City of Irvine Stepping Up Plans for the Arts

Photo: Amy Caterina, the first Artist-in-Residence at the Great Park, with her “Tree Cozy” covering one of the queen palm trees at the Palm Court Arts Complex and created with the help of Great Park visitors.

The Irvine City Council has approved the development of a Public Arts Master Plan and By-Laws for a new Public Arts Committee. The Plan contract has been awarded to Arts Orange County, which recently completed a Public Art Program and Policy Recommendations study for Irvine (approved by City Council in July 2023). ArtsOC has a long history of assisting Irvine with its arts programs: in 2008, it conducted a community input gathering process that resulted in its report, Animating Arts & Culture at the Orange County Great Park, which identified community arts needs that could be addressed in the infrastructure and programmatic planning for the new park. From 2008 to 2015, ArtsOC was contracted to implement some of the recommended programs at the Great Park’s Palm Court Arts Complex, presenting free monthly performances and helping to launch an artist-in-residence program. The purpose of the new Public Arts Master Plan is “to work in conjunction with City staff and the Public Arts Committee to gather and utilize broad public involvement in the creation of the Public Arts Master Plan. The goal is to develop guidance for the Public Art Program, to identify resources for the support of public art throughout Irvine and at the Great Park, and to set priorities for public art within Irvine.” The City Council is expected to appoint members to the Public Arts Committee soon and ArtsOC will present the completed plan by the end of 2024.

Bolsa Chica Mesa Returned to

Indigenous Control

After years of disputes, the 6.2-acre Bolsa Chica Mesa is back under Indigenous stewardship, marking a historic moment as the first-ever land return to tribal communities in Orange County. Tribal community leaders announced the return of Bolsa Chica Mesa last week, following the land transfer to the Acjachemen Tongva Land Conservancy, which was formed three years ago with the intention of taking the land back to use as a historical site for ceremonies and education.

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Restoration Completed of Historic Mariners Medical Arts Building 

Top, historical photo credit: Julius Shulman photography archive, 1936-1997)

Bottom, restoration photo Credit: Benny Chan/fotoworks 2023

Burnham-Ward Properties has announced the completion of their year-long effort to restore and rehabilitate the historic Mariners Medical Arts building located on Westcliff Drive in Newport Beach. Mariners Medical Arts was originally designed by master architect Richard Neutra in 1963. Burnham-Ward Properties acquired the property in 2021 to ensure the responsible stewardship of the iconic asset. Mariners Medical Arts embodies a mid-century modern design that integrates dynamic interior and exterior architectural features that seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor spaces. Burnham-Ward Properties’ team relied on historic photographs and preserved construction drawings to restore many of the original architectural elements, including three water features within the core of the property that were wrongly removed by prior ownership in the 1970s.  

California Humanities Announces Civics + Humanities Middle Grades Grants

Civics + Humanities Middle Grades Grants support civic education for California’s middle grades-aged youth (grades 6-8 or ages 10-14) in school and beyond. Funds can cover teachers, supplies, transportation, administration, stipends for students and more. The grants aim to enhance civic knowledge and bolster civic participation throughout the student’s school years and into their adult life at every scale. Applications are accepted from California-based nonprofit organizations, schools, libraries, and public agencies. Guidelines and an application will go live on December 1, 2023. The application deadline is February 1, 2024.

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Arts in California Parks Artist Directory Accepting Submissions

Artists who are interested in creating public art in California State and/or local parks are invited to join the Arts in California Parks directory. The directory is a resource available to all State and local California Parks staff, as well as the general public, to be used to search for artists based on location, art medium or other considerations in order to explore opportunities for collaboration. 

Read more here.

We acknowledge with respect our presence on the ancestral lands of the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians - Acjachemen Nation and the Tongva People.