Last week I took the trek out to Long Beach to the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) to check out their Craft Beer fest, just in time for Artillery’s food issue. While the amount of vendors was modest—15 or so small tents were scattered across the sculpture garden—the intimate size of both the crowd and the amount of vendors made the outing a sincerely enjoyable experience devoid of long lines and cramped quarters.

A few food vendors set up right outside the entrance to the courtyard touting Peruvian lomo saltado and handmade tacos, all of which looked and smelled delicious, though to be honest I didn’t try any of it because I was too full of beer by the end of the whole ordeal. Back in the courtyard, DJs got people dancing as I filled my tiny cup at the tent of my new personal favorite brewery, Brujeria. Conveniently enough, my partner’s Latin Tropicalia band, Healing Gems was performing at the event, so my trip had a built-in designated driver.

I gathered that most of the crowd comprised mostly beer enthusiasts and Long Beach locals, which was great because MOLAA was simultaneously throwing their Festival of Innovation that featured works by artists and artisans in a large room right next to the courtyard. MOLAA also offered free access to all of their exhibitions during the festival, so the beer crowd could wander around the grounds and check out MOLAA’s rather impressive “El Exploratorio: Zona 1-Beyond the Limits and the Processes of Creation” on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) and “Extracorporeal (Beyond the Body).”

“El Exploratorio: Zona 1” showcases artworks by Latin American artists that use science and technology in their works. The exhibition vanquishes the assumption that art exists in a sphere separate from science and technology and breaks down stereotypes of what Latin American art looks like. Crowds tended to gather around Cristian Castro’s EGG-771, a large sculpture of a crab made out of recycled Volkswagen parts and other recycled materials.

“Extracorporeal,” is a complementary exhibition to “El Exploratorio,” instead focusing on science, technology and the tangible world, the exhibition showcases works by artists who used the human body to explore personal narratives and inwardness. A piece that was a personal favorite was Roberto Tondopó’s Tránsito/Transit, a striking video that gives a sensitive inside look into the Chunta, men who cross-dress into women and dance during the celebration of the Fiesta Grande (one of the most important celebrations being in Chiapas, Mexico). The colorful video is shot as stills without movement (except for a few scenes), giving a similar impression as if someone was expecting their photo to be taken, except instead a video was shot.

It seems like MOLAA is gearing up their programming with new exhibitions and festivals like the ones last weekend. While the museum has been around for a few decades, it appears that MOLAA is a space to keep an eye on for an upswing.