Radical Past: Contemporary Art and Music in Pasadena, 1960-1974

As part of Radical P.A.S.T*,  a citywide celebration of art and music, the Norton Simon Museum presents Highlights from the Collection and Archives of the Pasadena Art Museum.  This exhibition gives an unprecedented look into the extraordinary collection and archives of the institution that made profound and radical contributions to the world of contemporary art. Staffed with a unique group of pioneering directors and curators, the Pasadena Art Museum hosted some of the most ground breaking and innovative exhibitions, performances and concerts held on the West Coast. In celebration of Radical P.A.S.T., this exhibition featured sixty-five outstanding examples of contemporary art by over forty noted Los Angeles area artists from the Museum’s permanent collection.

Radical P.A.S.T.: Contemporary Art and Music in Pasadena, 1960–1974  is a collaboration between five Pasadena area institutions offering a glimpse into the work by all of the artists and composers who had been active in Pasadena or had shown at the Pasadena Art Museum between 1960 and 1974. These institutions include: The Norton Simon Museum (and its Pasadena Art Museum holdings), Armory Center for the Arts, Williamson Gallery at the Art Center College of Design, Southwest Chamber Music and New Pasadena Gallery at One Colorado.