Push and Flow: Inspired by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of Flow
Artists: Elizabeth Casuga, Nancy Voegeli-Curran, Dawn Ertl, Esmeralda Montes, Ian Pines, and Peggy Zask

Exhibition Dates: September 13 to October 10, 2013

Lecture: Saturday, October 5, 2013 at 2:00 PM - Optimal Experience: How "Flow" Facilitates Creativity and Well-Being by Vanessa Kettering

This exhibition is an investigation of the concept of Flow developed by Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi in the field of Positive Psychology. Flow is a form of Optimal Experience in which an individual’s skills rise to meet the challenges they are faced with and the individual feels the sensation of fluidity in his/her work. The aim of this exhibition is to explore how this concept of Flow is operating within the lives of professional artists.

We have selected six artists from the Los Angeles area working in various media – painting, drawing, weaving, ceramics, and installation art – interviews were conducted to reveal their internal processes that resulted in the artworks on display. The featured artists in this exhibition, Elizabeth Casuga, Nancy Voegeli-Curran, Dawn Ertl, Esmeralda Montes, Ian Pines, and Peggy Zask, all experienced the phenomenon of Flow during their creation process, and also recognized the psychological benefit from engaging in Flow activities, which are filled with challenges, growth, and at their completion, a sense of achievement.

Gallery Hours

For more information on upcoming exhibits, please visit the Exhibition webpage. To see a listing of art classes offered by the City of Manhattan Beach Parks and Recreation Department, please visit the MANHAPPENINGS webpage or the online registration website.