Warhole at Oceanside Museum of Art

Danny Warhole's painting, "The Rumors Were True," is headed to the Oceanside Museum of Art as part of the 2025-2026 Artist Biennial Exhibtion from November 22 through March 8, 2026.

Selections were determined by jurors Chantel Paul (Gallery Director, San Diego State University Art Gallery), Patric Stillman (Founder, The Studio Door Gallery), and Katie Dolgov (Director of Exhibitions and Collections, OMA). 

Southern California’s cultural landscape is diverse and growing, which is reflected in the burgeoning talent in this exhibition. This year saw 1,361 submissions by 260 artists and the selected work is a showcase of 53 artworks from 53 of OMA’s Artist Alliance members.

The exhibition will kick off with a reception from 5-7 PM on Saturday, November 22. Entry is free for OMA members and $15 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased here.

About "The Rumors Were True"

Dating back to the height of Mid-Century Modernism in the 1950s and 1960s, there was a strong community of queer people in Palm Springs. However, homosexuality remained illegal across the United States. As a result, it wasn’t safe for queer people to be open about their sexuality, and Mid-Century Modern artwork is void of any direct reference to the queer community. 

In the painting, “The Rumors Were True,” Danny Warhole has painted queer people back into Mid-Centry Modernism in Palm Springs. Warhole’s painting, set at the famous Kaufmann House, imagines a queer version of Slim Aarons’ photograph, “Poolside Gossip.” The painting replaces the ladies of high society gossiping around the pool with gentlemen sunbathing nude in front of this iconic Mid-Century Modern home. The yellow color of the towels is a nod to Slim Aarons’ photograph, which included yellow upholstered pool furniture, and the faces of the two gentlemen are based, in part, on numerous portraits of Tab Hunter and Rock Hudson, two closeted queer celebrities of that era who were known to frequent Palm Springs. 

While Slim Aarons’ photograph,“Poolside Gossip,” got its name from its depiction of two women gossiping by the pool, Warhole’s painting imagines the subject of their gossip as these two gentlemen, and with the title of his painting he responds that “The Rumors Were True.” 

The painting is 30" x 40" acrylic on canvas.

The painting is for sale here and limited edition prints are available here and at Jaco Moretti Arts (Palm Springs, CA)>