Not your parents’ museum, nor chamber of commerce
by Kevin Cody Two of Hermosa’s stodgiest institutions embraced the torrent of fresh thinking unleashed by lifting of COVID restrictions at the start of 2022. The Hermosa Beach Historical Society set aside its preoccupation with the town’s early history for shows about its contemporary history. The Chamber of Commerce lifted the lid on “third rail” issues, previously thought too controversial even to discuss. The museum’s first exhibit of the year featured beach volleyball photos by Robi Hutas, who typically shot from the back of the court. As a result, he photographed a lot of players’ butts, mostly female. Some of those photos, the Historical Society determined, didn’t conform to “contemporary community standards.” But they did have artistic merit. So, in keeping with the practice of other museums confronted with “community standards” conflicts, such as the brothel art at Pompei, the museum put Hutas’ prurient photographs behind a red curtain. In March, the museum hosted an exhibit of Kevin Salk’s “Punk Rock Photography.” Black Flag singer Dez Cadena, who appeared in many of the photos, recalled inviting Orange County punks, but snubbing local fans to Black Flag’s final…
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