Happy Women’s History Month! We remember leading ladies’ legacies. View our collection of WWII Homefront stories.
Route 66 – Happy 100th Birthday to America’s Mother Road: Paintings by Joan Gladstone
December 13, 2025 – May 30, 2026 at the Hilbert Art Museum in Orange
Celebrate the centennial of America’s most iconic highway as artist Joan Gladstone captures the spirit and nostalgia of historic Route 66 – the “Mother Road” that stretches 2,400 miles from Chicago to Santa Monica – across eight states. This exhibition showcases eighteen vivid contemporary oil paintings of the legendary road and its bold, colorful signage, inspired by Gladstone’s travels, archival images and imaginative reinterpretations.
Book of the Month
This is the story of an extraordinary and eccentric woman, her son, and her husband—who happens to be William Shakespeare. Set in 16th-century England between Stratford and London, the novel centers on Agnes Hathaway (a fictionalized portrait of Anne Hathaway) and her extraordinary bond with her children—especially her son, Hamnet. When Hamnet falls suddenly ill, the tragedy that follows ripples through the household, altering the course of the family members’ lives. Years later, Shakespeare wrote a play bearing a name hauntingly close to his son’s: Hamlet. O’Farrell gives voice to Agnes as a fiercely intuitive, intelligent, and independent woman in Elizabethan England. We recommend the Hamnet film (2025) available on-demand.
We are working on Sawdust Art Festival’s 60th Anniversary archive and book. You can follow the project and contribute your story. The archive contains thousands of never before seen photos, slides, newspaper clippings, and ephemera. Dive into the fascinating history of Sawdust and explore how Laguna Beach’s art scene developed. This book will contain photographs and excerpts from the oral history collection. It is an ode to an incredible community of talented artists who build their own booths and are multidisciplinary. The Sawdust founder, David Nelson participated in an oral history as shown.
This exhibition is a collaborative event for artists of the Orange County Chapter of the California Art Club in a gallery/museum setting. Forty Artist, Signature and Mentor members of the Club have either been invited or applied to unveil one of their masterworks as part of this new exhibition in the main gallery. Join us at Casa Romantica for the Meet the Artists Opening Reception on Thursday, March 19, from 6 – 8 PM. There will be An Inside Tour on Thursday, March 26, from 10 – 11 AM and an Art Lecture with Art Historian, Jean Stern, Thursday, April 2 at 6 PM.
Events
The Festival of Whales will return to Dana Point on March 6th-8th, 2026 with a carnival, clam chowder competition, dinghy dash, live music, and ceremonies.
Friday March 6th starts with the Welcoming of the Whales Kickoff Ceremony. You can attend the Festival of Whales Carnival Friday and Saturday until 8pm. The Dana Point Historical Society Walking Tour is happening on Saturday and Sunday from 2-4pm. We recommend the Fish for Life Clam Chowder Cook-Off on Saturday from11:00 AM – 3:30 PM. There will be a Marine Mammal Lecture Series. Don’t miss the Concert on the Water & BBQ on Sunday supporting the Marine Corps League South Coast Detachment 022.
The United States of America will be celebrating its 250th anniversary in 2026. Mission San Juan Capistrano—the birthplace of Orange County is also honoring its 250th anniversary. This historic milestone offers an incredible opportunity to celebrate, not only our country’s birth but also the rich cultural heritage, resilient spirit, and diverse community that define the City of San Juan Capistrano. All of the Speaker Events will be held at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center. There will be a trolley tour on March 3rd, 2026. Learn more and RSVP at: sjc250.org
At Home in Sunlight: A State in Motion, 1897–1940
January 31 – May 16, 2026
UC Irvine Langson Museum Interim Gallery
18881 Von Karman Ave., Irvine
Curated by: SeeVa Dawne Kitslis
At Home in Sunlight: A State in Motion explores California during a transformative period of unprecedented growth when its industrial infrastructure and cultural identity were rapidly changing. At the turn of the 20th Century, California was a state in motion. Its major urban centers—San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego—competed to establish themselves as dominant Pacific trade hubs open to Asia. Simultaneously, waves of artists arriving westward from Europe and the US Midwest sought to capture the state’s landscape and new way of life.
Paper is fragile and susceptible to damage and deterioration, yet it holds some of our most treasured memories. Keep those memories safe with polyester sleeves from Gaylord Archival. Protect childhood keepsakes, awards, newspaper clippings, graduation programs, military records, wedding invitations, career milestones, photos, artwork and much more for future generations. You are the guardian of your family history.