Originally opened in 2016 and expanded to its current size in 2024, the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University currently fills two buildings with one of the region’s most impressive collections of paintings and drawings – including multiple exhibits on par with those at Costa Mesa’s OCMA. Roughly 10 themed exhibition areas cover subjects ranging from California landscapes, cultural touchstones and concerts, spotlighting Californian artists and even meaningful examples of commercial art. Disney exhibitions have included looks at the building of Disneyland and behind-the-scenes details on early and recent animated movies; another exhibit spotlighted a collaboration between California museums and Laguna Beach’s famous Pageant of the Masters event. One visit including exhibitions focused on Emigdio Vasquez and Ralph Allen Massey, Orange County- and LA-based artists with incredible talent and wildly different styles.
It’s a testament to the Hilbert Museum’s incredible quality that every exhibit we’ve seen has been worth exploring; each sampling from its 60,000-work collection includes enough unique pieces to justify nearly two hours of exploration. That said, most of the works we’ve seen are two-dimensional; the only exceptions tend to be a single gallery focused on rotating themes of objects, and a small but colorful collection of vintage 1940’s to 1960’s radios. Admission is free with an advance reservation, and parking is available in a lot immediately next to the buildings.
