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
California Landscapes: Then & Now
Exhibition: May 26–August 25
Exhibition Opening Reception: Sunday, May 26, 1–3 p.m.
Since the beginning of the 20th century, Southern California has been a rich subject matter for artists across the state. From the plein air Impressionist painters who made Laguna Beach home to mid-century Abstract Expressionism and Minimalism, the Golden State’s landscape, geography, and geological characteristics have inspired artists across generations. In collaboration with the Irvine Museum, California Landscapes: Then and Now features a selection of historical California Impressionist reproductions from the Irvine Museum collection, exhibited together with a survey of contemporary artists who have chosen the diverse cityscapes and landscapes of California as subjects to explore in a variety of media.
This exhibition will feature artworks by Andrea Bersaglieri, Roi Clarkson Colman, Samantha Fields, Christian Franzen, Kiyomi Fukui, John Gamble, Adam Harrison, John Hilton, Virginia Katz, Jean Nagai, Michael Nannery, Will Nettleship, Edgar Payne, Oscar Pearson, Granville Redmond, Greg Rose, Jack Wilkinson Smith, and Dedrick Stuber in addition to an exhibition essay by art historian Dr. Julia Friedman.
California Landscapes: Indigo Handkerchief Printing Workshop
Palm Court Arts Complex
Saturday, July 13, 2024 1-3 p.m.
Craft a unique summertime masterpiece with the natural world. By using the indigo plant in the tataki zome process, a leaf pounding dye technique, participants will create and transfer a natural blue pigment onto a silk handkerchief. This workshop will be led by artist Michael Nannery. While you are here, see the many ways artists have engaged with nature in California in the Great Park Gallery exhibition, California Landscapes: Then and Now. No advanced registration is needed for this free, fun event for all ages.
California Landscapes: Origami Workshop
Palm Court Arts Complex
Saturday, August 10, 2024,1-3 p.m.
Delve into the intricate world of origami and create a one-of-a-kind printed masterpiece inspired by the beauty of nature with exhibiting artist Kiyomi Fukui. No advanced registration is needed for this free, fun event for all ages; children under 10-years-old must be accompanied by an adult.
Thank You, Good Night: Concert Photography
Exhibition: September 29–December 29
Exhibition Opening Reception: Sunday, September 29, 1–3 p.m.
Concert photography has captured the heart-pounding energy and moments we share together, producing some of the most iconic images of each generation. From rock concerts to intimate acoustic performances, discover the power of music and community through the eye of the camera. Explore the magic, passion, and sheer artistry of performances that have shaped the cultural landscape of music history. Thank You, Good Night: Concert Photography surveys the sights and sounds of live music from a diverse range of photographers from the 1960s to today.
Image Credit: Bob Gruen, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day on stage at Parc des Princes in Paris, France. June 26, 2010.
More information coming soon.
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.
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.
