On view until September 7, 2026, the exhibition invites visitors to know Cuprien both as an artist and as a person. Archival materials from the museum’s collection, including photographs, letters and personal records, offer rare insight into his daily practice, personal relationships and deep attachment to Laguna Beach. These materials place the artworks within a lived context, illuminating how Cuprien returned to the same stretch of shoreline again and again, finding continual variation in light, movement and atmosphere.
LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. — Laguna Art Museum presents Frank Cuprien: For the Love of the Sea, on view from March 21 through September 7, 2026. The exhibition celebrates the enduring legacy of Frank Cuprien, a founding figure of Laguna Beach’s art community and one of California’s most devoted painters of the Pacific coast. Drawn from Laguna Art Museum’s permanent collection alongside key loans, the exhibition brings together luminous seascapes and coastal views that reflect Cuprien’s lifelong engagement with the ocean.
“Frank Cuprien’s work is inseparable from Laguna Beach and the Pacific Ocean that inspired him,” said Julie Perlin Lee, Director of Laguna Art Museum. “This exhibition offers an opportunity to experience the depth of his commitment to place and to better understand the quiet intensity with which he observed and painted the sea throughout his life.”
More than a presentation of paintings, Frank Cuprien: For the Love of the Sea invites visitors to know Cuprien both as an artist and as a person. Archival materials from the museum’s collection, including photographs, letters and personal records, offer rare insight into his daily practice, personal relationships and deep attachment to Laguna Beach. These materials place the artworks within lived context, illuminating how Cuprien returned to the same stretch of shoreline again and again, finding continual variation in light, movement and atmosphere.
Together, the artworks and archival selections trace a life shaped by close observation, discipline and a profound love for the sea. Frank Cuprien: For the Love of the Sea honors an artist who helped define Laguna Beach as an art colony and whose paintings continue to convey the quiet power and enduring presence of the Pacific Ocean.
This exhibition was generously sponsored by Barbara and Tad Danz, Historical Collections Council of California Art, Kelly Tucker, The Mathewson Group Fund, The Redfern Gallery, William C. Georges and Laguna Plein Air Painters.
For more information about Frank Cuprien: For the Love of the Sea, visit lagunaartmuseum.org. To stay connected and learn about upcoming events, follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and X.
About Laguna Art Museum
Founded by local artists in 1918, Laguna Art Museum has celebrated California art and culture at the heart of the community for over a century. The museum offers a welcoming space for artists, donors, members and visitors, each bringing unique energy that drives its mission forward. As “Your Museum,” Laguna Art Museum builds on a legacy of inspiring creativity, sustainability and reflection on California’s natural environment through exhibitions, events and educational programs. The museum presents exhibitions that highlight the California experience and is home to the annual Art + Nature. With each visit, Laguna Art Museum invites people from near and far to join in its journey of community, art and environmental awareness. For more information, please visit LagunaArtMuseum.org and follow the museum on social media:
Facebook: @LagunaArtMuseum
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Location: Laguna Art Museum is located at 307 Cliff Drive in Laguna Beach, on the corner of Coast Highway and Cliff Drive.
Hours:
Tuesday-Sunday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays, except Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth and Labor Day.
Holiday Closures: Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
