The Torrance Art Museum (TAM) is a contemporary art museum in Torrance, California. It was established in 2005, succeeding the Joslyn Fine Arts Gallery, which was established in 1964. TAM is a program of the City of Torrance and presents exhibitions of contemporary art, including painting, sculpture, photography, media art, performance and conceptual art. Since 2009, the museum has been directed by Max Presneill.
History Fine Arts Supervisor Erica Grubb developed the arts programming at the Joslyn Recreation Center, including art classes for adults and children, exhibitions, educational programs, and visits to museums and other cultural institutions. In 1964, she established the Joslyn Fine Arts Gallery. Beginning in 1978, Grubb advocated for the development of a permanent contemporary art gallery, arguing that emerging artists would benefit from greater exposure to contemporary art.
In 1978, the City of Torrance began transitioning the Joslyn Recreation Center into a dedicated arts facility. The Joslyn Center for the Arts expanded its contemporary art programming, presenting exhibitions by professional artists alongside art classes, lectures, and demonstrations. In the 1990s, the City of Torrance began planning improvements to the Joslyn Fine Arts Gallery, including a Museum Assessment Program supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. These efforts ultimately led to the renovation of the facility and its development into the Torrance Art Museum.
Activity According to «Blouin Modern Painters» magazine's «Top Curators to Watch», TAM is on the list of the most famous art spaces, along with the Tate Modern, LACMA, MoMA, New Museum, MoMA, Whitney Museum, ICA and others.Richard Chang. Max Presneill, Head Curator the Torrance Art Museum (TAM). «Blouin Modern Painters», December 2018, p.47
They organized further editions of the TRYST/NOMAD Alternative Art Fair in 2024 and 2025 . For the TRYST project, the organizers invited independent and institutionally free artist-run spaces from countries such as Germany, United Kingdom, Spain, France, The Netherlands, Germany, Albania, Turkey, Romania, Ukraine, Greece, Switzerland, Mexico, Japan, South Korea, and AustraliaOlena Golub. Ukrainian artists were invited to an International Art Fair in America because of their love of freedom and independence. Fine Art — №3-4, 2024, p.p. 36-39 .
The most exhibited artist is Ichiro Irie. The average age is 46. The highest-ranked exhibited artists are Faris McReynolds, Gerhard Richter, and Wolfgang Tillmans.
References
External links Torrance Art Museum