The Medium is the Message
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Space 4 Art Presents The Medium Is the Message at Art Produce Gallery
Curated by Material Projects DTLA
San Diego, CA — Space 4 Art presents The Medium Is the Message, a group exhibition exploring how meaning in visual art emerges through the relationship between material and content. Opening March 5 at Art Produce Gallery and running through April 2, the exhibition is curated by Material Projects DTLA curator duo John Dewey and Andie Round, and features local artists alongside LA-based practitioners. Participating artists include: Annie Claflin, Beliz Iristay, Bridget Rountree, David Fobes, Elijah Rubottom, Helena Westra, Jaya Darriet, Joe Riley, and Meghan Augustine. The project is produced by Space 4 Art through a Prebys Foundation–funded initiative supporting innovative arts programming.
“We are delighted for the opportunity to foster connections between local artists and two amazing curators who are doing the work of building community in LA and beyond by showcasing emerging artists and encouraging collaboration,” said Jennifer de Poyen, Space 4 Art’s executive director.
Inspired by Marshall McLuhan’s influential 1967 book The Medium is the Massage, the exhibition centers visual art as a site where artists manipulate medium and message to challenge perception and expectation. Artists work with clay, adobe, encaustic, pigment, industrial materials, and organic matter to demonstrate how material itself communicates. Weight, fragility, erosion, accumulation, and touch operate as carriers of meaning alongside imagery and form.
"One of my favorite things about curating is having the opportunity to see the great variety of talented artists,” said DTLA’s Dewey. “We are so lucky this time to have a group of creative individuals who are really pushing the boundaries of what art can be."
Some works align medium and content to reinforce a direct message, while others introduce tension between the two, allowing material to complicate or disrupt what is depicted. Together, the works invite viewers to look beyond what a piece is “about” and consider how artistic choices shape interpretation. By foregrounding material and process, The Medium Is the Message offers insight into how artists think and how meaning is constructed.
“I see curating as an act of care, and a group show as an act of assembly and trust,” said co-curator Round. “Bringing these artists together reveals how different voices can converge to create a shared, resonant space. Artists in conversation have the ability to build something together that none could create alone.”
An artist panel discussion will take place March 18 from 5:30–7:30 PM, offering audiences an opportunity to engage directly with participating artists and curators about material practice and contemporary art-making.
Material Projects is an artist-run, noncommercial art space founded in 2025 by artists Andie Ryan Round and John Dewey in Downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District. The organization presents new work by emerging artists while fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing within its creative community.
Exhibition Details
Title: The Medium Is the Message
Presented by: Space 4 Art
Curated by: Material Projects DTLA
Venue: Art Produce Gallery, San Diego, CA
Opening Reception: March 5 | 5-8 p.m.
Artist Panel Discussion: March 18 | 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Dates: March 5 - April 2
Gallery Hours: Fridays 1-7 p.m.; Saturdays 12-6 p.m.; and by appointment
For press inquiries, interviews, appointments, high-resolution photos, or additional information, please contact Katie Ruiz: katie@sdspace4art.org.