Underwater Oil Paintings at Terranea: Addison Rockwell Loomis Exhibit & Ocean Conservation

On a late summer evening at Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, the ballroom lights dim and the ocean waits just beyond the glass - this is where underwater painting, conservation, and seaside history meet. The Underwater Artwork of Marineland's Artist brings all 14 original oil canvases by Addison Rockwell Loomis back into public view for an intimate 90-minute gallery event in Marineland Ballrooms 2 & 3. The series was painted in Marineland's tanks on the very ground Terranea now occupies; the display includes remarks that tie a family legacy to a new conservation mission: the Addison Rockwell Loomis Foundation. Walking into the room, visitors first notice the scale and stillness of canvases rendered beneath the surface: colors muted and refracted, figures of fish and kelp captured with an unusual buoyant brushstroke. Loomis is credited with one of art's rare feats - working fully submerged to paint live subjects - so these pieces are part portrait, part field study and part marine archive. That interplay makes the work a unique bridge between studio practice and the coastal environment that frames Rancho Palos Verdes: sea cliffs, open Pacific horizons, and the cold, blue light that defines local kelp forest ecosystems. Beyond the paintings, the evening is arranged as a fundraiser and community moment. Loomis offers brief remarks on his father's original Marineland experiments and on founding a 501(c)(3) aimed at ocean conservation; Terranea's setting gives those remarks an immediate context. The event pairs a full bar and opportunities to speak with partner organizations, so the cultural experience is both social and purposeful - $10 from each $35 ticket supports the foundation's work. For visitors, the draw is twofold: witness a rare technical achievement in oil painting and feel the living connection between art and place. The ballrooms' windows and the resort's coastal topography frame the show with raw Pacific light, meaning the same geology that sheltered Marineland's tanks now serves as backdrop to a contemporary conservation conversation. Practical details: the event runs approximately 1.5 hours in the evening, is appropriate for ages 18 and up, and requires no special physical skills - arrive with curiosity, a camera, and respect for the conservation mission. Whether you're an art lover, a marine enthusiast, or a traveler seeking local culture beyond beaches and trails, this gallery evening offers a rare, tangible link between human creativity and the ocean that shaped it. Plan to arrive early to take in coastal views from the resort's terraces and to read the exhibit labels closely; conversations with foundation representatives reveal process details about painting underwater and the conservation projects the foundation supports. The show is conversational rather than museum-silent - expect to mingle, ask questions, and leave with a clearer sense of how art can fuel tangible marine stewardship.