Category: Group Exhibition
What is a kook? Depends who you ask.
In surf culture, the word is usually reserved for the inexperienced, the awkward, the person who doesn’t quite know the rules yet. But being a kook can also mean having the courage to try something new, risk looking foolish, embrace uncertainty and keep going anyway.
Curated by Chip Herwegh, ¡KOOKS! #2 brought together an eclectic collection of artists exploring surf culture, creative risk, irreverence and the strange freedom that comes from not taking yourself too seriously. The exhibition celebrated outsiders, beginners, misfits and anyone willing to enter unfamiliar territory without pretending to have it all figured out.
The exhibition opened at Not Shockboxx on June 20, 2026, with a live performance by Hobo Bridge, and remained on view through July 6. Together, the visual art and live music captured the messy, fearless and deeply creative spirit of surf culture.
Everyone starts somewhere. Welcome, kook.
Artists: Andrew Sarnecki, Brent Broza, Brian Kingston, C.R. Stecyk III, Chip Herwegh, Dennis Jarvis, John Detemple, John Faso, John Hudson, Ken Pagliaro, Mike Balzer, OB Toon, Stacy Peralta