Field Notes
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UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 29, 2025 — The University of California, Irvine has completed its acquisition of the Orange County Museum of Art, officially bringing together two renowned institutions under a shared vision of public access, scholarship and cultural engagement. The resulting entity, now named the UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art, reflects a dedication to curatorial excellence, community service and the long-term vitality of the area’s visual arts ecosystem. “UC Irvine is committed to ensuring that the region benefits from a world-class art museum that enriches the cultural fabric of Orange County, advances groundbreaking scholarship, nurtures the next generation of creators and thinkers, and inspires curiosity and connection…
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Field Notes | October 2025
October is Arts & Culture Month. UC Irvine is proud to announce the completion of its acquisition of the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA). This is a bold new chapter for the arts in our region. As alumnae, we celebrate this milestone moment for UCI. With the transaction complete, UC Irvine assumes stewardship of OCMA’s 53,000-square-foot, $98 million facility within the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus. Since opening in its current location in 2022, the Costa Mesa-based museum has quickly become a destination for contemporary art enthusiasts around the nation. Moving forward, the space will also showcase UC Irvine’s celebrated Gerald Buck Collection and Irvine Museum…
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Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach is where Southern California’s artistic community is known to capture the Pacific Ocean’s natural splendor. This city has seven miles of pristine coastline, tidepools, and coves. It has long-drawn painters (William Wendt to Wyland), writers (John Steinbeck to Kate Buckley), and filmmakers (Charlie Chaplin to MacGillivray) inspired by the landscape. Founded as an artists’ colony in the early 1900s, Laguna continues to thrive as a cultural destination with the world-famous Pageant of the Masters, Sawdust Art Festival, and a vibrant gallery scene. Beyond the arts, Laguna Beach is a community deeply rooted in conservation. With more than 20,000 acres of protected wilderness, residents and visitors alike hike, bike,…
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September 2025
California is celebrating its 175th anniversary of statehood on September 9th, 2025 Ocean Institute is hosting its 41st Maritime Festival Friday, Sept. 12th – Sunday, Sept. 14th at the Dana Point Harbor with live music, local vendors, food trucks, kids’ activities, sailor reenactors, marine life exhibits, and visiting tall ships. We are celebrating Dana Point’s maritime history with pirate shows aboard the Spirit of Dana Point at 10:15 am and 1:15 pm. Reserve tickets to participate in the reenacting cannon battles with a crew who wears period clothing and sings shanty songs. Book of the Month “Seaward ho! Hang the treasure! It’s the glory of the sea that has turned…
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August 2025
UCI Libraries by 70 Degrees It’s time to return school. We are excited to share some of our favorite UC Irvine campus historical moments with you. Visit the Langson Art Gallery on Von Karmen in Irvine to see the impressive art collection. UC Irvine and the Orange County Museum of Art are exploring a transformative agreement with a board vote on the merger this fall. Visit UC Irvine for their 60th anniversary exhibit in the library! UCI Langson IMCA presents California Kinship: Painting Homelife in the Golden State Before 1940 from June 7 – August 30, 2025 Curated by: Michaëla Mohrmann, Ph.D. California Kinship invites visitors into the private worlds…
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Anaheim
Anaheim through the Archive Lens Step into Anaheim, where history and creativity are fused together. Here, the past and the future live side by side. From orange groves, pioneer homes and theme park castles, this city has it all. In English, Anaheim means “Home by the river“. The name is a combination of “Ana,” referring to the Santa Ana River, and “heim,” the German word for home. Anaheim by 70 Degrees 📖 Founders’ Park Start at Founders’ Park, a quiet green space nestled in the heart of the city, where Anaheim’s story began in 1857. Stroll past the Victorian‑era Mother Colony House and Woelke‑Stoffel House, two of Anaheim’s oldest homes,…
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Field Notes | July 2025
Red Car at Balboa Pavilion, circa 1906, Photo courtesy of the Newport Beach Historical Society. Newport Beach summer visitors grew steadily after the Pacific Electric Railway connected the city to Los Angeles on July 4th, 1906. 2026 will mark the 120th anniversary of the Red Car and Pavilion. The Red Car made it accessible for Angelenos to stay in small beach cottages, cabanas, and at the Balboa Hotel. The Newport Pier, originally McFadden Wharf, became a popular hub of summer activity with commercial fishing and swimming. Join us at Newport Beach Tiki events! Learn More Book of the Month “Later on, Hamilton acknowledged that the Treasury job was the logical…
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Interview with Diane Challis Davy, Festival of Arts Director
by Jennifer Keil, M.A. in History, 70° Founder + City of Dana Point Arts Ambassador How will Dana Point be featured in this year’s theme of “Gold Coast: Treasures of California”? ACT II opens with a visit to Dana Point’s Waterman’s plaza. There are 4 recreations of sculpture by Bill Limebrook and the Endless Summer Mosaic by Mia Tavanatti Dana Point’s Waterman’s Plaza showcases public art by J. van Hamersveld/Mia Tavonatti and Bill Limebrook/Lance Jost. What do you think of their process and execution? Mia’s mosaic interpretation is dazzling. I love the way it sparkles in the sunlight. Bill is an old master in the tradition of sculpting in bronze. His…
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LPAPA Reception
LPAPA Beyond the Landscape: Three Masters at the LPAPA Gallery The Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) is renowned for its prestigious Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, which will celebrate its twenty-seventh year, October 4 to 12, 2025. In addition to this celebrated event, LPAPA proudly opened its own nonprofit art gallery in Laguna Beach in 2021. While the organization is dedicated to preserving the legacy and tradition of plein air painting, its mission extends beyond traditional plein air art. Understanding Plein Air Painting Plein air painting, the practice of creating art outdoors on location, significantly influences an artist’s studio work. Artists often take their studies, sketches, and color…
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Field Notes | June 2025
Let’s celebrate the start of summer on the water and at art festivals. We hope you enjoy this 70° weather. Dana Point is a unique treasure of timeless beauty and creative innovation. You’re invited to discover the new and classic beauty that makes this city and community one of a kind. June 2025 by 70 Degrees Events In June 2025, several museum gallery openings and events are scheduled in California, including the Getty Villa’s reopening. The California Museum’s”Mission Gráfica: Reflecting a Community in Print” exhibit will be open from June 8th to September 14th. The Autry Museum will open “Black Cowboys: An American Story” on June 14th.…
