Image: Frank Cuprien, The Golden Hour, Laguna Beach, c. 1923. Oil on board, 24 x 28 in. Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach; museum purchase with funds from prior gift of the Carl S. Dentzel Estate and Frances G. Emmons (2009.001)
Laguna Art Museum is presenting ‘Frank Cuprien: For the Love of the Sea,’ an exhibition devoted to the artist’s seascapes, coastal views and enduring connection to Laguna Beach. Drawn from the museum’s permanent collection and key loans, the exhibition runs from March 21 through September 7, 2026, at the museum in Laguna Beach, California.
Cuprien is described by the museum as a founding figure of Laguna Beach’s art community and one of California’s devoted painters of the Pacific coast. The exhibition focuses on his repeated engagement with the shoreline, bringing together paintings that explore variation in light, movement and mood across the same coastal environment.
The presentation extends beyond the paintings to include photographs, letters and personal records from Laguna Art Museum’s collection. These archival materials offer context for Cuprien’s daily practice, friendships and attachment to Laguna Beach, placing the seascapes within a broader account of the artist’s life and working habits.
Together, the artworks and documents frame Cuprien’s practice through observation and sustained attention to the ocean. The museum characterizes the exhibition as an examination of an artist whose work helped define Laguna Beach as an art colony and whose paintings convey the Pacific’s rhythm, light and changing atmosphere.
The exhibition is accompanied by a series of programs. ‘Plein Air Perspectives: Cuprien and Today’ was scheduled for April 16, followed by ‘Wine with Cuprien and the Curator’ on May 2 and ‘Seaside Studio’ on August 8. Further programs include ‘Harmony in Light: Music and the Art of Frank Cuprien’ on September 5 and ‘Jean Stern Presents: Frank Cuprien’ on September 6. The September 5 event includes a curator talk and a workshop exploring the relationship between sound and visual creativity; Dr. Kelly Tucker is identified as its co-curator and speaker.
Laguna Art Museum, located at 307 Cliff Drive, presents exhibitions drawn from its permanent collection alongside shows focused on California art and contemporary practice. During the Cuprien exhibition, the museum’s published visitor information lists hours as Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with general admission priced at $15, reduced admission at $10 for students aged 20 and older, seniors and military visitors, and free admission for visitors 19 and under.
