Exhibitions

The Palm Court Arts Complex is home to the Great Park Gallery and the Great Park Artist Studios. 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

As part of the City of Irvine’s Fine Arts Program, the Great Park Gallery and Artist Studios present a varied exhibition program from year to year, with shows scheduled 12 to 24 months in advance. For more information, see the Exhibition Proposal Requirement form here.  

Great Park Gallery

Thursdays & Fridays: Noon–4 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free Admission
 


UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Image Credit: Naw Miranda - @entrelinhas.Skt  ® Project @nawmiranda.ph / between linesskt

New Normal: Skateboarding Now 

Exhibition: June 4–August 27
Exhibition Opening: Sunday, June 4, 1–3 p.m.

Evolving out of the 1950’s California surf community, skateboards brought the sensations of the water sport to the streets, becoming a staple of California’s cultural landscape. Since then, skateboarding continues to evolve, capturing the attention of each generation in a different way promoting diversity and inclusivity.

New Normal: Skateboarding Now explores how the sport has contributed and expanded into fashion, film, music, and art, inspiring diverse demographics globally over the last seventy years.

Image Courtesy of Chris Sanchez

Adaptive Skateboarding: A Panel Discussion

Sunday, July 2, 1–3 p.m.

Adaptive skateboarding is the practice of skateboarding by individuals with physical disabilities. Join Robert Brink, curator of the Great Park Gallery exhibition New Normal: Skateboarding Now, for a conversation with professional adaptive skaters Justin Bishop, Oscar Loreto Jr., and Quinn Waitley. This inspiring conversation will highlight the history of the adaptive skateboard community while discussing each individual athlete’s experiences with the sport.

No advanced registration is needed for this free family-friendly event.

Great Park Artist Studios

Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free admission
 
*Great Park’s Artist Studios is subject to closures due to private event rentals and/or larger city-wide events. For building closure status, please call 949-724-6599.
 

 

UPCOMING EXHIBITION

Image Courtesy of Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Museum.

Deck Design: A Survey of Skateboard Evolution 

Exhibition: June 4–August 27
Exhibition Opening: Sunday, June 4, 1–3 p.m.

Since the 1950’s the skateboard has evolved both scientifically and aesthetically, meeting the needs of each generation differently. From artwork to production, each era of skateboard gave riders new abilities that helped redefine the sport.

In collaboration with the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Musuem, Deck Design: A Survey of Skateboard Evolution showcases how the skateboard has changed.

Image courtesy of Matt U of Slushcult.

Slushcult Fingerboard Sessions 

Sunday, June 4, 1–3 p.m.
Sunday, July 16, 1–3 p.m.

Built on inclusivity and fun, Slushcult has cultivated one of the strongest communities in contemporary skateboarding by way of fingerboarding. With a strong social media presence and a brick-and-mortar Mini Mart, Slushcult provides unique one-of-a-kind experiences to visitors and fingerboarders alike.

Slushcult Fingerboard Sessions will bring these experiences to the Artist Studios and Palm Court Arts Complex at Great Park in support of the Gallery exhibition, New Normal: Skateboarding Now. These fun and interactive events will give visitors the opportunity to fingerboard on unique mini-skate parks and experience the joy Slushcult has contributed to skateboarding. No advance registration is needed for these free fun for all ages events.

Hangar 244

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.
 


Ongoing Exhibitions

Old Town Irvine

In collaboration with the Irvine Historical Society and University of California, Irvine (UCI) Libraries, Old Town Irvine presents a selection of reproduced historical images that chronicle one of the many transformative periods in the twentieth century for our city.

The photographs curated in this exhibition document historic spaces integral to the industry that would eventually lead Irvine to become the thirteenth largest city in California. Among such places are a hotel on Burt Road, used by seasonal agricultural employees, a general store once located on Sand Canyon Avenue that provided goods for the community, the East Irvine Post Office, and the city’s main blacksmith shop.

Once an agricultural hub, now a fast-growing city of over 300,000 residents, Old Town Irvine features photographs by visual documentarian Rene Laursen and selections from Special Collections and Archives at UCI.

Closing Marine Corps Air Station El Toro

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

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.