The Palm Court Arts Complex is home to the Great Park Gallery and the Great Park Studio. The Palm Court’s re-purposed military structures now form a cultural campus supporting the development of a fresh approach to establishing an interdisciplinary, public arts program.
Learn more about exhibitions at the Irvine Fine Arts Center here.
Learn more about exhibitions at City Hall here.
Thursdays & Fridays: Noon–4 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free Admission
More Than You Can Chew
January 26–April 20
Opening Reception Sunday, January 26, 1–3 p.m.
Extending beyond aesthetics and taste, More Than You Can Chew surveys contemporary artworks that examine the cultural, economic, and political foundations which shape our culinary experiences. Acting as conduits for discourse, the artworks included in this exhibition bring new ideas to familiar subjects. Explore the complexities of food through a lens that merges the edible with artistic integrity, showcasing that some of the most simple and familiar things can hold hidden and elaborate meanings.
Image Credit: Eriko Kobayashi, Sunny Side Up, Borosilicate Glass and Flameworking, 2022.
More Than You Can Chew: Art Activities
See art, hear art, make art! Round out your visit to the Great Park Gallery exhibition, More Than You Can Chew, with these free, all-ages events. No advance registration is required to attend. Materials will be provided. Please note that all workshops are drop-in and self-guided; children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
Jazz in the Palm Court
In support of More Than You Can Chew, the Great Park Palm Court Arts Complex presents a three-part live jazz music series, Jazz in the Palm Court. Inspired by a diverse range of composers and musicians, this event echoes the cultural diversity represented in More Than You Can Chew. Bring folding chairs and blankets for seating around the Palm Court; no advance registration is needed for these free events.
Jazz in the Palm Court will take place:
Orange County Archives Bazaar: From Saigon to Little Saigon: Reflections on 50 Years of Home; March 16, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Explore the idea of home through the lens of Orange County’s Vietnamese community as we mark 50 years since the Fall of Saigon. In From Saigon to Little Saigon: Reflections on 50 Years of Home, you are invited to discover cherished stories, traditions, and memories through collections from libraries, museums, and community organizations.
The Orange County Archives Bazaar is Sunday, March 16 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m., and features exhibitions, presentations, and activities for all ages. This free event, presented by OC Archives in Action in collaboration with Anaheim Public Library, CSUF Pollak Library, and UCI Libraries, supports the Great Park Gallery’s exhibition More Than You Can Chew. No registration required.
The Great Park Studio is a creative flex space that offers camps and classes, special events, and private rentals. Studio camps and classes cover educational topics such as chess, engineering, science, and more. All current camps and classes can be viewed at yourirvine.org, or browse the current digital edition of Inside Irvine. Special events include enhancement activities that compliment Great Park Gallery exhibitions. Information regarding private rentals at the Studio and Great Park can be viewed here.
Thursdays & Fridays: Noon–4 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free Admission
*Great Park’s Hangar 244 is subject to closures due to private event rentals and/or larger city-wide events. For building closure status, please call 949-724-6599.
March 16, 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
Explore the idea of home through the lens of Orange County’s Vietnamese community as we mark 50 years since the Fall of Saigon. In From Saigon to Little Saigon: Reflections on 50 Years of Home, you are invited to discover cherished stories, traditions, and memories through collections from libraries, museums, and community organizations.
The Orange County Archives Bazaar is Sunday, March 16 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m., and features exhibitions, presentations, and activities for all ages. This free event, presented by OC Archives in Action in collaboration with Anaheim Public Library, CSUF Pollak Library, and UCI Libraries, supports the Great Park Gallery’s exhibition More Than You Can Chew. No registration required.
In 1993, Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro was designated for closing by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and all of its activities were to be transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The station officially closed on July 2, 1999.
Since 2002, the Legacy Project has documented the transformation of the former Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro into the Orange County Great Park. They have created more than 200,000 images and famously turned a giant jet hangar into the world’s largest camera and used it to take the world’s largest picture.
These photos capture the Flying Bull insignia around the military base and its buildings.
A Guide to Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro is a documentary about the history of the region.
This 9-minute archive will take you on a retrospective journey from the early days of the Irvine family’s prodigious ranching and agricultural projects, to the coming of World War II and the subsequent arrival of Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro.
The film screens every 20 minutes in the History Room hallway of Hangar 244.
The Flying Bull
In 1943 Walt Disney designed the El Toro Flying Bull logo for Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Walt Disney Productions created approximately 1,200 designs during World War II for both American and Allied military units. In 1993, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was designated for closing by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and all of its activities were to be transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The station officially closed on July 2, 1999. These photos, captured by the Legacy Project, document the Flying Bull insignia in various locations of MCAS El Toro.
Opening El Toro
Construction of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro began on August 3, 1942 on land previously owned by the Irvine Company. The runways and taxiways were completed by December 1, 1942 and all squadron hangars were complete by January 15, 1943. These photos, taken by Bob Blankman, a history archivist and member of the first unit stationed at El Toro, capture the building of the base.
Coordinates
Since 2002, the Legacy Project has documented the transformation of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro into the Orange County Great Park. They have created over 200,000 images and famously turned a giant jet hangar into the world’s largest camera and used it to take the world’s largest picture. This photography collection showcases 18 former MCAS El Toro buildings and sites, accompanied by a large-scale historic map of the base highlighting the coordinates and building numbers represented in each photo. The Legacy Project is comprised of artists Mark Chamberlain, Clayton Spada, Jacques Garnier, Robert Johnson, and Douglas McCulloh.
Life on the Base: MCAS El Toro
The day to day for El Toro service members included the expected activities of life on a military base, however their free time and recreational activities were fun, diverse and similar to Great Park visitors today. The images on display, courtesy of the First American OC Historical Photo Archive and the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, capture life in the early days of MCAS El Toro. Originally exhibited in the 2023 Great Park Gallery exhibition Life on the Base: MCAS El Toro curated by Cynthia Castaneda.
Pilot Maker: Planes from MCAS El Toro
On display in and around Hangar 244 are two World War II era training planes––a N3N-3 Canary and a SNJ-5 Texan. Both aircraft were used as training planes for service members of MCAS El Toro, while the Texan was used for military operations during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, as well as in numerous other conflicts around the world.
