Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University

Celebrating 151 years of the Metropolitan Museum of Art -- congratulations to our colleagues at the Met!

NEW article about the Hilbert Museum in Chapman University's student newspaper, The Panther:

Today we celebrate the 115th anniversary of the birth of one of California's most acclaimed artists, Phil Dike (April 6, 1906-April 24, 1990). The Hilbert Collection includes many outstanding paintings by Dike, including this one: Phil Dike, "Sunday Afternoon on the Plaza de Los Angeles," 1939, oil on canvas. The Hilbert Collection. A wonderful view of the main plaza near Olvera Street in L.A., across the street from Union Station, on a typical Sunday afternoon in 1939. ... This painting is currently on view at the Hilbert Museum in the exhibition "Los Angeles Scene Paintings," through June 26. The Hilbert Museum is now re-open to the public for limited hours, with safety measures in place. Current hours are Tues-Fri, 1pm to 5pm; hours will expand next week to Tues-Fri, 11am to 5 pm. Admission is free, and there is free parking in front of the museum. Location: 167 N. Atchison Street, Orange, CA. To celebrate Phil Dike's 115th, Phil's son Woody Dike has shared this poem that his father wrote in 1975; an apt reminder from a truly great artist to stop and observe and enjoy all the simple things in life that surround us every day: I breathe the west wind Fly the arcing sweep of gulls Search within the hidden hollow of a rock Find a world Which you might not believe was there Come, remove your worldly garments Feel the earth's love on your skin Wipe the world's glaze from your eyes Hold your heart within your hand Match the earth's home with your spirit (By Phil Dike, June 1975)

Bernice Lee "Burr" Singer (1912-1992), "Waiting for Dad," c. 1940, oil on canvas. The Hilbert Collection. "Burr" Singer was a Social Realist painter working in Los Angeles. Her best-known works depict everyday life in the Black community of L.A. in the 1930s and '40s. She felt that most white artists of the day depicted Black people only in the shorthand of stereotypes and caricatures (often blatantly racist ones) and she was determined to portray the Black community with ...realistic dignity, empathy and grace. Missouri-born Singer settled in Los Angeles in 1939. There she was active in the California Watercolor Society and exhibited frequently throughout the state, including at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Oakland Art Gallery, and the San Francisco Art Association, among others. Singer also exhibited at the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition in San Francisco and at the New York World's Fair. In 1942 one of Singer's lithographs was included in the highly-acclaimed "Artists for Victory" show at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. She was also known for her paintings of Black musicians and club-goers in the lively jazz scene on L.A.'s Central Avenue. Social Realism was an American art movement that flourished between World Wars I and II, and was concerned with examining the social issues of the working classes and the working poor, particularly during the Great Depression. It has its roots in the European realism of such artists as Millet and Courbet, and also in the "Ashcan School" of American artists such as Robert Henri, who documented the problems of the early 1900s in New York City: the lives of immigrants, laborers and those suffering in poverty-stricken neighborhoods. In Singer's painting, a tired young woman leans on the door frame, holding a cleaning cloth in one hand, the zigzag of her body taking up almost the entire image, as her son leans against her. Their faces are thoughtful and expectant as they wait for the father of the house to return. The paint is laid on thickly and with bold strokes. The raised hand of the mother, rough and scarred from work, is rendered in exaggerated size by the artist, as if to call attention to it, to emphasize this woman's hard life. It's a moment of rest between actions -- after the work of the day is done, and just before the family can enjoy being together at last. #hilbertmuseum #burrsinger #oilpainting #painting #art #artmuseum #museum #MuseumFromHome #losangeles #chapmanuniversity

The Hilbert Museum is thrilled to announce the newest addition to the Hilbert Collection: "Holly" by acclaimed California artist Bradford J. Salamon. "Holly" was created on multiple sheets of vellum by the right-handed artist taking a drafting pencil into his LEFT hand (due to an injury to his right hand) -- and is one of a series of portraits of women, "Visages on Vellum," that Salamon is creating in this technique. "Holly" measures 95 x 84 inches on 14 sheets of vellum. ...View a video of Salamon's technique and remarks about the work here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddOu4y2VUOs&feature=youtu.be Pictured are the artist (right) in his studio with Hilbert Museum founder Mark Hilbert, two close-ups of segments of the portrait so you can see the technique, and a diagram of how the sheets of vellum fit together for display. This large-scale portrait will be exhibited prominently in the Hilbert Museum's planned expansion. Welcome, Holly! View more of Bradford J. Salamon's work on his website: www.bradfordjsalamon.com.

Well, we just ripped these signs off the front doors of the museum -- we open to the public tomorrow (soft opening for social media friends and locals, but anybody can visit. Official opening is March 31...)! That was a loooong "temporarily;" just sayin'. We can't wait to welcome you back! For now, the hours will be Tues-Fri, 1pm to 5pm, with free admission as always. All Chapman University, state and local health and safety measures will be followed (face masks, social distancing, limited occupancy, etc.). Hope to to see you all soon!

The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University re-opens TOMORROW (Wed, March 24) for Facebook friends, Hilbert Museum Insiders and members of the local community, and officially opens March 31 to all! Temporary limited hours are Tues-Fri, 1pm to 5pm, and admission is free. Face masks required (even if you are vaccinated), and all university safety measures will be followed. From the current "Los Angeles Scene Paintings" exhibition at the Hilbert Museum, now exte...nded through June 26: Barse Miller (1904-1973), "If I Had the Wings of an Angel," 1937, oil on canvas. Gift of the Hilbert Collection to the Hilbert Museum of California Art. During and after the Great Depression, art with narrative subject matter that visually told a story was very popular. At the time Miller created this painting, this carousel and lunch counter were located in Lincoln Park in the Lincoln Heights area of East Los Angeles. At first glance, this painting appears to be about the people having fun on the merry-go-round. Your eye is drawn immediately to the white carousel horses in the center. But then you become aware of the other stories playing out. In the foreground, at the lunch counter, the man on the left is perhaps a streetcar conductor, looking at his watch as he finishes a cup of coffee. But the man at the counter to the right looks troubled about something; maybe even devastated about something, as the woman behind him appears to try to comfort him. Since it's 1937, the height of the Great Depression, perhaps the man on the right has lost a job, or is trying to find a job with no success. The title of the painting is another clue to what's happening. "If I Had the Wings of an Angel" was a popular folk song or, as it was called then, "hillbilly song," written in the 1920s. Also called "The Prisoner's Song," its lyrics begin "If I had the wings of an angel/Over these prison walls I would fly..." So it's talking about being imprisoned or, perhaps, feeling imprisoned. Certainly someone suffering from economic hardship during the Depression, feeling that they had nowhere to turn, might feel like a prisoner of circumstances. #hilbertmuseum #painting #artmuseum #barsemiller #california #losangeles #carousel #merrygoround #oilpainting #losangeleshistory #art #artist #museum #MuseumFromHome #chapmanuniversity

JACK LAYCOX (1921-1985), "Chinese New Year in San Francisco," 1960s, watercolor on paper. The Hilbert Collection. In an image packed with brilliant colors and excitement, Jack Laycox depicts one of the Chinese New Year dragon processions that wend their way through Chinatown during the New Year celebrations. The long snaking form of the dragon (actually a costume propelled by a line of men) takes center stage, surrounded by celebrants on the sidewalks and leaning out of the ...windows above. Paper lanterns in red (the color of good fortune) are strung over the street. Dragons are an important symbol of Chinese culture, and are an auspicious symbol of strength, power, dignity, fertility and wisdom. The dragon dance is performed many times during New Year's festivities to bring these auspicious elements to the community. A chop suey joint can be seen off to the left. The famous Chinese-American dish was reportedly invented in San Francisco -- according to one origin story. Another says it was invented in New York City by Chinese immigrant restaurateurs. Yet another theory says it was inspired by tsap seui, a Cantonese dish (the name translates to "miscellaneous leftovers"). Whatever the truth, by the 1950s "chop suey" restaurants were popular in just about every U.S. and Canadian city where Chinese-immigrant-owned restaurants flourished. Jack Laycox was a master of using the color black in his watercolors and oils -- a color that is especially difficult to manipulate in watercolors, as it tends to bleed into and muddy other colors. Here he uses lots of black to evoke the nighttime scene, but it is shot through with pops of bright red, orange, yellow and blue. Born in Auburn, Calif., Laycox began his career as a commercial artist, and reached his height of success in the 1950s and '60s. He also produced fine-art paintings -- often scenes of daily life in California -- like this one throughout his career, and was a popular art lecturer. #hilbertmuseum #chapmanuniversity #jacklaycox #sanfrancisco #dragondance #dragon #chinesenewyear #chinatown #chinatownsf #watercolor #painting #art #artist #museum #museumfromhome #artmuseum

REX BRANDT (1914-2000), "Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles," c. 1960, watercolor on paper. The Hilbert Collection. Currently on view in the exhibition "Los Angeles Area Scene Paintings" at the Hilbert Museum of California Art. (The museum is currently closed due to local and state COVID orders. Keep checking here or at www.hilbertmuseum.org for future news on re-opening.) The Hilbert Collection includes many masterful watercolors by Rex Brandt, documenting famous locations a...nd facets of everyday life in California as his careful eye took in everything around him. By the 1960s, when Brandt painted this watercolor, Wilshire Boulevard was a key street in Los Angeles. It served then and now as a straight route from the financial district in downtown Los Angeles through Koreatown, the Miracle Mile, the Wilshire Corridor, Beverly Hills, Westwood, Brentwood, the Mid-City district, and on to Santa Monica, where it ends at Ocean Avenue on the Palisades above the Pacific Ocean. Brandt, praised by Westways magazine as one of the central figures of California art of the mid-20th century, earned a bachelor of arts degree at UC Berkeley. In 1937, he joined the California Water Color Society and soon thereafter organized The California Group, an exhibition of works by twelve artists that spurred great interest in the newly emerging California Style of watercolor. Brandt became one of the best known of the California watercolor painters, operating a summer school of painting in Corona del Mar with his friend and fellow artist Phil Dike. #hilbertmuseum #rexbrandt #watercolor #painting #losangeles #wilshireboulevard #wilshire #museum #artmuseum #museumfromhome #chapmanuniversity

Fletcher Martin, "Bucolic," 1938, oil on canvas, 48 x 52 inches. The Hilbert Collection. This work by Fletcher Martin (1904-1979) depicts a man and woman enjoying the pleasures of country life. There's a sense of mystery or perhaps even a allegorical air, too, in the couple's pensive demeanor and in the formalism of the composition. Colorado-born Martin moved to Los Angeles in the 1920s and served as an assistant to the famed Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros in the 19...30s, along with teaching at Otis Art Institute. Martin created this painting at a high point in his career: his large-scale mural for the San Pedro (CA) post office was widely acclaimed, and the Museum of Modern Art in New York City had just purchased his painting "Trouble in Frisco." Later, Martin served as an artist-correspondent for Life magazine during World War II. Fourteen of his paintings from the North African campaign were published in the December 27, 1943 issue of Life, and brought him national recognition. As art historian Gordon McClelland notes, "Nearly every art review from the late 1930s lauded (Martin) as a superb draughtsman and singled out his California Scene paintings, which focused on large figurative subjects, as his finest works."

MARY BLAIR (1911-1978), "South American Women," 1941, watercolor on paper. The Hilbert Collection. In 1941, Walt Disney took a group of his artists -- including Mary Blair and her husband Lee Blair -- on a goodwill trip to Latin America sponsored by the U.S. government. With Europe embroiled in war, the U.S. was trying to halt the spread of fascist sentiment in its own hemisphere. And under President Roosevelt’s Good Neighbor Policy, who better as an ambassador, to repres...ent the friendship of the United States to its southern neighbors, than Walt Disney? It was during this trip that Mary’s multiple artistic gifts coalesced into the vibrant and colorful style she is known for today, comments animation director John Canemaker, a Blair expert. It was an unexpected creative detonation that greatly influenced future Disney films and theme park attractions. Walt and Lillian Disney, Mary and Lee and other selected Disney artists who quickly nicknamed themselves El Grupo spent three months traveling through Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico, sketching and painting all the way. They soaked in the colors, sounds, fashions, music and rhythms of the countries they visited and Mary, perhaps more than any of them, translated what she saw, heard and felt into vibrant images that pulse with life. Two Disney feature films were directly inspired by the trip: "Saludos Amigos"(1942) and "The Three Caballeros" (1944). That trip, more than any other experience Mary had ever had, helped her find her own unique voice as an artist. And Walt Disney, more than anyone else, noticed this. He took note of her unique use of vivid colors and her eclectic style, which combined an almost childlike naivety with utter sophistication. As Mary herself would later say, From ’41 on, I felt that I had found a place in the business. And so she had. Walt would call on her to create designs, concept art and color concepts for some of the most famous movies of Disney's golden age, including "Cinderella," "Alice in Wonderland" and "Peter Pan," as well as leading design work for the iconic ride "It's a Small World." Today she is considered a top fan-favorite Disney artist, with a following more avid than she had in her lifetime. In 1991 she posthumously received the highest Disney honor of all upon being named a Disney Legend. #hilbertmuseum #maryblair #disney #waltdisney #disneyart #disneyartist #southamerica #SaludosAmigos #threecaballeros #animation #animationart #museum #artmuseum #museumfromhome #chapmanuniversity

Hilbert Museum director Mary Platt gives insights into this favorite painting in the museum’s collection: Joseph Frey’s The Rite Spot, 1930s, oil on canvas. Believe it or not, this little roadside market/eatery between Pasadena and Eagle Rock was (according to legend) where the cheeseburger was invented! Listen, watch and find out more:

While we must remain closed, here’s another short video (shot on her iPhone) by Hilbert Museum director Mary Platt. This time she takes a look at Burr Singer’s 1943 oil painting, Touch-Up. Take a look and you can kind of pretend you’re on a tour!

Hey - if you missed it, you can still watch our archived event! https://youtu.be/6XDBdAmtOxI The whole show is a must-watch. Compelling, funny, engaging commentary from "Roger Rabbit" author Gary Wolf, animator Dave Spafford, Disney historian Jeff Kurtti, animation art collector Bill Heeter and moderator Phil Machi. And if you haven't seen "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" in a while, watch it on Disney+ -- we see something zany, new and hilarious every time! The Hilbert Museum's "W...ho Framed Roger Rabbit" exhibition of original art from the movie, on loan to us from the collection of Bill Heeter and Kristi Correa, is on view now and will be up until Feb. 20, 2021. The Hilbert is open now for limited hours, Tues-Fri 1pm to 5pm, and admission is free. The museum is located at 167 N. Atchison Street in Orange, and there's free parking in front. Come see "Roger Rabbit" and our other outstanding exhibitions: "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Los Angeles Area Scene Paintings." See more

We miss you!! While we have to be closed, Hilbert Museum director Mary Platt shares insights on some of our most popular paintings here’s Phil Dike’s Sunday Afternoon on the Plaza de Los Angeles, 1939, oil on canvas, The Hilbert Collection.

At Home with the Hilbert Museum: WILLIAM WRAY (b. 1956), "Near Burbank Airport," 2009, oil on panel. The Hilbert Collection. This painting is now on view in the Hilbert Museum's Permanent Collection galleries. The museum, at 167 N. Atchison Street in Orange, CA, is open Tues-Fri, 1pm to 5 pm, and admission is free. ... Acclaimed Los Angeles artist William Wray was inspired by this view as he drove down San Fernando Road in Burbank. It is truly an impressionist piece, executed with broken color, a technique of building up colors that allows previous layers to remain visible, and using small brush strokes that leave gaps to create a luminous effect. This simplification and graphic stylization boil the image down to the essence or feeling of an area, rather than exact accuracy. At the time Wray painted this, he was in the midst of what he called his Dirty Beauty period, where his subjects were often commercial buildings or industrial sprawl that he painted ironically with beautiful color. #hilbertmuseum #williamwray #airport #burbankairport #painting #oilpainting #atmosphere #impressionism #impressionist #light #color #museum #artmuseum #museumfromhome #art #chapmanuniversity

The online National Watercolor Society Centennial Exhibition: "One Hundred Years Strong," in partnership with the Hilbert Museum of California Art, continues -- see it here from the comfort of home: https://online.fliphtml5.com/ppaub/jdbf/ Today we feature the work of Diane Kiemeyer from this outstanding exhibition:... Diane Kiemeyer, "Takeout Time," 2015, watercolor, 29 x 33 inches. You're looking through a window (and yes, the reflections are part of the painting) into the world of hard-working cooks on the line as they prepare food for take-out. Kiemeyer creates a world behind glass as she focuses on the unsung, behind-the-scenes heroes who prepare our food and pays tribute to them by making them the subject of her work. The reflections add to the visual complexity and interest of the painting -- are you standing inside a restaurant dining room looking through the window at the cooks and chefs? Or are you outside on the sidewalk looking in? What else can you see in the reflections? The artist warms up her palette of primarily blues and purples with the golden hues of the lights. This is a complex piece carried off with panache and style. #hilbertmuseum #watercolor #watercolorpainting #painting #art #artexhibition #artexhibit #NationalWatercolorSociety #exhibition #museum #artmuseum #museumfronhome

Ralph Hulett (1915-1974), "Autumn Morning, Sierras," c. 1950, oil on canvas. The Hilbert Collection. Let's take a relaxing art break from all the election news - how about a trip to the beautiful Sierras? Today's "At Home with the Hilbert Museum" focuses on a popular painting from our Permanent Collection -- created by an artist who was not only a very fine landscape and cityscape painter, but who also worked for the Walt Disney Studio for more than three decades, in a ... career that stretched all the way from Disney's first feature-length animated movie, "Snow White," to the last animated film Walt worked on personally, "The Jungle Book." Hulett portrays a crisp fall morning in the Sierras, as a ranch worker drives a herd of horses toward some buildings nestled in the distance. You can almost smell the frost on the sagebrush and feel the sun on your face as you look at this painting! Hulett was a gifted fine artist and an important figure in the field of Hollywood animation art. He studied at Chouinard Art Institute under Millard Sheets, Phil Dike, Phil Paradise and Herb Jepson. He exhibited his fine-art watercolors as a member of the American Watercolor Society and California Water Color Society, and his oils and watercolors in annual group exhibitions of American art in museums and privately owned art galleries. For many years Hulett was also employed as an artist by the Walt Disney Studios animation department. His 30+-year career with Disney stretched all the way from 1937’s "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" to 1967’s "The Jungle Book." Other Disney movies with the Hulett touch include "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," "Dumbo," "Bambi," "The Three Caballeros," "Make Mine Music," "Song of the South," "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," "Lady and the Tramp," "Sleeping Beauty" and "One Hundred and One Dalmatians." Other projects he worked on included a series of oil paintings depicting old and changing areas of Los Angeles -- the Bunker Hill region in particular. He produced watercolor illustrations that appeared in Ford Times, Westways and other magazines. #hilbertmuseum #ralphhulett #art #disney #disneyart #disneyartists #waltdisney #disneyanimation #animation #artmuseums #oilpaintings #landscapes #california #californiaart #mountains #sierras

"At Home with the Hilbert Museum" continues with a nostalgic watercolor from the current (online) exhibition "National Watercolor Society Centennial Celebration 1920-2020: One Hundred Years Strong." We are proud to partner with NWS on this show, which we had hoped to have up on the walls of the Hilbert Museum right now! However, because of the ongoing closure due to state and local COVID-19 orders, the show is now online for all to see (link at end of this post!). John Boh...nenberger (1926-2012), "Bridge in Venice, California," undated, watercolor on paper, 22 x 30 inches. The Hilbert Collection. Chicago-born John Bohnenberger moved to Southern California with his family when he was 14. After two years of high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1943 and served until 1946. From 1947 to 1972, Bohnenberger worked for the U.S. Postal Service in Monterey Park, California, just east of downtown Los Angeles. In his spare time, he painted watercolors of various neighborhoods around Los Angeles and elsewhere. This evocative watercolor captures the serenity of the little seaside town of Venice, California, with its "Venetian"-style canals and bridges. The canals recall the origins of Venice as a purpose-built tourist attraction in the early 1900s, when entrepreneur Abbot Kinney created an Italian-style coastal playground, dubbed "Venice of America," complete with Italianate buildings, an amusement park, and canals plied by singing gondoliers. Six of the canals and three islands remain today, lined by residences. Enjoy all the paintings in the NWS Centennial Exhibition -- the ones by current watercolorists juried into the show, and a selection of historical watercolors by NSW members from the Hilbert Collection -- online HERE: https://online.fliphtml5.com/ppaub/jdbf/ #hilbertmuseum #watercolor #watercolorpainting #painting #art #artexhibition #artexhibit #NationalWatercolorSociety #exhibition #museum #artmuseum #museumfronhome #chapmanuniversity

FYI the Hilbert Museum will re-open on Thursday, Oct. 29 after being closed due to the poor air quality from the nearby wildfires. We will return to our temporary limited hours of Tues-Fri, 1pm to 5 pm. See you here soon!

The Hilbert Museum of California Art is proud to partner with the National Watercolor Society to present the virtual NWS Centennial Exhibition (1920-2020), "One Hundred Years Strong." We had hoped to have this outstanding juried exhibition on the walls of the museum and able to be seen by an admiring public right now, but of course the current state of affairs has made that impossible (museums in Orange County and the majority of California remain closed right now). But yo...u can enjoy all the paintings -- the ones by our finest current watercolorists juried into the show, and a selection of historical watercolors by NSW members from the Hilbert Collection -- online HERE: https://online.fliphtml5.com/ppaub/jdbf/ Enjoy this great art at home!! #hilbertmuseum #watercolor #watercolorpainting #painting #art #artexhibition #artexhibit #NationalWatercolorSociety #exhibition #museum #artmuseum #museumfronhome #chapmanuniversity

At Home with the Hilbert Museum: GENE FRANCIS (b. 1957), "The View to Forever," 2020, egg tempera on canvas. The Hilbert Collection. The world that Gene Francis paints is the one around him but, like Norman Rockwell, he transforms it into a warmer and kinder place, imbued with a golden haze of nostalgia for times past. ... For example, he sets this spectacular large-scale view of the Grand Canyon firmly in the late 1920s, and populates it with all sorts of characters: the dashing motorcyclists with their 1919 Harley-Davidson (with sidecar), the other stylish park visitors, the ladies relaxing on the bench and enjoying a chat while ignoring the scenery behind them, the man with the megaphone experimenting with the science of echoes. Born in San Luis Obispo, Francis learned the basics of painting from his artistic grandparents before obtaining a degree in business from Cal State Fullerton. He paints in egg tempera, a permanent, fast-drying painting medium that he makes using hand-ground dry powdered pigments with egg yolk, vinegar and brandy as binders. Egg tempera was the primary method of painting until after 1500 AD (Michelangelo painted his Sistine Chapel frescos with egg tempera), when it was superseded by the invention of oil painting. Paintings created with egg tempera dry to a beautiful smooth matte finish.

We just received word that Chapman University will remain closed tomorrow because of worsening air quality from the nearby wildfires. So the Hilbert Museum will be closed on Wednesday, Oct. 28. We hope to re-open soon -- keep watching this space for further updates. ... Stay safe, everyone -- we continue to keep our friends in Irvine and Yorba Linda and surrounding areas affected by the fires in our thoughts.

FYI: Chapman University has closed all non-essential operations this afternoon (Oct. 27) due to the poor air quality caused by the nearby wildfires. The Hilbert Museum closed as of 2:30 pm and will remain closed today. We hope to re-open tomorrow (1pm-5pm) if air quality improves. Stay tuned here for further updates!

Thinking about all our friends in Irvine and Yorba Linda affected by today's fires -- please stay safe, all of you (and your pets and animals too)...and sending prayers for the injured firefighters. The view out the front door of the museum this afternoon to a sullen and smoky sun...

At Home with the Hilbert Museum: SUSAN MCDONNELL, Mama Bear, 2018, oil on panel, 24 x 40. The Hilbert Collection. New to the Hilbert Collection and on view now in the Hilbert Museum’s Permanent Collection gallery is this oil by Susan McDonnell. Paintings of nature and wild animals have always been an important facet of California Scene painting - a tradition that continues today. ... McDonnell is a realist painter who has recently moved back to Minnesota after living in Southern California for 30 years. Her paintings are narratives inspired by her observations of wild animals in their natural habitats. Albrecht Dürer and Otto Marseus van Schrieck are influences on her exacting technique, while Beatrix Potter and Lewis Carroll inform the angle of her imagination. McDonnell’s connection to nature was formed in her childhood by annual family trips to Lake Kabetogama in the north woods of Minnesota. A quiet place, relatively untouched, it has continued to inspire the nuanced content and tone of her paintings. McDonnell received her B.A and M.F.A from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Her paintings have a subtle storytelling element that fits neatly into the California Scene narrative painting tradition. She is represented by Sullivan Goss Gallery. McDonnell follows a long tradition from John James Audubon to Robert Bateman, says wilderness advocate Richard Louv, author of "Our Wild Calling" and "Last Child in the Woods." She paints the mystery we can sense, but never fully understand, in the lives of the family of animals, of which we are members. The Hilbert Museum has re-opened and is currently open for limited hours: Tuesday-Friday, 1pm to 5 pm. We hope to expand back to our regular hours soon keep following us on Facebook and Instagram or check www.hilbertmuseum.org for the latest updates. #hilbertmuseum #susanmcdonnell #bears #wildlife #wildlifeart #wilderness #bear #animals #animalsofinstagram #painting #oilpainting #art #artist #artmuseum #museum #museumfromhome #chapmanuniversity

The Hilbert Museum is finally re-opening tomorrow -- Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 1pm to 5pm -- after having been closed since March 17! Our temporary limited hours will be Tuesday-Friday 1pm to 5pm until further notice. Face masks are required inside the museum, and we are adhering to all Chapman University health and safety protocol. Visitor capacity inside the museum will be limited, so all may enjoy the art safely. To celebrate, we're opening a special little exhibition for... the Halloween-through-Christmas season -- you guessed it: "The Nightmare Before Christmas"! Founder Mark Hilbert has recently acquired some beautiful original production art from the Tim Burton classic, which was released in 1993 by Disney's Touchstone Pictures. (AND the movie is currently playing as a revival in movie theaters around the country, so check your local listings!) The exhibition includes pastel concept drawings like the one shown here ("Jack Sees Snow for the First Time"), as well as production art and sketches by famed Disney animator Jorgen Klubien, laying out the story of how Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, concocts an audacious scheme to abduct Santa Claus and take over Christmas. Wacky Halloweeny shenanigans ensure, all with a wild Tim Burton twist. The movie, which boasts artistic influences as wide-ranging as Dr. Seuss, Ray Harryhausen, Gahan Wilson, Charles Addams, Francis Bacon, Wassily Kandinsky, Edward Gorey and German Expressionism (among others!), has become a cult hit, even though Disney at first feared it would be too dark and intense for youngsters (hence its release via the more adult-themed Touchstone label). Critical acclaim followed its release, with Peter Travers of Rolling Stone calling it a movie that brings "originality and daring to the Halloween genre. This dazzling mix of fun and fright also explodes the notion that animation is kid stuff. It's 74 minutes of timeless movie magic." Roger Ebert believed the film's visual effects were as revolutionary as "Star Wars," writing that "Nightmare" was "filled with imagination that carries us into a new world." The consensus review on RottenTomatoes calls "Nightmare" a "stunningly original and visually delightful work of stop-motion animation."

The Hilbert Museum is proud to announce that we have acquired this powerful painting - which you will be able to see in person when the museum RE-OPENS TO THE PUBLIC next week! (Open Tues-Fri, 1 to 5 pm. Face mask and temperature check required to enter.) Danny Galieote, "Freedom of Speech," 2020, oil on canvas. The Hilbert Collection. (Shown here alongside its inspiration, Norman Rockwell's "Freedom of Speech," 1943, oil on canvas. Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, MA...) In his new series of paintings, Galieote references Rockwell's famous "Four Freedoms" series from the 1940s, while incorporating modern social concerns and underscoring the timeless truths of human nature. In a 1941 speech, President Franklin D. Roosevelt outlined his vision for a postwar world founded on four basic human freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear. Inspired, Norman Rockwell then illustrated each of the freedoms from the perspective of his own ordinary, hometown experiences: A man speaking out his own views at a town meeting. The peaceful faces of people of various faiths as they worship. A grandma serving a bounteous Thanksgiving feast to her family. Parents tucking their sleepy children into bed in a cozy house. The Rockwell paintings were published in the Saturday Evening Post and went on a national tour, raising $132 million for war bonds. They have been issued as posters, U.S. postage stamps and prints, and have become instantly recognizable images. I like to think of these paintings as being timeless in the sense that they relate to our needs as humans since the beginning of time, explains Galieote. FDR made his famous speech about the Four Freedoms in one of the most intense times during WWII, and Rockwell painted them when people wanted and needed such encouragement. [My] four new works are images of people TODAY, but they're in recognizable compositions that relate to this core set of meanings behind Rockwell's iconic imagery of people that can exist THEN and NOW.

GREAT NEWS! We're installing new artworks today in preparation for RE-OPENING to the public next week! The Hilbert Museum will re-open for limited hours (at first), Tuesdays-Fridays, 1pm to 5pm, beginning on Tuesday, Oct. 13. We will have all safety measures in place: masks and physical distancing will be required and monitored, there will be limited visitor occupancy, increased cleanings and more -- so everyone can safely enjoy the art. We can't wait to welcome you back!

Arthur Beaumont (1890-1978), "War-Weary USS San Diego Returns to Port," 1967, watercolor, 20 x 26 inches. Gift of Drs. James L. and Lynne P. Doti to the Hilbert Museum of California Art. This painting will be part of the National Watercolor Society's Centennial Exhibition, presented in partnership with the Hilbert Museum, to be held online starting October 17 at https://nationalwatercolorsociety.org Born in England, Arthur Beaumont moved to Canada at the age of 18 to work on... a ranch, and from there to Oakland, California the next year. He attended the San Francisco School of Art before moving to Los Angeles in 1915, where he attended the Chouinard Art Institute, later moving to France to study at the Academie Julian. Upon his return to Los Angeles, he began teaching at Chouinard. The great turning point in Beaumont's career came in 1932, when he painted the first of three formal portraits of Admiral William D. Leahy. Knowing of Beaumont's talent and his love of ships, Leahy arranged a commission for him as a lieutenant in the U. S. Naval Reserve. Thereafter, from 1932 to 1977, Beaumont was the Official Artist of the U.S. Navy and he devoted his life and career to documenting the Navy. Throughout World War II, Beaumont's paintings of the ships and crews that fought in the various battles -- appearing in such publications as National Geographic and the L.A. Evening Herald and Express -- were instrumental in shaping the public's view of the gallantry and determination of the U.S. Navy. In 1957, Beaumont was the Official Artist in the U.S. Navy Arctic Expedition. He painted the North Polar ice cap and was one of only a few people to complete the fabled Northwest Passage from the Pacific to Atlantic Oceans, aboard the U.S.S. El Dorado. In 1960, at age 70, he painted at the South Pole as the Official Artist for Operation Deep Freeze. He continued to paint images of great naval ships in WWII action, like this one of the USS San Diego, well into his advanced years, often commissioned by the captains and other officers who had sailed and fought aboard them. #hilbertmuseum #USSSanDiego #ship #warship #worldwar2 #WorldWarII #battle #marineart #marineartist #arthurbeaumont #watercolor #watercolorpainting #art #artist #artmuseum #museum #MuseumFromHome #chapmanuniversity

For today's "At Home with the Hilbert Museum," a Rex Brandt classic: Rex Brandt, "Santa Anita," 1961, watercolor on paper, 14 x 21 inches. The Hilbert Collection. The Hilbert Collection includes many masterful watercolors by Rex Brandt, documenting famous locations and facets of everyday life in California as his careful eye took in everything around him. ... Horse racing was an extremely popular sport in California during the 20th century, with famous thoroughbred tracks drawing thousands of spectators and bettors. One of the most famous of them all is Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, which has hosted world-class races since its opening on Christmas Day in 1934. The track offers some of the most prominent races in the United States, including the Santa Anita Derby and Santa Anita Handicap, and has hosted the Breeders' Cup many times since 1986. Because of its proximity to Hollywood, Santa Anita has welcomed many movie stars as spectators (and even horse owners) over the years, including Cary Grant, Lana Turner, Betty Grable, Errol Flynn, Bing Crosby (who was a stockholder in the track), Esther Williams, Spencer Tracy and many others. The famous track has appeared often in the movies, including in 1937's "A Star is Born" and the Marx Brothers classic "A Day at the Races" and in 1949's "The Story of Seabiscuit." Seabiscuit, one of the most legendary Thoroughbreds of all time, won the Santa Anita Derby in 1940. Here in this early 1960s view, Brandt captures not the action on the track itself, but a spectator's-eye view as you walk toward the grandstand along the palm-lined sidewalk. Brandt painted this image for Santa Anita, which used it in advertising to promote their slate of winter and spring races. Brandt, praised by Westways magazine as one of the central figures of California art of the mid-20th century, earned a bachelor of arts degree at UC Berkeley. In 1937, he joined the California Water Color Society and soon thereafter organized The California Group, an exhibition of works by twelve artists that spurred great interest in the newly emerging California Style of watercolor. Brandt became one of the best known of the California watercolor painters, operating a summer school of painting in Corona del Mar with his friend and fellow artist Phil Dike and influencing countless art students. #hilbertmuseum #rexbrandt #watercolor #painting #santaanitapark #SantaAnita #horseracing #thoroughbred #artist #art #artmuseum #museum #museumfromhome #chapmanuniversity