Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University

Name: Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University
Address: 167 North Atchison Street, Orange, CA, 92866, US
Telephone: +17145165880
Price range: $

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Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University

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The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University 🖼️
Located in Old Towne Orange 🍊
Free Admission!

The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University, which opened in 2016, was established thanks to the generosity of Mark and Janet Hilbert. The Hilberts' superlative collection focuses on California narrative art of the 20th and 21st Century, with a particular focus on the “California Scene” painting movement of roughly the 1920s through the 1970s. The Hilbert Collection includes oils, watercolors, sketches and lithographs of rural and urban scenes, coastal views, farms, ranches, freeways and landscapes of everyday life in the Golden State; American illustration art; and movie production and animation art.

10/17/2026

Obsessed is an understatement.

Free admission, a variety of artwork, friendly docents, and a coffee shop right inside—the perfect museum day 🙂‍↕️

10/14/2026

European modernism reflected anxiety, but California artists chose a different path—creating a visual language built on light, openness, and Golden State optimism.

Seen Anew explores this unique movement through modern stylization: simplified forms, expressive colors, and bold design. Curated by Gordon McClelland, the exhibition highlights works by Mary Blair, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Ed Reep, and more, showing how West Coast creators built a lasting artistic identity.

Come discover how California made modernism entirely its own.

Keith Crown (1918 - 2010)
"Sunset and Waves, Manhattan Beach"
1954
The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University
Gift of the Hilbert Collection

10/09/2026

Make It Saturdays are back at the Hilbert!✂️

Join us this Saturday, October 10th, for another Zine Scene session!
Design and assemble your very own zine, and let your words and art take center stage.🎨

🗓 Saturday, Oct. 10
⏰ 11 AM – 2 PM
📍 Burra Community Room
🪄 All Materials Provided

FREE • No experience needed • First-come, first-served!

10/08/2026

How have movies shaped LA—and how has LA shaped cinema? 🎬

Join film historian and Chapman professor John Trafton for a reading, Q&A, and book signing celebrating his new book, Los Angeles and Film: A Cultural History of 20th Century Hollywood. Moving across a century of filmmaking, Trafton explores the intertwined histories of Hollywood and Los Angeles, examining how cinema has transformed the city's landscapes, architecture, communities, and cultural identity into one of the world's most recognizable—and endlessly reinvented—screen environments.

The evening will include a reading and conversation about the book, followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Afterward, audience members are invited to view the California artwork in the museum’s North Galleries.

🎟️ Lecture Admission: $10 - Chapman Students/Faculty/Staff: Free
🔗 Purchase tickets here: https://bit.ly/3UdExJ2

10/07/2026

We try not to play favorites, but this exhibition has everyone talking! 🗣️🎨

Reminder: Jørgen Klubien at Disney and Pixar closes on November 1st, and time is flying!

Don't miss your chance to see it before it’s gone!

10/02/2026

TWO NEW EXHIBITIONS ARE NOW OPEN IN THE SODARO SOUTH WING! 🚨

Double the art, double the inspiration. Swing by to explore:

1️⃣ Back by Popular Demand: 10th Anniversary Visitor Favorites — A special celebration reuniting the most requested and cherished works from the past decade, featuring artists like Millard Sheets, D**g Kingman, Ernie Barnes Jr., and Frank Romero.

2️⃣ Seen Anew: California Modernist Art — A fresh look at California’s unique take on Modernism through bold forms, vivid light, and expressive storytelling by Mary Blair, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Keith Crown, and more.

🗓️ Wed – Sun: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM

🎟️ Admission: Free for everyone!!

09/29/2026

We might not be able to physically get any closer, but you always know where to find us. 😉

🏛️ Hours: Wed–Sun, 10 AM – 5 PM
🎟️ Admission: Always Free!

09/27/2026

Any guesses on what they’re talking about? 🤔

That’s the beauty of California Modernism—it invites you to step inside the scene and interpret the story for yourself. Celebrated for its bold simplification of form, expressive color, and innovative design, mid-century modern art captured the energy and landscape of the Golden State like nothing else.

Explore this dynamic era in our upcoming exhibition, "Seen Anew: California Modernist Art from the Hilbert Collection," curated by Gordon McClelland and opening September 30th!

09/25/2026

We’re literally built for this 🤝

Got thoughts? Questions? Side thoughts on the gallery? Drop them on us; we love it!

09/21/2026

Fried egg or the sun? You decide! 🍳☀️

Art is in the eye of the beholder, but we’re about 99% sure this one is the sun...🤪
What do you see when you look at it?

Phil D**e (1906 –1990)
"Late Afternoon"
1975
Serigraph
The Hilbert Collection

Address

167 North Atchison Street
Orange, CA
92866

Telephone

+17145165880

Website

http://www.hilbertmuseum.com/

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