Santa Monica Art Museum Acquires Nathalie Tierce’s Three Scenes After Midnight for Permanent Collection

The Santa Monica Art Museum has acquired Nathalie Tierce’s film-noir–inspired painting Three Scenes After Midnight for its permanent collection. Now on view in the museum foyer, the work celebrates the mystique of Los Angeles and invites art lovers, families, travelers, and collectors to experience a vivid new chapter in Tierce’s storytelling. End Quote

Los Angeles-Long Beach, CA (1888PressRelease) December 13, 2025 - The Santa Monica Art Museum has officially acquired Three Scenes After Midnight, a major painting by Los Angeles–based artist Nathalie Tierce, for its permanent collection. The work is currently installed in the museum’s foyer, greeting visitors as they enter the main exhibition space.

Three Scenes After Midnight reflects Tierce’s ongoing exploration of the city’s psychological landscape, drawing inspiration from the mythology of Los Angeles and the visual language of mid-century film noir. The painting’s cinematic composition and layered narrative references echo the atmosphere of classic L.A. noir fiction and films of the 1950s and 1960s, particularly works that probe the city’s contradictions, shadows, and enigmatic characters.

Tierce notes that the piece is “a meditation on Los Angeles as both a dream and a construct - a place where glamour and uncertainty coexist, and where a single moment can hold the tension of an entire story.” Her imagery, rooted in allegory and emotional complexity, is emblematic of her broader body of work, which blends surrealism, introspection, and cultural archetypes.

The acquisition marks a meaningful moment in Tierce’s growing museum presence. Her work is also held in the Museum of Curiosities in Dublin, Ireland, and she previously had a piece in the Bunny Museum in Altadena, which was unfortunately destroyed in the Eaton Fire. The addition of Three Scenes After Midnight to the Santa Monica Art Museum extends this trajectory and situates her work within the visual conversation of Southern California’s artistic landscape.

“I’m honored that this painting has found a permanent home at SAMA,” Tierce said. “To have this work recognized in such a thoughtful and welcoming space is deeply gratifying.”

“I’m deeply honored,” Tierce said. “Having Three Scenes After Midnight welcomed into the Santa Monica Art Museum’s collection - and into dialogue with the cultural fabric of Los Angeles - is profoundly meaningful. I’m grateful to the museum’s leadership, the curator, and everyone who has supported my work throughout this journey.”

The painting will remain on view at the museum, located in downtown Santa Monica, as part of its ongoing commitment to presenting art that reflects and interrogates the diverse narratives of Southern California.

About the Artist
Nathalie Tierce is an American artist whose work merges surreal fairy-tale allegory with psychological realism. Her paintings and drawings explore themes of identity, conflict, desire, and the unseen forces that shape human behavior. Tierce’s professional background spans fine art, illustration, theatrical design, and film, contributing to her cinematic visual approach.

About the Santa Monica Art Museum
The Santa Monica Art Museum is a contemporary art institution dedicated to presenting innovative exhibitions and cultivating public engagement with art in all its forms. Through its rotating programs and permanent collection, SAMA showcases both established and emerging artists whose work reflects the evolving cultural landscape of Southern California. http://www.nathalietierce.com

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Visit Nathalie Tierce Website

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