What started as a fun TikTok video series has bloomed into a full-fledged educational experience at Long Beach’s Museum of Latin American Art.
Born out of Dr. Megan Lorraine Debin’s own travels, Art Trippin’ is a project aimed at making art education accessible.
The Fullerton College art history professor said her students asked her to make videos documenting her spring and winter break trips.
One series that Art Trippin’ hosts, “Sips & Stories,” highlights various eras of art history with an emphasis on what often goes uncovered in traditional art history education.
“I’ve learned that there really is an audience of people who want to learn about art and want to really increase their knowledge, but they don’t want to do homework and they don’t want to be in a traditional college class,” Debin said.
for audiences of art experts and novices alike. (Courtesy of Art Trippin’)
The “Sips & Stories” series brings lectures to museums where people can enjoy food and beverages while also learning something new. At the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA), Art Trippin’ is reintroducing the series: “Women in Mexican Art History.”
“I’m really trying to highlight women because they are often left out of the big histories of art,” Debin said. “A lot of art history focuses on the white European male, and there are so many other artists, women, artists of color who are left out of those stories.”
The first lecture, titled “Power Before Colonization,” will tell the story of goddesses in art and women’s experiences in the ancient Mexican world. The second lecture focuses on the life of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, a nun and writer referred to as “the feminist nun.” The influential writer resisted the authority of the Catholic Church, who tried to prevent her from reading and writing.
The third lecture will showcase the work of Frida Kahlo and the final lecture goes “Beyond Frida,” telling the story of women in contemporary and modern Mexican art.
“When people think of Mexican art, they think of Diego Rivera,” Debin said of the lack of representation in mainstream art education. “Now, Frida has become more popular, but at the time, she was absolutely marginalized.”
The “Sips & Stories” series has been hosted other times throughout the year. They’ve hosted a Women in Mexican Art History lecture series before, and they’ll be bringing this series back to the MOLAA. Another topic they’ve explored focused on ancient architecture and art in Mexico. When Art Trippin’ first formed, Debin brought on her former student, Natalie D’Allura, as an intern. Later, D’Allura was hired as a project manager, and Art Trippin’ has become a travelling business.
Despite consisting of lectures, D’Allura explained that the “Sips & Stories” series is for everyone.
“We’re thinking about people who, of course, have degrees in art history and want to continue their education … but we’re also thinking about people who have never even stepped foot inside a museum and have no idea what we’re talking about,” D’Allura said.
Debin acknowledged that art education can feel intimidating to those unfamiliar with it, but emphasized that these lectures present an opportunity for anyone to learn.
“My goal is to demystify that, to show that you don’t have to have an art school education to be able to understand and appreciate art,” Debin said. “We want to make sure people know that art belongs to all of us. The museum belongs to all of us. The museum belongs to the community.”
Rooted in community-building, Art Trippin’ aims to emphasize that art education has the power to both connect one another and inform.
More information about upcoming Sips & Stories events and other educational opportunities offered by Art Trippin’ can be found on their website, Arttrippin.com.
