[ad_1]
There’s more to the OC Fair than carnival rides, games for stuffed animals, giant barbecue turkey legs, the petting zoo and Chicken Charlies’ Kool-Aid chicken sandwiches.
Tucked away in the southeast corner of the Main Mall is the Los Alamitos building, which houses the Visual Arts Gallery, a longstanding tradition at the OC Fair. FYI: It’s next to the “sweet and delicious” churros stand. This year, the air-conditioned gallery also includes all of woodworking for just the second time. (Last year was the first time.)
In previous years, woodworking was located in the Anaheim building on the northeast end of the Main Mall. The live woodworking demonstrations, a kind of treat in the old setup, are gone this time around.
Visual Art at the OC Fair
Where: OC Fair, Los Alamitos building, 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa
When: 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Wednesdays to Fridays, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, through Aug. 14
Tickets: $7-$14, included in fair admission; must be purchased in advance
Information: (714) 708-1624 or ocfair.com
Exactly 1,300 works are on display this year, compared to 1,067 last year, when pieces were more spaced out due to COVID precautions. There are 504 fine art works, 674 photographs, and 122 pieces of woodworking, according to exhibitions and education coordinator Stephen Anderson.
This used to be a bigger and more jam-packed show. Pre-COVID, 1,700 works were on display in 2019, and more than 1,800 pieces were on view in 2018.
Also missing this year are featured artists, which were a nice touch, a display from Laguna College of Art + Design students, and live artists’ demonstrations. The latter was nixed from last year’s show because of COVID precautions.
Judges’ works are displayed on the east end of the gallery, where the LCAD display used to be. There are also some judges’ works, including paintings by Evalynn Alu, on walls near the information desk.
The Breakdown
The show is divided into three sections: photography on the north side, woodworking and sculpture in the middle, and fine art (mostly painting) on the south side. There are fewer sculptures compared to previous years, a trend that also started last year.
Double Your Donation Today!
We have an opportunity to double a $10,000 donation, thanks to a generous opportunity from the Ernest and Irma Rose Foundation.
For every $1 you donate today by clicking the button below, we will receive $2 which will be exclusively used to fund Arts & Culture stories.
Anyone living in California can submit work, although the majority of artists reside in Orange County. About 25% of photography submissions were accepted by the jurors, and about 60% of fine art submissions were admitted, according to Anderson. Last year, it was 20% for photography and 40% for fine art, so the chances of getting accepted have been improving, for all of you aspiring photographers and artists.
Many works are for sale; interested buyers can inquire at the information desk.
While there are many fine contributions in all divisions, and a few duds, here are the best-in-show winners:
- PHOTOGRAPHY: Leagh Sachs, “Lone But Not Lonesome Tree,” a winter scene of a snow-covered tree in Yellowstone National Park;
- PROFESSIONAL FINE ARTS: Tony Podue, “Bayou Bling,” a painting that gives meaning to the expression, “down on the Bayou”;
- WOODWORKING: Jim Peel, African mahogany credenza made of African mahogany, natural and ebonized with wenge accents;
- YOUNG ADULT (YA) PHOTOGRAPHY: Gram Nylen, “Siberia, CA,” an empty intermodal train flies west through the Mojave desert;
- YA FINE ARTS: Alison Lee, “Framed Modernity,” a mixed media work featuring a watercolor painting with a surrounding frame of various jeans.
An awards ceremony for the best-of-show winners in all major categories will be held at noon Sunday, Aug. 14 on the OC Promenade stage, in the Culinary Arts/Explorium area next door to the arts gallery.
For more information about division and ribbon winners and honorable mentions, check out the visual arts competition website. Or click through the slideshow below to see division winners:
-
“Eskimo Kiss – The Nose Knows!” is a black and white photograph by Edmund Cheung of Rancho Palos Verdes. This image was a division winner in black and white photos. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Eight” by Ailene Aihara of Los Angeles is a digital painting. It’s a division winner in amateur 2D fine art. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“America’s Big Cat” is a sculpture by Bill Churchill of Anaheim. It’s a division winner in woodworking – wood carving/sculpture. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair
“Daruma Doll” by Xinmeng Zhang of Tustin is a mixed media collage. The daruma is a Japanese ornament and toy. This piece is a division winner in YA fine art. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Uncharted Realm” by Amir Toumi of Costa Mesa is a photograph and a division winner in YA photo. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Earthling” by Tess Israelson of Huntington Beach is a hand-built ceramic sculpture. It was a division winner in professional ceramics. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
The back side of “Key to the City” by Andra Broekelschen of Corona del Mar is a mosaic abstract city grid and beach scene, made of glass, tile, metal, handmade clay shell, keys and found pieces. It was a division winner in professional 3D fine art/assemblage. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Entropic Punch #2” by Scott McGregor of Costa Mesa is a vase made of soda-fired stoneware. It is a division winner in amateur ceramics. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Dragon Face” by John Acosta of Huntington Beach is made of bronze, elk bone, snake bone, buffalo teeth, abalone shell and turquoise. It is a division winner in amateur 3D fine art. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Elements” by Jenalyn Jimenez of Irvine is a mixed media mounted on an aluminum panel with resin finish. It’s a division winner in amateur 2D fine art. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
This classical guitar by Michael Hamlin of Long Beach is made of cedar for the top, and quartersawn Koa for the neck, back and sides. Pau Ferro was used for the fretboard and bridge. This guitar is a division winner for woodworking – musical instruments. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Sunset” by Boris Khechoyan of Fullerton is a division winner in woodworking, wall art. This marquetry was done with various wood selections. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Great Egret” by David Ortega of Sun City is an American walnut mantel clock with handcrafted copper dial and pendulum, along with handcrafted ceramic tiles. It’s a division winner in woodworking accessories. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair -
“Outer Limits” by Brent Wallace of Huntington Beach is a segmented bowl, and a division winner in wood turning. Credit: Image courtesy of OC Fair
More Visual Stuff
The Crafters Village at the fair features some original and hand-crafted works by visiting vendors. This year, spacing precautions due to COVID do not seem to be in effect anymore. So there seem to be more booths, and therefore more stuff to check out.
Also, the reggae guy selling reggae-themed T-shirts, sweatshirts, bracelets and accessories is back! Although the “One Love” bracelet I bought broke within a couple of days. Can I exchange it for one that won’t fall off?
Last but not least, Heroes Hall Museum is located just south of the Pacific Amphitheatre. On display through Sept. 18 is “Fighting for the Right to Fight: African American Experiences in World War II.” It’s mostly photographs and text, with a couple of stations that provide videos and oral histories.
“The SAAAB Story” is an interesting permanent exhibition on the second floor of Heroes Hall. Through photographs, artifacts, letters and some video, it tells the story of the Santa Ana Army Air Base (SAAAB), which was a flight training center.
Among the highlights are letters sent from eighth graders who were held in incarceration camps to their white classmates in Westminster; stories about women, Latino, LGBTQ and Chinese service members in the military during World War II; and an anecdote about Joseph Heller, the author of the classic novel “Catch 22,” who once trained at SAAAB.
So consider checking out the arts, crafts and exhibitions at the OC Fair. You might learn something new, or have an unexpected aesthetic experience.
Richard Chang is senior editor for Arts & Culture at Voice of OC. He can be reached at [email protected].
» Stay connected with the arts scene with our weekly newsletter.
Since you value arts and culture,
You are obviously connected to your community and value good arts and culture journalism. As an independent and local nonprofit, Voice of OC’s arts and culture reporting is accessible to all. Our journalists are focused on keeping you connected with the artistic and cultural heartbeat of Orange County. This journalism depends on donors like you to thrive.
Related
[ad_2]
Source link