The OC Art Blog was created in 2004 as a way to build community and promote the marginalized but dynamic Orange County art scene.

Joe Sorren's paintings remind me of the sweetness of the simple moments in life, like a flower covered in dew sparkling in the sun or a child quietly playing in a garden. We have to intentionally stop being mentally absorbed in the incessant activities of our lives, to mindfully notice these sweet and movingly beautiful moments happening before our eyes everyday. Going to see Sorren's paintings on display feels like this. Like a visit to a park just to lay down on the grass and...

16 April, 2012 /

So we had a little relaunch reception for the OC Art Blog last Saturday night, it was a great time. Thank you to the OC Art Blog writing team, and our friends and the OC art fans that came out to support. Special thanks to Memphis restaurant for hosting, David Michael Lee for heaps of help, and Sarah, Suzanne, and Joy for the great art on the walls. Here's a short video of the event. ...

12 April, 2012 /

Pacific Standard Time is closing at the end of this month and with Southern California artists on the mind OCMA is continuing the trend with a large exhibition dedicated to Richard Diebenkorn’s Ocean Park Series. The  body of work spans over two decades (1967-1988) and is named after Diebenkorn’s studio in the Ocean Park neighborhood of Santa Monica where the abstract expressionist works were created. [caption id="attachment_3578" align="aligncenter" width="312" caption="Ocean Park #27, 1970, Oil on canvas"][/caption] The comprehensive OCMA exhibit encompasses eight galleries with approximately 80 works...

05 April, 2012 /

The OC Art Blog is hosting a re-launch party for it’s website in the back room of Memphis at the Santora on Saturday April 7th from 7-10PM during the Santa Ana Art Walk. The OC Art Blog is dedicated to the Orange County art community and has re-launched with a new format, new features and new writers. Enjoy drinks, appetizers, art by Suzanne Walsh, Sarah Walsh, Joy Shannon and Natasha Shah all while learning more about the new OC Art Blog. The OC Art Blog was...

04 April, 2012 /

  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 designer, musicians,...

03 April, 2012 /

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...

18 March, 2012 /

This edition of Beyond the Orange Curtain is coming to you from Anchorage, AK. While here to catch the Iditarod and basically just see Alaska, we had the opportunity to participate in Anchorage's first Friday art walk. One stand-out from the walking tour exposing us to a slice of Anchorage's cultural life, was the work of Anchorage based artist Erin Pollock. A favorite pastime of mine is people watching, and Erin Pollack is a pro at the art of people watching. Pollock traverses the many coffee...

09 March, 2012 /

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...

07 March, 2012 /

Los Angeles, CA  At the 100th Annual CAA Conference in downtown Los Angeles, I got a chance to sit and listen to a panel of women that could impress even the most haughty of elite art folks with their hard work, dedication, and professional experience. Among these women, Carrie Yury knocked my socks off with her helpful advice and personal experience in the art world. Carrie Yury, a professor at CSUF, an occasional writer for Artillery Magazine, and a creative photographer, and art world professional--Yury is...

06 March, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_3407" align="aligncenter" width="545" caption="Pacific Building Interior, Studio 213 (photos by Sherwood Souzankari)"]   Sometimes I can be a European-elitist, chiming into many political debates about health care, homelessness, college tuition costs, or funding for the arts with sentences that start with "Well, in Europe…" Truth is there are plenty of things that the United States can learn from Europe. My excuse for saying so is that I am actually European. I am first generation Irish to be raised in the US, and I spent much of...

01 March, 2012 /

Located in the glass jungle of Century City the Annenberg Space for Photography hosts one outstanding exhibit at a time based on a distinct theme.  The current installation, Digital Darkroom consists of 17 photographers from the US, UK and France who create surreal and impossible scenes using digital and/or darkroom manipulation. The Annenberg is modern yet welcoming; the main gallery is circular with the display walls surrounding a central screening room showing an entertaining behind-the-scenes film. The Annenberg exhibits are always accompanied by a film narrated...

22 February, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_3167" align="aligncenter" width="545" caption="Steve Carson from Echo Echo"][/caption] 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...

14 February, 2012 /

[caption id="attachment_3121" align="alignnone" width="545" caption="Joy Shannon and the Beauty Marks performing in 2011. From left: Joy Shannon on harp, Andy Zacharias on bass, Sean Wallace on guitar, and Graham Spillman on drums. (photo by Matt Frantz.)"][/caption] 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...

13 February, 2012 /

On First Saturday, the exhibit Gothic opened at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art in Santa Ana, featuring 56 artists from around the world working in a variety of different mediums, all within the genre of “Goth.” During opening night, the warehouse turned art co-op was transformed into a New Wave nightclub with artists and attendees dressed in their most morbid and theatrical attire. It was a dark and dapper atmosphere which began in full force when exhibition curator Amy V. Grimm arrived by coffin...

12 February, 2012 /