Press Release: The Huntington Beach Art Center (HBAC) celebrates its 30th anniversary with an Exhibit Expanding the Portrait
The Huntington Beach Art Center (HBAC) celebrates its 30th anniversary with an Exhibit Expanding the Portrait The Huntington Beach Art Center (HBAC) celebrates its 30th anniversary with Personal Data -What is a Portrait?, a landmark exhibition positioning the Center as a leading destination for contemporary art in Southern California.
Under the new curatorial vision of Senior Cultural Arts Supervisor Dan Faltz, HBAC launches its Fall 2025 season with Personal Data -What is a Portrait?, a dynamic group show featuring artists Tracy Emin, Rafa Esparza, Cannupa Hanska Luger, and Lauren Halsey.
Curated by Steve Galindo and inspired by Félix González-Torres’ iconic candy portrait-installations, Person
Located in the heart of Huntington Beach, home to the annual U.S. Open of Surfing, HBAC enters a bold new era—connecting its coastal roots to global conversations in contemporary art.
Personal Data -What is a Portrait? will feature aconstellation of conceptual portraits adding crucial ingredients of temporality, impermanence, and reliance to the conversation of portraiture.
Personal Data -What is a Portrait? explores portraits across artistic mediums, genres,and materials. As part of this exhibition, portraiture as an expanding medium will highlight its profound impact on contemporary art and explore ancient, indigenous and contemporary manifestations through contemporary materiality.
Dan Faltz shares, “We are wired to recognize a human face within our first few weeks of life. We also tend to attribute human traits to animals, objects, even whole communities -to find empathy, understanding and create order out of complex differences. Personal Datauses artwork to ask us, when observing a portrait, are we looking for glimpses of ourselves or for features from faces familiar to us? Is that reaction a reflex, or genuine curiosity? Portraits have become increasingly accessible over time –once a symbol of the wealthy, now changes in technology allow us to capture ourselves and others and share instantly.”
Dates: Opening, September 6th 6:30-9:00pm -November 8th, 2025
Admission: FREE
Participating artists:
Gus Alva
Jackie Amézquita
April Bey
Kyong Boon Oh
Joey Brock
Jackie Castillo
Tracy Emin
Sofia Enriquez
rafa esparza
Rachel Finkelstein
Erik Flores
Kendalle Getty
Cannupa Hanska Luger
Lauren Halsey
Allison Hueman
Chicome Itzcuintli Amatlapalli
Larry Kagan
Vita Kari
Barbara Mendes
noé olivas
Isaac Pelayo
Carlos Ritter
Vinod Sharma
Linda Smith
Sung-Hee Son
Little Ricky
Melly Trochez
April Bey
Kyong Boon Oh
Joey Brock
Jackie Castillo
Tracy Emin
Sofia Enriquez
rafa esparza
Rachel Finkelstein
Erik Flores
Kendalle Getty
Cannupa Hanska Luger
Lauren Halsey
Allison Hueman
Chicome Itzcuintli Amatlapalli
Larry Kagan
Vita Kari
Barbara Mendes
noé olivas
Isaac Pelayo
Carlos Ritter
Vinod Sharma
Linda Smith
Sung-Hee Son
Little Ricky
Melly Trochez