Successful Opening Receptions and Neighborhood Mixer @ Grand Central Art Center

With all the recent installations, programs and activities, we’ve been a little behind on our posting, so forgive us for this late recap…

The First Saturday Downtown Santa Ana Art Walk on June 7th marked the opening of two new exhibitions at Grand Central Art Center – Jody Zellen: Time Jitters and Flora Kao: Wind House, Abode That A Breath Effaced. Both artists were in attendance throughout the evening, greeting the 2,700+ who attended the reception. It was another truly successful evening.

Along with the opening receptions, our current artists in residence, Ingrid Reeve, Barbara Milliorn and Evan Senn, presented a screening of the film Cutie and the Boxer, as a public program for their current project/residency Life of an Artist. The audience loved it!

And we continue the current exhibition/residency Wild Times with artist Susan Robb. Susan continues to send transmissions from her journey on the Pacific Crest Trail, as well images and three-dimensional objects back to GCAC, resulting in an ever-expanding exhibition in the gallery.

In our GCAC Graduate Studio Spaces, California State University, Fullerton’s Kimberly McKinnis (MA in Exhibition Design) collaborated with Heather Bowling to present artist Taylor Correa. Taylor activated the space, creating work on site and presenting past work on display. Individuals were welcomed into the space for conversation and shared engagement.

We followed our First Saturday activities with a Downtown Santa Ana Neighborhood Mixer event on the evening of June 11th. Over 100 of our neighbors joined us at GCAC to connect further and meet new friends. It was a solid representation of our business community, our GCAC students who live on sites, and residences who live in the lofts of our downtown. The event included a Bites Battle, with delicious appetizers provided by Downtown restaurants Diego’s and Boldo, as coordinated by Downtown Inc.’s Ryan Smolar. Beverages were provided and served by Alova, through the in-kind generosity of Karen Gonzalez and her team. The amazing Delilah Snell was key to helping making this event a reality. GCAC’s team thanks each and everyone who donated and attended the event. WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORS!

A few more updates are coming soon, so keep an eye on the blog, or just come over for a visit.

March 1st from 6-10pm – Opening Receptions, Public Program and Cookies @ GCAC!

Join us to kick-off the month with two new exhibitions, a public program and other activities celebrating our First Saturday Art Walk scheduled for March 1st – Public Program at 6pm, Opening Receptions from 7-10pm, Girl Scout Cookie Sales from 7-9pm.

Here is what we have planned to engage you…

PUBLIC PROGRAM – 6PM

Feminism Today: Art and Life
panel discussion
March 1,  6PM
Grand Central Art Center A.I.R. Basement Studio

On March 1st, Life of An Artist (Ingrid Reeve, Barbara Milliorn and Evan Senn) will continue their dialogue with the public on what it means to be a feminist, a working female art professional, and more.

Through a panel discussion with some of Southern California’s prominent and influential female artists, art professionals, critics and professors, the Feminism Today: Art and Life panel presentation and conversation will focus on feminist art practices in both contemporary art and life. The women involved will open up to the public, and to Life of an Artist: a reality TV web series, in a discussion of how everyday life and art-making intersect.  Topics will include sexism, racism and/or the trials, tribulations or benefits of being a women, and feminists, as female art professionals have experienced in their respective artistic careers and personal lives.

Confirmed panelists include:

Carrie Yury: Carrie Yury is Head of Research and Insights at BeyondCurious, Inc., and she writes for the Huffington Post regularly. Yury is also a nationally-exhibited fine artist, mother, wife and feminist. She is based in Orange County, and is represented by the Sam Lee Gallery.

Micol Hebron: Micol Hebron is an interdisciplinary artist and is an Assistant Professor at Chapman University. She is the founder of the LA Art Girls, the (former) co-founder of the artist collective The Elizabeths, and a contributing editor at X-TRA Magazine. She lives and works in Los Angeles, where she is represented by Jancar Gallery. Her latest project is featured on the cover of Artillery Magazine this month.

Arzu Arda Kosar: Arzu Arda Kosar is an international artist now residing in Los Angeles. She is the founder of Yarn Bombing Los Angeles, a member of the MapConception. She is the co-founder of TransIstanbul Collective that worked with inner city youth in Istanbul, Turkey and co-founder of International Survey of Alternative Artscene that examined contemporary art practices outside of the museum-gallery system in different parts of the world.

Joanna Roche: Dr. Joanna Roche, published poet and Professor of Art History, is a specialist in contemporary art. She specializes in Modern Art, Theory and Practice in New Media, Methods and Historiography. Her publications include articles and reviews on Joseph Cornell, Goat Island, Carolee Schneemann, Cindy Sherman, Pipilotti Rist, Tom Nechtal, Christian Hill, Joe Forkan and Nobuhito Nishigawara. Her scholarship examines the interworkings of memory and making in contemporary art.

Carrie Paterson: Carrie Paterson is an artist, writer and professor whose work crosses interdisciplinary boundaries between the arts and sciences. Paterson has taught various courses at many universities in Southern California since 2001 in sculpture, expository writing, visual culture, and the narrative structures in contemporary culture. Paterson has contributed essays, reviews and critical articles to a variety of publications including Sculpture, Flash Art, X-TRA, Artillery and Artweek, and currently she is Reviews Editor for Artillery Magazine.

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OPENING RECEPTIONS – 7 to 10PM

Heather Bowling and Amanda Patenaude: You Are What You Concede
Curated by Kimberly McKinnis, CSUF MA in Exhibition and Design
OPENING RECEPTION – MARCH 1 from 7-10pm
March 1 through April 13, 2014

East Coast artist Amanda Pantenaude will team up with West Coast artist Heather Bowling, for a first time collaboration, creating a site-specific installation made from recycled materials collected within the Santa Ana community.  The artists are interested in social awareness and have created previous participatory projects in the hope to educate the public about current and pressing global issues.

The collection of materials will be organized through a series of community events, collaborating with local individuals and organizations. Hands-on workshops, panels and programs are being developed for the course of the exhibition.

Julia Haft-Candell: Fast and Slow
Curated by Yevgeniya Mikhailik, GCAC Curatorial Associate
OPENING RECEPTION – MARCH 1 from 7-10pm
March 1 through May 11, 2014

Julia Haft-Candell‘s sculptures are physical records of their making, and a reflection of their own history. Using small components to build larger forms, the artist continually invents, reassesses and makes endless decisions about how the work takes shape. Ultimately the goal is to form a composition that most effectively speaks to the ambiguity of perception and the complexity of being.

Using forms inspired by nature and the body, as well as ideas derived from quick doodles and sketches, she focuses on the space in between two contrasting concepts as a metaphor for my experience as a human being. In Haft-Candell’s words “I express contradictions. I seek the intersection of the conscious and subconscious, construction and destruction, fast and slow, serious and funny, hard and soft.”

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GIRL SCOUT COOKIES

Grand Central Art Center welcomes Santa Ana Girl Scout Troop #2363, who will be selling cookies for $4/box, plus collecting donations for the Southwest Community Center (homeless shelter) throughout the evening.

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CONTINUING EXHIBITION

Julianne Swartz and Ken Landauer: Miracle Report
January 19 – May 11, 2014

Julianne Swartz and Ken Landauer explored the miraculous through people’s perceptions of it in their lives, interviewing students, school children and community members of all ages and backgrounds. They combined their findings in an installation of fleeting vignettes playing on all of the available sound and video equipment in the museum’s possession. In the words of the artists, “Our installation strives to embody some beauty, some hocus-pocus and some unexplainable magic.”

More details on the exhibition can be found at:
https://grandcentralartcenter.wordpress.com/2014/01/10/julianne-swartz-and-ken-landauer-miracle-report/

Keeping Busy @ GCAC!

It continues to be very active here at Grand Central Art Center, and the last two weeks were no exception…

We were fortunate to welcome the Newport Beach Arts Foundation to downtown Santa Ana for dinner at Memphis, followed by a full tour of GCAC. The tour included: visits to the galleries and studios; a chance to talk with Artists in Residence Vincent Goudreau and Amy Sanchez (Cog•nate Collective); and a look at the upstairs apartment spaces. We would like to thank Ms. Virginia Hayter, a member of the organization, for arranging the visit. What a wonderful and inspiring group of individuals who are truly involved with their community!

We are always glad to have Joy Shannon and her students from the Orange County School of the Arts visit GCAC. These students are talented and ask the best questions. During their visit, they spent time with Artists in Residence Vincent Goudreau and Tim Youd, talking about their current projects and discussing the work in detail. Thank you Joy for always including GCAC in your teaching plans!

Thanks to the outstanding coordination and grace of California State University, Fullerton’s own Frances Teves and Trina Moreno, GCAC hosted the CSUF Philanthropic Foundation Board. This group of 24 alumni and friends of CSUF is truly a powerhouse of knowledge and generosity, helping to support, connect and promote all the positive programs of the CSUF.

The group meet in the education gallery, as President Mildred Garcia and Vice President for University Advancement Greg Saks discussed current university activities and forward vision. The meeting included an outstanding presentation by Mike Weisman, Partner, President and Co-Founder of the Values Institute at DGWB and William Briggs, CSUF Dean of the College of Communications. Mr. Weisman and Mr. Briggs talked about the newly developed Center for Brand Values at CSUF and the vision and importance of this new campus center, a first of its kind in the nation!

GCAC Director John Spiak concluded the meeting with an update on the recent and upcoming activities of Grand Central Art Center, followed by a full tour of GCAC. Again, we were fortunate to have many of our current Artists in Residence on-hand to directly present their current projects. It was a truly engaging evening!

Natalie Park, Education Intern at the Orange County Museum of Art, made arrangements for a visit by the museums interns. Joining us on the tour were OCMA’s Kelly Bishop, Public and Community Programs Manager, and Jenni Stenson, School and Tour Programs Manager. It is always a pleasure having OCMA interns visit GCAC, as ideas for collaborative possibilities always arise.

And no Thanksgiving Day weekend would be complete without the fall version of PATCHWORK! Thanks to Patchwork founders/organizers Delilah Snell and Nicole Stevenson, along with all the amazing vendors and trusted volunteers. The Santa Ana Patchwork is where it all began and the downtown Santa Ana version is by far the biggest, with over 160 vendors this round. Another GRAND SUCCESS, with over 9,000 in attendance and perfect weather for the day!

Thank you for your continued support in making GCAC and Santa Ana the place where community comes together for positive outcomes!

We look forward to seeing you here this Saturday, December 7 from 7-10pm for Santa Ana’s First Saturday Art Walk.

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INTERNal Affairs: “Are You Cortez?”

INTERNal Affairs is a new series by GCAC Curatorial Intern and CSUF Art History major Shauna Hultgrien.

This past Saturday Grand Central Art Center (GCAC) participated in another successful Santa Ana Art Walk with the opening of two new exhibitions: Beatriz Cortez’s The Time Machine and Eamonn Fox’s Solo Residency Exhibition for the Purposes of Furthering My Career. Those who experienced the opening night firsthand are fortunate enough to have been a part of the hustle and bustle of a very lively crowd. For those who missed the momentous gathering, allow me to relay the evening as it occurred to me, through the eyes of a GCAC intern.

My role for the night was to greet our eager patrons while tallying the events attendance with the state-of-the-art silver handheld clicker-counter. The nature of my work demanded that I maintain post just steps away from the center’s entrance, which, as luck would have it, placed me directly in between the two galleries featuring the new works.

Bewilderment and intrigue painted the faces of visitors as they entered the gallery that is home to The Time Machine. This installation by Cortez serves as a visualization of a Salvadoran immigrant’s assimilation into the Los Angeles community. The devastated population that calls the war-torn El Salvador home has desperately sought refuge in places where they can maintain their culture without sacrificing their lives. This haven proved to be Los Angeles and Cortez’s work illustrates the integration of Salvadoran heritage with the Los Angeles lifestyle. The gallery is comprised of three parts: a shattered wall that has been reconstructed to include artifacts that can be seen through the cracks, a series of bones enclosed atop a mound of rubble, and a small wooden room in the center of the space that is to be experienced inside and out. To receive the full effect of Cortez’s amazing work, it is imperative to establish a basic context of her artistic vision. This contextualization can be achieved through a brief review of the wall placard, however, on this busy Saturday night a line quickly formed to enter the wooden room and thusly the wall text was blocked. As a result, I put my greeting duties aside to answer the inundation of questions; the most frequent being, “Are you Cortez?” I can see where my somber demeanor and outdated beret would lead many to believe that I was the brilliant artist responsible for this work, but alas, no; my talents lie in salutations and clicking. The true artist could be found, happy and even eager to discuss the depths of her project, ushering patrons into the gallery and periodically offering an impromptu-guided tour.

Fox’s installation across the hall is a nice contrast to Cortez’s work. An eclectic display of printmaking, sculpture, photography, drawings, and paintings, Fox used his space as a sort of experiment in art. Photographs complete with Fox’s clever memes, drawings, and written confessions are just some of the works that fill the walls. There is also a dartboard in the front of the gallery (adjacent to a giant image of a pizza) that invites visitors to challenge the artist to a game, while an electronic streaming sign located just above the board coerced participants to write a message that Fox would later Tweet. Fox’s vision is to create living, breathing, current-event art that is as unpredictable as everyday life. Fox aims to produce work that is both engaging and interactive.

To commemorate the opening of the exhibition, Fox invited guest artist Patrick Ballard to do a performance piece within the exhibition space. An array of neon lights illuminated the gallery and poured into the hallway followed by the organ-esque shrieks of Ballard’s keyboard. My view from the foyer was obstructed and I could bear the anticipation no longer; I abandoned my post and found a spot in the back of the growing crowd to witness the unfolding of the saga (I apologize to those who were not greeted while I succumbed to my curiosity). The keyboard’s cries conjured a creature from a makeshift doorway in the wall; the creature was wrapped in plastic and donned a paper bag on its head with a large ominous eye drawn on the front. The cycloptic being trembled in the doorway as Ballard (now resembling Cousin It of the Addams Family) hovered over the keyboard, methodically bobbing his head with each key he struck. This lasted a few moments longer until finally Ballard thrust his head toward the heavens and allowed a dye-induced blue liquid to drip from his gaping mouth. He then calmly caught his breath and drank from a bottle of water, and with that the piece was concluded. A common air of confusion, excitement, and intrigue lingered as the ringing in everyone’s ears subsided and the lights retained their normal glow. The crowd slowly dispersed and continued around the room. Due to my duties I had missed the masking of the creature, but I was present for the unveiling. Imagine my shock and awe when the one-eyed being removed the bag of anonymity and revealed himself as artist Mario Ybarra Jr.! The surprise twist of a guest artist within a guest artist’s performance left my mind spinning as though I had just experienced a fantastic dream in which an artistic inception had just occurred. We at GCAC were thrilled that Ybarra Jr. was not only interested in our gallery, but that he also felt so inclined as to lend us his creative talents for the evening. Ballard’s energetic performance served to further the creative explosion imposed by Fox, while provoking an attitude in the crowed that prepared them to effectively receive and participate in Fox’s work.

The thrill of the shiny new exhibitions could have potentially detracted from Nothing Else Left, Adriana Salazar’s work in the main gallery, but patrons were far from deterred. The three artists produced such different pieces that each gallery provided a completely unique experience. As the attendance monitor I am happy to report that there was a constant and steady flow of patrons throughout all three exhibitions for the duration of the evening.

So, if you missed the jaw-dropping event that was last Saturday, I bet you’re writhing in regret after this epic ballad of events. Well, calm your troubled mind and rest easy; these exhibitions are open to the public FREE OF CHARGE, Tuesday through Sunday. But riddle me this art connoisseurs, are you hungry for the whole enchilada? Do you want to be amidst the excitement and energy that was experienced during opening night? Then cast yourself into in the eye of the artistic storm and be sure to join us each first Saturday of the month during the Santa Ana Art Walk. Eamonn Fox and Beatriz Cortez will be onsite during the walk for the next two months to meet you and discuss their works. I too will be there, and although I am not Cortez, I will make sure you are welcomed and your presence is accounted for. This is the GCAC intern, over and out.

Saskia Jorda Wraps First Part of Residency

It has been a busy few months for artist in residence Saskia Jorda, who has been at Grand Central Art Center engaging the topic of quinceañera with our local community, with assistance of CSUF BFA student Angelica Perez-Aguirre.  She’s met with numerous individuals and groups, spent time in great conversations, has had generous collaborative assistance from many members of our Santa Ana neighborhood, as well as CSUF faculty, students and our GCAC team.  The collective efforts and energy are working towards the development of her project that will open in GCAC’s Don Cribb Project Room during the May 4, Downtown Santa Ana First Saturday Art Walk.

Saskia Jorda with Angelica Perez-Aguirre

Saskia Jorda with Joanna Roche and Matthew Miller

Over the course of the past few weeks, Saskia had the opportunity to speak at the contemporary art history class of CSUF professor Joanna Roche.  She welcomed students from Joy Shannon’s art classes of the Orange County School of the Arts into the Artist in Residence studio to share her past work and a conversation about the recent project.  CSUF students Aaron Jones,   and Maxwell Rivas joined community member Claudia de la Cruz for Saskia’s second Sunday Workshop and Conversation.

Saskia Jorda with CSUF students Angelica Perez-Aguirre, Maxwell Rivas, and community member Claudia de la Cruz.

Saskia Jorda with Joy Shannon’s students from Orange County School of the Arts

Saskia Jorda with Joanna Roche and Tracey Gayer

Saskia has concluded the first part of her residency, but will return in late April for the installation of the project.   We thought you might enjoy this little teaser of the full installation to come, it will be fantastic!  Mark your calendar now and plan to join us, we promise lots of outstanding art and a few surprises…

Workshop (3/17) & Update on Artist in Residence Saskia Jorda’s Unraveling Tradition

Grand Central Art Center Artist in Residence Saskia Jorda and her artistic collaborator, California State University at Fullerton visual art student Angelica Perez-Aguirre, invite you to join them at GCAC this Sunday, March 17th from 2-4pm, for a hands-on workshop in the development of the project Unraveling Tradition.

With the intention of bringing about a broader understanding of the Quinceañera tradition, they invite you to share your story and hear those of others.

Complete details for the workshop can be found below, but we wanted to first provide you a little update on the activities related to Saskia’s residency and the overall project – which will result in a full installation at GCAC scheduled to open with a major reception on May 4th from 7-10pm.

During the Downtown Santa Ana March First Saturday, Saskia and Angelica were joined by Quinceañera magazines January-April issue Cover Girl Jennifer Razo and the issues Miss Popular Sabrina Torres. The Artist in Residence studio was opened to our GCAC 2nd Street Promenade, inviting the public to join them in conversation, hands-on activities and a magazine signing by their two celebrity guests.  Thank you to Quinceañera magazines for their continued support of this project!

The following afternoon, March 3rd, Saskia and Angelica presented their first public workshop.  They were joined by members of our community who brought their own personal stories, histories and future plans associated with the tradition Quinceañera, sharing a wonderful afternoon of conversation.  While everyone talked, they engaged in hand making activities involving fabrics, buttons and photographs.  Much was shared to inform the project and help in the development of the workshop scheduled for this Sunday.

Since that first workshop, Saskia and Angelica have been hard at work in the Artist in Residence studio.  Saskia has been developing, with the assistance of our amazing preparatory Matthew Miller, the overall plans for the spinning sculptural element which will be presented in the GCAC Project Gallery this May.  The two artists have also been busy sewing fabric elements.  To date they have gathered and ruffled over 160 yards, with a goal of over 500 yards when the project is complete.

Our entire GCAC team is excited to see the outcome of this project in May and we invite you to join us that evening, which we promise will hold many surprises!

So come be a part of the project and join Saskia and Angelica for this Sunday’s workshop at Grand Central Art Center’s Artist in Residence Studio!

Here are the workshop details:

Workshop: March 17, 2-4 pm

Explore the Quinceañera tradition
by sharing your story with us

Join artists Saskia Jordá and Angelica Perez-Aguirre at Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana for a project entitled “Quinceañera.”

With the intention of bringing about a broader understanding of the Quinceañera tradition, we invite you to share your story and hear those of others. If you are a:
- Quinceañera who is preparing for your special day.
- Young girl or woman who has already gone through this celebration.
- Parent, relative, or friend interested in sharing your own experience.
Or, join us if you are simply interested in learning about this long-standing tradition.

Come and take part in the “Recuerdos” or “memory” making day.
- Share your photos and experiences and listen to those of others.
- Transform your Quinceañera dress or any item from your celebration into wearable art objects or “Recuerdos.”
- Or come and share your excitement and ideas, and work with our materials.

A series of free workshops on:
 SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2013 from 2-4 PM 
SUNDAY, MARCH 17, 2013 from 2-4 PM 
GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER, A.I.R Studio
125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA
Drop in or let us know if you can join us by calling us at: (714) 567-7233
For more info visit: https://grandcentralartcenter.wordpress.com/

Explore la tradición de Quinceañera compartiendo su historia con nosotros

Acompañe a las artistas Saskia Jordá y Angelica Perez-Aguirre en Grand Central Art Center en Santa Ana para un proyecto titulado “Descifrando una Tradición”.
Le invitamos a compartir su historia y escuchar las de otros, con la intención de lograr una comprensión más amplia de la tradición de la Quinceañera. Si Ud. es:
- Una Quinceañera que se prepara para su día especial
- Una joven o mujer que ya ha pasado por esta celebración
- Familiar o amigo interesado en compartir su propia experiencia
- O simplemente acompáñenos si está interesado/a en aprender más sobre esta tradición.

Venga y participe en un día de crear “Recuerdos”.

– Comparta sus fotos y experiencias y escuche las de otros.
- Transforme su vestido de Quinceañera o cualquier artículo de su celebración en objetos de arte usables o “Recuerdos”.
- O venga y comparta su entusiasmo e ideas y trabaje con nuestros materiales.

Una serie de talleres gratuitos el:

DOMINGO, 3 DE MARZO, 2013 from 2-4 PM
DOMINGO, 17 DE MARZO, 2013 from 2-4 PM

GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER, A.I.R Studio
125 N. Broadway, Santa Ana, CA
Preséntese o avísenos si nos puede acompañar llamándonos al: (714) 567-7233
Para más información visite: https://grandcentralartcenter.wordpress.com/

What a Weekend @ Grand Central Art Center!

We kicked off this past weekend on Friday, by engaging with Social Practice collaborative artists Owen Driggs, through their Performing Public Space Loitering Project.  Invited as part of Jules Rochielle’s Artist in Residence at GCAC, Janet Owen and Matt Driggs took visiting artists Jules Rochielle, Maria Del Carmen Montoya, Christina Sanchez, Silvia Juliana Mantilla Ortiz, and Cypress College art professor Ed Giardina and his students Brian Yellowshirt McNamara and Luis Munoz-Najar, on a loitering adventure of Downtown Santa Ana.  Owen Driggs and Maria Del Carmen Montoya were exploring the area in preparation of future visits and activities in associating with Rochielle’s GCAC Artist in Residence throughout the summer and fall.

 

Saturday’s activities started with an outstanding talk by author Gustavo Arellano.  He shared with those in attendance the history of Mexican food in the US, through stories from research for his latest book Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America.   Following the talk, Gustavo graciously signed copies of the book for those in attendance.  Thank you to Rueben Martinez of Libreia Martinez Book and Art Gallery for providing the publications for the event.  Thank you as well to Gustavo for allowing us this opportunity – sharing your knowledge and providing engaged insights, all with such humor and grace!

 

It was the monthly First Saturday Art Walk in Downtown Santa Ana, as well as Cinco de Mayo, so that could only mean a joyous night of opening receptions and cultural activities throughout the city.

Grand Central Art Center opened three new exhibitions to a very large and receptive audience.  The artists, curators and GCAC team did the center proud, with top quality exhibitions throughout, so we thank them all for their hard work, passion and talent.

The exhibitions included:

Naida Osline: All the Queen’s Men

 

Millard Sheets Studio: The Art of Home Savings and Loan

Curated by Concepcion Rodriguez and Wendy Sherman

 

Camilla Taylor: The Disagreement

Curated by Yevgeniya Mikhailik

 

Along with Saturday’s three opening receptions, California State University, Fullerton’s student project Evoke Unity engaged with Jules Rocheille’s What is Democracy?, creating an interactive/participatory installation in the GCAC AIR studio space.  Thank you to our outstanding CSUF students for their hard work, dedication and engaged approach to art making.  Many of these students, along with the artists who participated in the loitering of Downtown Santa Ana, will be joining us at the Open Engagement conference in Portland, OR, May 18-20.

 

And what celebration would be complete without some traditional Lucha Libre on the front 2nd Street promenade?  What power, what force, what energy – truly entertaining!

 

Sunday afternoon provided the opportunity for an educated conversation on the work of Millard Sheets and his studio.  The lively and informative panel, Dr. Adam Arenson, Alan Hess, Mike McGee, provide outstanding perspective and historic background to the work of this artist, designer and architect.  They shared their knowledge and research on the importance of the masterful artist and the impact he, along with Howard Ahmanson and Home Savings and Loan, played on the landscape, history and vision of Southern California.

 

And to round out the weekend activities, members of Southern California Artists (SCA) joined GCAC Director/Chief Curator John D. Spiak for an evening of conversation at the center.  The group discussed the current series of exhibitions, the future vision and residency programs of GCAC, and shared views on Social Practice.

Thank you to all that continue to participate and contribute to the programming of Grand Central Art Center, we truly appreciate your support, enthusiasm and insights!

IF YOU MISSED IT – FIRST SATURDAY – APRIL 7 @ GRAND CENTRAL ART CENTER

If you were here for First Saturday, we are sure you enjoyed the amazing evening of activities presented at Grand Central Art Center!

If you couldn’t make it, here is a sampling of what you missed…

WHAT IS DEMOCRACY? TEEN WORKSHOP
Working with young women, staff and volunteers from the Downtown Santa Ana Library, artist in residence Jules Rochielle presented an identity circle workshop in the AIR studio space.
http://www.what-is-democracy.org/

ONE STORY = ONE AREPA
At the invitation of artist in residence Jules Rochielle, artist Silvia Juliana Mantilla Ortiz presented, for the first time in a public setting, her One Story = One Arepas project.

EXHIBITIONS
Individuals took an opportunity to see the current exhibitions, which will be closing this coming Sunday. The exhibitions include Here In Your Space (Guy Ben-Ner, Christian Jankowski, Gillian Wearing) The Cacophony Society and Imaginary Realism (Karol Bak, Pedro de Kastro, Steven Kenny, Tomasaz Alen Kopera, Ans Markus, Michael Parkes, Tomek Setowski, Yu Sugawara).

THE GRAND REOPENING OF THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED AND BELLY SPROUT
A series of demonstrations, hands-on activities, freebies, food and entertainment for the whole family.