRYST has established itself as a powerful alternative to commercial art fairs—prioritizing collaboration, experimentation, and cultural dialogue over traditional art structures and market-driven models.

NOMAD: SOCAL ARTIST POP-UP ART FAIR

NOMAD is a community-focused event where Southern California artists showcase recent work, connect with peers, and engage a wider audience. The exhibition highlights the region’s diverse 2D and sculptural talent and emphasizes creative exchange, collaboration, and relationship-building.

Both are off-site at Del Amo Crossing.

MAIN GALLERY: BAKER’S DOZEN 2026

Baker’s Dozen acts as a review of sorts—a survey exhibition featuring thirteen artists whose work made a positive impression on the curators over the past year. These thirteen artists reflect current directions in Southern California’s contemporary art practices.

Historically, a “baker’s dozen” refers to thirteen instead of twelve, originating in 13th-century England, when bakers would include an extra loaf of bread to avoid punishment by King Henry III for selling underweight loaves. This exhibition draws on that idea, acknowledging the curators’ own preconceptions and biases, while centering artistic endeavors rooted in the present moment.

GALLERY TWO: B-LA-M

(Special Opening Event, Saturday, October 31, 12 p.m. - 3 p.m.)

A three-year exchange between Berlin, Los Angeles, and Mexico City artist-run initiatives.

DARK ROOM: Venice Institute of Contemporary Art (ViCA)

MAS (Mutual Appreciation Society) Attack 2026 is a way to reclaim hope, connection, and strength through art. This one-night exhibition invites Southern California artists to share work that reflects, resists, heals, or sheds light on the times we’re living in.

MAIN GALLERY: Exile

California is as much a feeling as it is a place. Though ubiquitous, this essence remains uniquely enigmatic in its authorship. From our cultish obsession with mid-century-modern design, to chinoiserie folklore, Mediterranean lifestyles, or relics of Spanish colonialism, what exactly makes this vast eclectic region feel so familiar? 

“Exiles” examines California’s cultural legacy as a lineage of communities displaced by geopolitical tensions, specifically focusing on a contemporary collection of diasporic artists with roots in Islamic countries that have faced destabilizing geopolitical events spanning from the late 70s to today.

MAIN GALLERY, GALLERY TWO, & DARK ROOM: London Calling!

Curated by Steve Douglas / Bod Boyle
A photography based history of the influential but largely under-represented British skateboard scene of the 1970s and the impact of skate magazines worldwide.

This exhibition will be accompanied by a continuous screening of London Calling: A Whole Era Showed Up an 80 minute documentary which chronicles the inception, creation, preparation and recollections of the ‘London Calling!’ exhibition launch, as well as accompanying events, held across London in 2023 (filmed and directed by Winstan Whitter) .