High School Art Exhibition

Opening Reception: April 23, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Exhibition: April 6–May 15

Get a glimpse of what the artists, designers, and tastemakers of tomorrow are working on today at the High School Art Exhibition at Irvine City Hall. The annual survey features artworks by emerging creatives that span digital media, drawing, mixed media, painting, photography, sculpture, and more. In addition to presenting the artistic range of students from greater Irvine, the exhibition’s various themes reflect the spirit of the times and the diversity of the City’s emerging artists.

Awards are given for a range of categories including best original design, innovative use of materials, best in style, and more.

This year’s guest juror is Patrick Ballesteros, an artist, freelance illustrator, and instructor based in San Diego. His clients include Netflix, DisneyTV, DC Direct, Blur Studios, DreamworksTV, Nickelodeon Publishing, Capstone Publishing, Disney Publishing, and Mindstyle among others, and he also conducts workshops, guest speaks, and teaches at the Concept Design Academy (Pasadena, CA) and the Computer Graphics Master Academy (CGMA).

^{Image credit: Linda Liu, Portola High School, Detail of [flow with the light], 2025, digital media, 4x7 inches}

20 Years Later: The Great Picture

Opening Reception: June 11, 5–7 p.m.
Exhibition: June 11–December 11

Twenty years ago, six photographers known as The Legacy Project created The Great Picture, the world’s largest photograph. Measuring 31 by 111 feet, it was made using the world’s largest camera — a converted airplane hangar transformed into a massive pinhole camera. Taken on July 12, 2006, the image presents a panoramic view of the decommissioned El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, which closed in 1999 and is now the Great Park. 20 Years Later: The Great Picture explores the process and documentation behind this monumental feat and reflects on The Legacy Project's lasting impact on the history of photography. 

The Legacy Project consists of artists and photographers Jerry Burchfield, Mark Chamberlain, Jacques Garnier, Rob Johnson, Douglas McCulloh, and Clayton Spada.
^{Image credit: Jacques Garnier and The Legacy Project}