The Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College opened three exhibitions on Aug. 21 that explore drawing from multiple angles, ranging from contemporary Los Angeles artists to early computer art pioneers. The shows — “Line, Smudge, Shade: Contemporary Drawing in Our Los Angeles,” “Art Hall Projects 1: Manuel López” and “Two-Way Stretch: Electronic Drawing in Early Animation and Computer Art” — will run until January 4, 2026. An opening reception with hundreds of attendees took place on Sept. 6.
“Line, Smudge, Shade” brings together 16 artists whose practices center on drawing and are deeply influenced by life in and around Los Angeles. The exhibition features 35 works by Jessica Taylor Bellamy, Ako Castuera, Pui Tiffany Chow, Lauren Faigeles, Carly França, Joel Freeman, Brittany Kiertzner, Carly Lake, Grace Eunchong Lee, Kayla Mattes, Stas Orlovski, Rob Sato, Mercedes Teixido, Elizabeth Tremante, Hana Ward and Sterling Wells. The artists work with a variety of media and techniques, from rubbings taken from specific locations to drawings made with the ashes of the Altadena fire to renderings of distinctive Southern California light and landscapes.
The museum is also unveiling a monumental wall drawing by Boyle Heights native Manuel López, the first commission in its new Art Hall Projects series devoted to large-scale works by contemporary Los Angeles–based artists. López created the mural from six drawings that reflect everyday life in East Los Angeles.
“Drawing is the foundation of art,” said Solomon Salim Moore, the Benton’s academic curator and organizer of “Line, Smudge, Shade” and “Art Hall Projects 1: Manuel López.” “Our geography, our fires, our neighborhoods — they all leave marks. These shows reflect how artists respond to those marks and make new ones of their own.”
The third exhibition, “Two-Way Stretch: Electronic Drawing in Early Animation and Computer Art,” examines how artists in the post–World War II era experimented with electronic technologies to transform ideas about drawing. Titled after a rare set of 1969 computer plotter drawings by former Pomona faculty member Fred Hammersley, the show features moving-image works by Norman McLaren and Jennifer Reeves, algorithmic handwriting simulations by Vera Molnar, a plotter drawing by Jean-Pierre Hébert and an oscilloscope-based print by Herbert W. Franke. Eleven works are on loan from the Anne and Michael Spalter Digital Art Collection.
The museum will host several related events, including the second annual all-day “Draw Jam” on Oct. 18 and an artist talk by López on Nov. 6.
Housed in a building designed by Machado Silvetti and Gensler, the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College holds nearly 20,000 objects with strengths in photography, traditional Native American cultural items, early modern European art and works produced in Southern California in the 20th century.
Admission to all exhibitions and programs is free. The museum is at 120 West Bonita Avenue, Claremont, and is open Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For information, call 909-621-8283 or visit pomona.edu/benton.
