On view September 19 - October 22, 2026
What does it mean to be Unbound? For the artist? For the adult viewer? And what might it mean for a young student experiencing an art exhibition for the very first time?
Unbound 2 holds a special place at Studio ACE. It will be the first exhibition experienced by 2nd grade students from Oceanside Unified School District through Art in Action, Studio ACE’s free gallery field trip program designed to give every 2nd grader in the district the opportunity to experience original art, learn how to look closely, ask questions, and begin building a lifelong connection to the arts.
As teaching artists, we could have easily called this exhibition Unbound 2: All About The Wow!, as we approached jurying with those young visitors in mind. We looked for artwork that might capture their attention, spark a question, or create that wonderful WOW moment—an unexpected use of color or material, a fascinating composition, or something that simply makes them stop and wonder:
How did the artist think of that?
Why did they make it this way?
What is this artwork trying to tell me?
We were especially drawn to works that open the door to conversation and creative exploration, including how artists use color to communicate emotions, along with composition, movement, materials, and message.
Ultimately, we asked ourselves what would make a student stop and say, “WOW!”
And perhaps just as importantly, what will make them wonder, “How can I make something like that?”
For us, that is where the magic of Unbound 2 lives. We invite you to slow down. Look closely. Ask questions. Make connections. Let yourself wonder. And when you find your own WOW moment, stay with it.
Michelle Kaskovich & Tey Lin
Studio ACE Arts Educators & Exhibition Jurors
ACE Gallery would like to extend a special thank you to Bob Boon, Thea Hurwitz, Barbara Runge, Mitzi Summers, Larry Vogel, and Julie Weaverling for their work in making this exhibition possible!
Participating Artists:
Susan Alberts
Cherrie Anderson
AnneMarie Baldauf
Roni Breite
Wanda Brown
David Condit
David Cowdrey
Bertram Cross
Done Fike
Felice Data
Michele Gorcey
Dave Hanson
Meona Henry
Judy Ipema
John James
Ananda Karabo
Bonnie Kuhr
Anna Maraziti
Tom McIntire
Mike McLaughlin
Debby Meadows
Angeles Monet MM
Melissa Nabulsi
Mary Lou Owen
Ian Peterson
Jelisa Peterson
Joshua H Phelps
Robin Phillips
Sudie Rakusin
Meera Ramanathan
Ken Ramirez
Martina RM
Charlene Rocci Stolo
Brenda Severson
Louis Staeble
Jack Straton
Charles Sutton
Delana Thompson
Krista Timberlake
Betty Wolfe
Karen Zeluff
