Night Dive at the Aquarium of the Pacific Curator Miranda Castillo creates a successful event full of fun!

TAKE ME, TAKE A NIGHT DIVE

By ArtQuench Correspondent Jennifer Bentson

Aquarium of the Pacific

I couldn’t help myself. I saw the woven Styrofoam Wig made by Beth Elliot, Installation Artist, and I had to wear it. Doesn’t this just say, “Be my Valentine?” Honestly, I was totally taken aback with the Long Beach, Aquarium of the Pacific’s Night Dive on Friday, February 13, 2015. The Aquarium gathered so many talents including a band with vegetable heads, a palm frond mermaid, cartoon artists, photographers, painters, sketch artists, and of course, the main stars… the fish. Unique to this venue, the curator, Miranda Castillo, arranged for “selfies”. She said so many people attend Night Dive and want to take pictures of themselves with the fish. There were several “Selfie” stations at the Night Dive. Beth Elliott constructed and crocheted the installation, Post Apocalyptic Prom, which is where she adorned a Mylar skirt and the woven foam headdress. It was all in good fun for the Heart Felt Holiday and the theme of the Night, Odd Couples.

The following are some captured moments at Night Dive:

The Art of Glen Mann, local Long Beach Artist who uses palm fronds and other vegetation to create spectacular images. He often creates these amazing pieces and leaves them on the sidewalks or streets of Long Beach. This mermaid is over 8 feet tall and made from found vegetation. It was a perfect companion to the fish at the Aquarium.

All the artists felt the muse while listening to the Radioactive Chicken Heads. I must say, they really rocked the Aquarium.

Demonstrations of various techniques were common and here is artist, Steve Nakamura, doing a pastel on wood of Neptune and his Octopus.

Wearing a long pink wig is artist, Patty Metoki, who renders delicate watercolors of the fish and garden denizens.

Photographer, Andrei Duman, is pictured here with one of his guerillas.

Cartoonist, Gabi Payn, brought lots of character to the event.

Even I was able to show off some of my artwork. Here is Laurie Perkins, Education Department for Aquarium of the Pacific, holding a fan I painted while greeting artists and patrons.