When real estate investor Davin Gumm set out to refurbish the Pacific Building in the heart of the Santa Ana Artist's Village, he hoped that the office spaces would attract tenants who would use the lofts for "creative uses." Gumm's Copper Door beer bar in the basement of the Pacific Building has become a notable music venue that showcases quality local music, so it's only fitting that the Pacific Building lofts would attract artists immersed in the local scene. So far, a fashion...
I arrived rather heartbroken to the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros concert at the Observatory in Santa Ana this last Wednesday March 14th. I was heartbroken for no reason associated with with show, but admittedly I would have rather stayed home and watched the UK versions of "Top Gear" and “Cash in the Attic” while eating chocolate. Luckily I remembered how fabulous I am, found my will power, got gussied up and went to the Edward Sharpe show. I am so deeply glad I did. I didn’t realize...
I was supposed to write about the OC Music Awards that I attended last Saturday for my next blog, but instead I have chosen to write about a Swedish Satanic metal band called Ghost. I might say that I have chosen to write about the lesser of two evils, but Ghost revels in being pretty comically evil. Never fear, I will write about a few bands worth mentioning from the OC Music Awards, but I need some time to process. While at the awards ceremony, I found myself feeling familiar feelings that I...
The Pacific Building: Part Two When refurbishing the Pacific Building, real estate developer Davin Gumm hoped to attract arts-oriented tenants to the upstairs offices. What I discovered when I climbed the stairs was a colony of intriguing artists creating some interesting work... Coming Soon… in Part Two.
by Joy Shannon On Thursday February 9th, I was invited to attend a "Backstage" concert filming at DPS Productions in Irvine. I found myself in a dark industrial complex near John Wayne Airport and wondered where the concert could be amongst the rows of identical office buildings closed for the night. Yet, just around a corner I discovered a crowded and lively studio that looked like it was airlifted from a Los Angeles film lot. I have previously been to similar filmings in Los Angeles for...
I have never separated the arts into sections. The music I make sounds like how my visual art looks and vice versa. For my bachelors degree, I created a specialized major which included visual art, theatre, and music because I could not choose just one of the arts to focus on. So, somehow it makes sense that I've been asked to create a new music column for the OC Art Blog, to expand their focus from solely the visual arts into more of the performing arts. I feel privileged to be the first...
Brandon Boyd wrap-around wall mural at the )( Space gallery in Costa Mesa, on view now until April 15th, 2011 (photo by Joanna Grasso) There I was, Friday morning, hitting the road. I was flying back to the OC just in time to catch the much anticipated Brandon Boyd exhibition at the Hurley )( Space gallery. That's right, another collaboration between the local surf and clothing mega company and a high profile artist. I say much anticipated, but that is because only after researching...
Don't miss a chance to meet artist, musician, surfer and activist BRANDON BOYD. (yes, that is the very same Boyd from rock band INCUBUS) Brandon Boyd working on drawing selected for H.O.P.E. & Hurley collaboration (image provided by Hurley) Another Collaboration for HURLEY - This time they are working with Brandon Boyd and H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everywhere) to raise funds and bring awareness to conserving our oceans. If you haven't taken a walk on the...
Get your tickets quick or you might miss our very own George Herms and his opera at Disney's REDCAT theater, just across the street from MOCA on Grand Ave. Hope to see you all there, I'll be going to the Friday night, Feb 4th showing. Here are the details: February 3 - February 5 GEORGE HERMS: THE ARTIST’S LIFE Known as one of the founders of California assemblage and an influential figure of the Beat generation, George Herms premieres a new...
This week, the Americans for the Arts Action Fund graded our U.S. senators on their support of the arts. While 28 members received a failing grade, both California Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein did well with Boxer receiving an A+ and Feinstein a B+. Criteria used to grade senators included: keeping jobs in the arts, supporting public art, supporting museums, showing initiative in the arts by cosponsoring arts legislation, showing leadership in the...
This past Saturday, after a nice short break from our gardening workshop during mid-day as part of the Little Pharma exhibition at Fringe, I headed out to Little Tokyo for some music. Performing at Cocaine was no other than Finishing School's very own Jason Plapp. He is part of a ukulele Depeche Mode cover band called Depressed Mood. This was the first time they performed live. They played three solid hits, including the one above.This is such an interesting idea, I hope they will get to...
If you want something closer to home to do this Thursday night, and you're into good hip-hop, check out the Sparrow Love Crew at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. They're somewhat of a regular there. I saw them in L.A., performing at an art opening, and I thought they were quite amazing.--James
This was probably the best thing going during the Santa Ana Artwalk last night. I was definitely bored with the artwalk this month. My friend and I was about to leave the area when I noticed a poster that said simply "art show" along with a red arrow pointing the way. Following it led me to a bar called Proof.Sam is the co-curator of a small show inside the bar. But when he said to me that there would be live musical performances I knew I had to stay. Well, actually he told me he was going to...
Since I have been given the permission to post things outside of the visual arts, I am going to test the water a bit here for my inaugural post. I will try not to veer too far from Orange County very much. But for this one we will visit our neighbors in Long Beach.So here is the rundown. The record store Fingerprints on Second Street is doing a free in-store performance with one of my favorite bands, The Submarines. I recently went to see them perform at The Echo a couple of weeks ago and...
The OC Art Blog was created in 2004 as a way to build community and promote the marginalized but dynamic Orange County art scene.
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By Mason Fujikawa Awakening at Gallery Sonder is the first exhibition in the United States by Mexican artist Moncho. Moncho takes an instinctive approach to his practice. He doesn’t sketch or even plan before painting. Instead, he draws from his subconscious, working...
By Alisa Ochoa Low and Slow is on view at House of Danger Gallery, nestled in an unassuming shopping center just off the 55, beside a Circle K and below the Attic Skateshop. The space is operated by Jackie Danger, a visual artist and brand strategist who opened the...
By Chris Hoff I’ve been messing around with learning to play guitar for as long as I can remember. It’s been a story of starts and stops for years. In a more recent start I picked up the book How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy. I thought it might provide some...
By Maggie Luy What shifts when the ground beneath everyday life begins to move? Infrastructure is usually what disappears first. In “Breakdown/Breakthrough: Art and Infrastructure," it stayed exposed. The exhibition, on view at UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum...
By Maggie Luy What does it mean to be remembered, and who gets to be seen? Through textured brushwork and carved forms, Sergio O’Cadiz Moctezuma honors labor and ancestry. That legacy continues in Edgar Fabián Frías’s layered digital collages and psychedelic video...
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