NEWPORT BEACH, CA.- The Orange County Museum of Art presents the 2006 California Biennial through December 31. The California Biennial introduces emerging artists from one of the world’s great creative centers and continues the museum’s long history of supporting new developments in art.

The Orange County Museum of Art has selected 31 artists whose artwork will be included in the 2006 California Biennial. The artists, working in Northern and Southern California, incorporate many media and, taken together, present a vision that reflects today’s eclectic communities, cultures, and art movements. The biennial program continues the museum’s four-decade history of presenting new developments in art and supporting artists on the verge of international recognition. The exhibition, presented at both the Newport Beach and South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa locations, will remain on view through December 31, 2006.

The 2006 California Biennial showcases some of the state’s most exciting and innovative young artists. The only exhibition of its kind in California, the 2006 California Biennial includes over 150 new works by individual artists and collaboratives and presents large-scale installations, sculpture, paintings, works on paper, wall drawing, photographs, film and video art.

“The California Biennial is an indispensable exhibition for both the young artists it champions and for audiences interested in discovering bold new talent," said Director Dennis Szakacs. “This year’s exhibition builds on a 20-year history of supporting promising artists who have gone on to achieve world-wide acclaim.”

The Biennial is organized by Elizabeth Armstrong, the Orange County Museum of Art’s deputy director for programs and chief curator; Karen Moss, curator of collections and director of education and public programs; and consulting curator Rita Gonzalez.

“The works selected for this year’s Biennial are some of the most exhilarating, thought provoking, and stunning examples we’ve seen,” said Armstrong. “We are confident that the artists represented will make the case for why California has captured the imagination of the artworld.”

This year’s artists include Scoli Acosta, Andy Alexander, Christopher Ballantyne, Walead Beshty, Bull●Miletic, Jane Callister, Binh Danh, Sergio De La Torre and Vicky Funari, Shannon Ebner, Ala Ebtekar, Brian Fahlstrom, Kianga Ford, Pearl C. Hsiung, Marie Jager, Shana Lutker, Christian Maychack , Martin McMurray, Joel Morrison, My Barbarian, Kate Pocrass, Lordy Rodriguez, Arturo Ernesto Romo, Sterling Ruby, Leslie Shows, Speculative Archive, Tim Sullivan, Hank Willis Thomas, Nicolau Vergueiro, Goody-B. Wiseman, Mario Ybarra Jr., and Amir Zaki.

In addition to presenting new commissions and performances, the 2006 California Biennial includes special residencies with Scoli Acosta, Kate Pocrass, and Mario Ybarra Jr. These artists, with the generous support of the Nimoy Foundation, will work with area youth and community members on a variety of projects.