I grew up in Arizona, but would often spend my summers on the beach with my cousins in SoCal. Every year I'd look forward to the return to Bolsa Chica, where we would stake out all day and all night, arriving clean in our bathing suits and driving home with sand stuck in all our layers. I have always been drawn to the beach--the infinite sand, the sun that bakes, the resourcefulness of finding things you need when you forgot to bring them, the random assortment of people sharing the space, the predictable tide, the unpredictable wind, that bonfire smell that stays stuck on your hoodie forever, the shells you collect that inspire dreams, the infinite cycle of life.

The notion of a beach, the ocean, that massive body of water that separates land...is a hard thing to conceptualize, but I think it is precisely this complicated environment that has inspired much of what we call west coast design. Sustainability, mixed-media, industrial chic, casual function and inspired reuse are a few prominent themes at the New West Coast Design 2 (NWCD2) exhibit that just opened at the Museum of Craft and Design.

Featuring 60 works from artists/architects/interior, fashion, industrial designers/craftspeople of California, Oregon and Washington, the show is a nice sampler of what is currently going on in the world of west coast design. I was impressed by the variety of pieces and creators. The new museum space is just gorgeous, small enough to be intimate but big enough to wander a bit. Check it out (each photo below links to artist/designer) and then check out the West Coast Craft show next weekend to find even more designers--I'll be there with Etxe and my friend Jane who makes mixed-media collages.