San Diego Debut of: The Paskowitz Experience Art Show at Bliss 101

THE EVENT: Enjoy a festive evening viewing the original one-of-a-kind art by Joshua Paskowitz while sampling hors d’oeuvres and libations.  This event will take place on February 23, 2013, from 6:00 – 10:00 P.M.

SPECIAL MUSICAL GUEST: COMMON SENSE

THE ARTIST: This is Joshua Paskowitz’s first independent exhibit but he is no stranger to the spotlight. The youngest of nine Paskowitz children, Joshua has a unique perspective of his family and his father’s legendary path that led to The New York Times coining the Paskowitz clan as the "first family of surfing". As a child, Joshua was devoted to reading comics and escapism through creativity. He became as passionate about philosophy as his brothers were about long boarding. As he grew up he became absorbed by his vision, and forged his talent for performance to the highest level. Joshua went on to wow crowds while touring the world with his band The Flys as the opening act for The Rolling Stones.  They had immense success with the 1998 top five hit "Got You (Where I Want You)", which sold over one million copies and featured actress Katie Holmes in their music video. Their music has also appeared in several films including Disturbing Behavior (1998), The Crow: Salvation (2000), and Sugar and Spice (2001).

Joshua has been sketching since he’s been able to hold a pencil and has been selling his artwork to people all over the world for over a decade. While spending his time surfing, painting, making music, and raising a family, Joshua has found time to stay plugged into his community both locally and abroad by founding and assisting several charitable organizations. He is the Chief Aloha Officer and co-founder for the organization Surfing 4 Peace which was developed with the help of legendary surf ambassador, Dorian “Doc” Paskowitz, Israeli surfer and surf-industry Veteran Arthur Rashkovan,  and eleven-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater. Surfing 4 Peace is cross-border cooperation initiative that worked with a pro-Israeli-Palestinian peace organization to successfully deliver surfboards to a small surfing community in Gaza and hold a benefit concert in Tel Aviv in October 2007. They gained international attention and launched a global community of surfers and supporters who aim to use the shared-surfing experience to bridge cultural and political barriers between surfers in the Middle East. Joshua is also the co-founder for the Californian non-profit organization Rock the Autism, which is dedicated to bringing a lifetime of music to those living with Autism. 

THE PASKOWITZ FAMILY: Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz (born March 3, 1921) is an American surfer and physician (graduated from Stanford Medical School in 1946) who gave up practicing medicine to become a professional surfer. After marrying his third wife, Juliette, Doc and his bride began a transient bohemian lifestyle on the road for 25 years. The couple produced nine children, eight boys and one girl - David, Jonathan, Abraham, Israel, Moses, Adam, Salvador, Navah and our star of the night "Joshua". The entire family lived and traveled together in a 24-foot camper for over two decades with little to no money. Doc's personal philosophy about education, money and a healthy lifestyle was imposed on his family. None of the Paskowitz children were formally educated during their time on the road. Doc believes that achieving wisdom comes from real experiences in the world, from meeting and learning from everyday people, and that formal education is dangerous to young minds. Although some may see the philosophy as fractured, many feel Doc was on to something. All nine Paskowitz kids are intellectually brilliant and have found international and commercial success. Most mornings the family ate a breakfast of multi-grain gruel, and they were all expected to be out improving their surfing abilities on a daily basis. In 1972, Doc Paskowitz founded a surf camp run by his family, where campers could live alongside and surf with members of the Paskowitz family. Surf champion, Kelly Slater was also a surf instructor at The Paskowitz Camp. Several of Paskowitz's children reached a competitive level in surfing, winning contests and earning endorsement income.  

Joshua and his family were also the inspiration and focus for the 2007 documentary Surfwise produced by Magnolia Films and filmmaker Doug Pray. The film about the Paskowitz's nomadic life premiered at the Toronto Film Festival in 2007 and had a theatrical run in 2008. The family has also since caught the eye of Sean Penn who is currently producing and starring in a feature film about the amazing odyssey of the Paskowitz family. Penn will portray the eccentric patriarch of the family, Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz.

The Paskowitz clan has been interviewed extensively over the years and you can find articles in a variety of periodicals ranging from The New York Times and GQ to Sports Illustrated and Surfers Weekly. The City of San Clemente and San Clemente's Chamber of Commerce has also paid homage to the legendary family of surf by honoring them with one of the twenty-one street banners on the famous "Surfer's Row", given only to those they feel have played notable roles in the sports evolution.  

***Doc, who is a spryly 91-year-old, will also be selling autographed copies of his book "Surfing and Health". Izzy paskowitz will also be in attendance selling autographed copies of his book "Scratching the Horizon: A Surfing Life"