“Our Ocean’s Edge: A Photographic Journey of the California Coast” by Jasmine Swope

The South Pasadena Arts Council (SPARC) presents their next exhibition, “Our Ocean’s Edge” – Photographs by Jasmine Swope in the SPARC Gallery at the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce on Mission Street.

Jasmine Swope is a Serbian-born artist living in Santa Monica, CA. A graduate of the Brooks Institute of Photography in Ventura, CA, she specializes in large format black & white photographs of the natural environment. In both her art and her spirit, she is a descendant of 19th and 20th century photographic masters like Timothy O’Sullivan, Carleton Watkins, and Ansel Adams, who captured the American scene with an unprecedented eye for nature’s beauty, serenity, and elegance.

For her exhibition at SPARC Gallery, Ms. Swope chose images from her project Our Ocean’s Edge, a photographic journey into California’s Marine Protected Areas, a statewide system created in 1999 through a unique public-private partnership between conservation groups, fishermen, Native American tribes, recreationalists, beach lovers, and lawmakers. Like national parks on land, MPAs are magnificent in their splendor and wildness, providing protection for wildlife, solutions to climate change, and recreational resources for all. Swope’s hauntingly beautiful, dream-like photographs set out to capture the essence of these marine parks, seeking to increase public understanding and appreciation of California’s unique system. Her work is accompanied by original narratives by author Dwight Holing that celebrates these fragile seascapes while increasing awareness about their natural benefits and inspiring conservation action.

The SPARC Gallery is located at 1121 Mission Street, South Pasadena. SPARC Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or by appointment. Please call the Chamber office before arriving. For more information, contact (310) 741-7650 or visit http://www.sopasartscouncil.org/.