The Hilbert Museum hosts a variety of special events throughout the year ranging from art lectures and exhibition walk-throughs to panel discussions and workshops highlighting artwork and artists currently on view. Explore some of our past events listed below and be sure to join our email list to be among the first to know about upcoming events.
MFA Poetry Reading
Tuesday, May 19, 2026
This sell-out event was a collaboration with the literary journal Tabula Poetica showcasing the next generation of poetic voices. Emerging poets from Chapman University’s Master of Fine Arts in Poetry and Nonfiction program took the state to share their original work. Closed captioning was provided along with visual aids as appropriate to support all who attended.
Joan Gladstone: “Route 66: An Artist’s Journey”
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Artist Joan Gladstone took guests on a “road trip” as she described her Hilbert exhibition “Route 66 – Happy 100th Birthday to America’s Mother Road.” After two road trips, Joan was inspired to create a series of oil paintings that turn back the clock to the heyday of the legendary road. She showed photos and told stories from her travels and discussed her creative process for bringing iconic roadside signs, many that have disappeared or faded away, back to life.
Jørgen Klubien: “Infinity and Beyond” – My Creative Life at Disney and Pixar
Thursday, April 30, 2026
Jørgen Klubien, the acclaimed Disney and Pixar character animator, shared engaging tales of his life and creative work on some of the most beloved animated features ever made: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Nightmare Before Christmas, Pocahontas, Mulan, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc. and — most famously — Cars, for which he was co-creator and screenwriter. Few artists have helped shape the look of modern animated films as quietly — and profoundly — as Klubien.
Ken Bruce: “Before the Birds Sang Words: The Story of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room”
Friday, April 24, 2026
Two-time Emmy Award-winning animation artist and author Ken Bruce presented a fascinating deep dive into the creation of Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, the timeless Audio-Animatronic musical revue that’s been delighting Disneyland audiences for more than 60 years. This illustrated talk was all about the hard work and innovation that go into spell-weaving on a grand scale, viewed through the point of view of a single ground-breaking attraction at Disneyland.
Mark Hilbert and Mary Platt: “Treasures of the Grand Egyptian Museum”
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
After 17 years of planning, construction, and anticipation, the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) in Giza opened in November 2025. Dedicated exclusively to the civilization of ancient Egypt, the spectacular GEM is now the largest museum in the world devoted to a single culture. Hilbert Museum Founder Mark Hilbert and Director Mary Platt each traveled to Egypt in January and experienced firsthand the excitement surrounding this landmark cultural achievement. During the special presentation, they shared photographs and personal insights from their visits.
Pacific Symphony’s String Quartet: “Music in the Museum: Pixar, West Coast Jazz and More”
Thursday, March 19, 2026
Guests enjoyed a beautiful evening of music and art in the midst of the galleries as the Hilbert Museum welcomed Pacific Symphony’s String Quartet! The south galleries surrounded the audience with outstanding acoustics as the quartet performed a program based on artworks on view in the museum, including Jorgen Klubien’s lively drawings for Pixar movies and a group of 1940s paintings showing the origins of West Coast Jazz. The fun, jazzy offerings and familiar tunes are from such beloved movies as “Toy Story,” “Coco” and “Up.” The quartet featured violinists Jeanne Skrocki (PSO assistant concertmaster) and Alice Wrate, violist Carolyn Riley and cellist Rudolph Stein.
Jean Stern: “Modernism in California, 1910-1960”
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Jean Stern returned to the Hilbert Museum to present a fully illustrated 45-minute lecture explaining the different art styles active in California between 1910 and 1960. He discussed the development of Modern Art in California while showing several examples of the various artists’ work. Among the artists featured were Rex Brandt, Keith Crown, Phil Dike, George James, Jack Laycox, Milford Zornes and others.
Richard Parr: “Japanese Prints: The Artists”
Friday, January 23, 2026
Richard Parr of Mie Gallery returned to the Hilbert Museum with a fascinating illustrated lecture that delved into the lives and creations of several acclaimed Japanese artist-printmakers of the Ukiyo-e genre. Ukiyo-e, meaning “pictures of the floating world,” is a traditional Japanese art form that emerged during the Edo period (17th-19th centuries). It primarily refers to a genre of woodblock prints, paintings and illustrations that depicted scenes from everyday urban life, particularly in Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Many of the most prominent woodblock print artists of this period included Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, Toyohara Kunichika, Utagawa Hiroshige and Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
Jean Stern: “Orientalism in Art”
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
Director emeritus of The Irvine Museum and art historian Jean Stern discussed the art style called “Orientalism” which depicts aspects of Near East and Middle East life as recorded by artists from a European point of view. It consists of magnificent works by 19th-century artists who specialized in “exotic” subjects, produced from their travels in the Middle East and Western Asia during the mid to late 19th century. Notable artists of the style include Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), John Frederick Lewis (1805-1876), Theodore Chassériau (1819-1856), Jean-Léon Gérôme (1824-1904), among many others.
Richard Parr: “Famous Restaurants in Edo: Fashion, Food, and Theatre in Japanese Woodblock Prints”
Friday, October 24, 2025
In 19th-century Edo (the old name for Tokyo), dining was more than food; it was fashion, theater and art! Far before the current “influencer” culture, Japanese restaurants in the late 1800s and early 1900s partnered with artists and famous celebrities – geisha and actors – to promote their establishments. The exhibition “Famous Restaurants in Edo” showcases vibrant woodblock prints by masters like Yoshitoshi, Kunichika, Hiroshige and Kuniyoshi, who captured the city’s most iconic restaurants and the lively culture that surrounded them. Lecture guests heard from expert Richard Parr how these prints became both exquisite artworks and clever advertisements for a flourishing urban scene.
Fred Ortiz: “Emigdio Vasquez: The Godfather of Chicano Art, in His Own Words”
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Art collector/curator/author Fred Ortiz spoke about his friend Emigdio Vasquez (1939-2014), the acclaimed artist known as the “godfather of Chicano art.” Ortiz shared recently re-discovered film footage of Vasquez being interviewed, which was shown to an audience for the first time at this lecture, and spoke about the artist as he personally knew him. Emigdio Vasquez’s paintings include pieces that depict the vibrant culture and everyday life of his community, the Cypress Street Barrio in Orange, as well as portraits, classic cars and more.
Gordon McClelland: “Light and Shadow: The Art of Emil Kosa Jr.”
Saturday, August 9, 2025
Author and California art expert Gordon McClelland gave a fascinating illustrated talk on the exhibition he curated, “Sunlight and Shadows: Emil Kosa Jr. Art from the Hilbert Collection.” Guests learned more about the artist who not only revolutionized motion picture special effects art as head of the art department at Twentieth Century Fox Studios, but who also was among the painters who launched the California Scene Painting movement with his stunning landscapes and scenes of everyday life.
Adam Arenson: “Millard Sheets and the Home Savings Project”
Monday & Tuesday, July 28 & 29, 2025
Visiting lecturer Adam Arenson, author of “Banking on Beauty: Millard Sheets and Midcentury Architecture in California,” gave a lively illustrated lecture on the Sheets designs created for the Home Savings branch buildings in the 1950s and ‘60s. Adorned with murals, mosaics, stained glass and sculptures, the Home Savings branches displayed a celebratory vision of America’s community history and values, garnering widespread acclaim. The mosaic on the façade of the Hilbert Museum is a Sheets mosaic that once adorned the Home Savings branch building in Santa Monica, CA.
John Kosta: “The Los Angeles River: An Unexpected Beauty”
Wednesday, July 23, 2025
Acclaimed painter John Kosta discussed his ongoing series of oil paintings of the Los Angeles River, currently on view at the Hilbert Museum. Kosta embarked on a mission to rediscover and reimagine the Los Angeles River through his art. His “Los Angeles River Series” is a multi-year project that captures the river’s essence, portraying its beauty and resilience. Through his work, he invites viewers to see this “forgotten river” not just as a concrete channel but as a living entity with a unique beauty and rich history…and with potential for renewal.
“Pageant of the Masters and California Art: The Hilbert Connection” – A Panel Discussion
Wednesday, June 4, 2025
What’s the Hilbert Museum’s connection with Laguna Beach’s famed Pageant of the Masters? This summer’s annual pageant—showcasing famous works of art brought to life onstage—features several artworks from the Hilbert Museum collection! This special preview discussion with Pageant Director Diane Challis Davy, Hilbert Museum Founder Mark Hilbert, local artist Bradford Salamon, and Hilbert Museum Director Mary Platt included the history of the Pageant and Festival of Arts, what goes into planning this unique show and bringing the art masterpieces to life, and more.
Violins of Hope
Saturday, May 31, 2025
In association with the “Violins of Hope” exhibition at the Hilbert Museum and at other venues in Orange County, this event featured a discussion with Violins of Hope founder Avshi Weinstein and James Grymes, author of the book “Violins of Hope,” along with a short performance by Niv Ashkenazi, Violins of Hope artist-in-residence. Violins of Hope is a collection of Holocaust-related string instruments based in Tel Aviv, Israel. The instruments tour the world and serve to educate and memorialize the lives of prisoners in World War II concentration camps through concerts, exhibitions and other projects.
World of Wonder: A Panel Discussion with Westways Magazine Editors and Writers
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Westways magazine editors and writers joined us for an insightful discussion about the AAA magazine’s summer cover story: the benefits of experiencing awe while traveling, with a look at particularly awe-inspiring places and moments! Panelists included: Jim Benning, editor-in-chief; Derrik Lang, senior features editor; and Sandy Cohen, contributing writer. They stayed for Q&A and audience talkback after the panel as attendees brought their memories of awe-inspiring travel experiences for a lively discussion.
Bonnie Barrett: “Inna Ray: Poet, Photographer and Painter of the California Landscape”
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Guests learned about the wild and wonderful world of California artist Inna Jane Ray (1949-2020) from Bonnie Barrett, Ray’s longtime friend and collaborator. Inna Ray was a poet who drew, a painter who made photographs and a spiritual seeker. She was above all a native Californian whose deeply felt relationship to the California landscape can be seen in her works. Barrett explored the evolution of Ray’s work through her paintings and journals, offering insight into how her understanding of nature developed as both muse and subject. This event was held in connection with the exhibition Body of the World: The Californian Landscapes of Inna Jane Ray.
Nature’s Palette: Mixed Media & Watercolor Journaling Adventure
Saturday, April 19, 2025
This creative journaling workshop was inspired by the sketchbooks and art of California poet and painter Inna Jane Ray (1949-2020). A selection of her nature-inspired works curated from the Escalette Collection is on display through August 9, 2025, in an exhibition titled Body of the World: The Californian Landscapes of Inna Jane Ray. Workshop participants created their own custom stationery set – including notecards, envelopes and journal pages – using mixed media and watercolor techniques, while exploring their lived experience of nature.
Mark Hilbert: “My Collecting Life”
Thursday, February 27, 2025
Museum founder Mark Hilbert gave an informal illustrated talk about how he discovered the joys of collecting various types of art. From his first pieces of Native American arts made for the early 20th-century tourist trade, including intricately woven blankets and colorful pottery, to California Scene paintings (paintings of everyday life in California), he built a world-class collection of California fine art which later became the core of the Hilbert Museum’s collection. Mark’s passion for collecting Disney and other original movie art, as well as works of American illustration, have also become treasured aspects of the museum’s offerings. And don’t forget his antique radios, which have unexpectedly become one of the museum’s most popular exhibitions!
Bradford Salamon: “Somebody to Love: The Allure of Painted Portraits”
Saturday, February 22, 2025
Bradford Salamon, acclaimed Monrovia-based artist, curated the exhibition “Somebody to Love: Portraits from The Hilbert Collection,” presented this talk on why painted portraits have always been so popular, and why looking at other people’s faces is so fascinating. He explained how he curated the show, choosing from The Hilbert Collection’s wide range of portrait art, how he arrived at his mix of celebrity and unknown faces, and how portraits in an art exhibition have “dialogues” with each other. Salamon (b. 1963) is an American multi-disciplinary artist who paints portraits in oils, depictions of human drama, and everyday objects. Salamon is also a sculptor, creator of short films, curator and musician.
Guided Gallery Walk-Through: “Timothy J. Clark: Going Places” with Dr. Michael Brown and artist Timothy J. Clark
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
A pair of experts, Dr. Michael Brown, curator of European art at the San Diego Museum of Art, and the artist himself, Timothy J. Clark, offered insights and discussed the creative process that goes into Clark’s acclaimed watercolor paintings, which range from portraits to still lifes to cities and buildings visited during Clark’s world travels. Dr. Brown, Ph.D. oversees the permanent collection of European Art before 1900 at the San Diego Museum of Art. He has taught at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Denver and is the author of numerous articles on Spanish portraiture and the history of collecting Hispanic art.
Gordon McClelland on “Picturing Paradise: The Art of California Orange Box Labels”
Saturday, January 18, 2025
Gordon McClelland, the California art expert who pioneered the whole orange-crate label collecting trend with his 1980s books and exhibitions on the subject, discussed his Hilbert Museum exhibition of colorful crate labels dating from the 1880s to 1955 in this illustrated talk. Many of the spectacular illustrations on these labels depicted the sunny paradise that was Southern California, or exoticized it as a land of flirty senoritas, colorful cowboys and picturesque haciendas. These designs helped not only to sell oranges, but to promote the notion of California itself as a golden dream state of idyllic beauty and “paradise found.”
Walk-Through of the “Timothy Clark: Going Places” Exhibition with Tom Freudenheim
Friday, January 10, 2025
Visiting art historian and noted art critic (The Wall Street Journal) Tom Freudenheim presented a guided walk-through of the exhibition “Timothy J. Clark: Going Places” in the museum’s Sodaro South Building. Artist Timothy Clark was also there for an in-depth look at his artistic style and where he fit in the panoply of historic and contemporary artists. A great opportunity to talk with and ask questions of one of today’s most noted art historians/art writers and a widely acclaimed working contemporary artist.
Guest Lecturer Tom L. Freudenheim: “Timothy Clark: At the Continuum of Watercolor”
Thursday, January 9, 2025
One of two exciting opportunities to hear from Tom Freudenheim who has served as director of several museums and as Assistant Secretary for Museums at the Smithsonian Institutions. An art historian with degrees from Harvard College and New York University’s Institute of Fine Arts, he also was director of the Museum Program at the National Endowment for the Arts and has written regularly for the Wall Street Journal, Curator: The Museum Journal and other publications. The works of Timothy J. Clark, one of the most acclaimed watercolor artists in America, could be seen in the Hilbert Museum exhibition “Timothy J. Clark: Going Places.” This talk placed him at the confluence of the historical American watercolor tradition and the future of the genre.
Marcus Burke, Ph.D. on “Timothy J. Clark: Going Places”
Saturday, November 9, 2024
An illuminating presentation by Dr. Marcus Burke, curator emeritus of the Hispanic Society of America’s Museum Division, as he delved into the art and career of renowned watercolorist Timothy J. Clark. This special event celebrated the exhibition “Timothy J. Clark: Going Places“, which showcased 40 of Clark’s evocative watercolor paintings, inspired by his travels around the globe. Dr. Burke, a distinguished art historian visiting from New York, offered unique insights into Clark’s mastery of watercolor, his thoughtful approach to composition, and his extraordinary ability to capture mood and place. This was an opportunity to hear from a leading expert as he highlighted Clark’s artistic journey and discussed why his works resonate so powerfully.
Jean Stern: “Defining Excellence: Artwork by Historical Members of the California Art Club”
Saturday, August 24, 2024
For more than a century, the California Art Club has promoted the merits of traditional art forms by championing painting and sculpture created using classical art skills. The Annual Gold Medal Exhibition was and continues to be the most vital platform for demonstrating the best of the realist genre. The 113th installment of this storied exhibition was on view to the public at the Hilbert Museum as noted art historian Jean Stern discussed the rich legacy of the California art that was inspired by the early members of the California Art Club. His fully illustrated talk focused on exploring works created by these historical members of the Club, including numerous artists represented in the Hilbert Museum’s permanent collection. These artists’ dedication to excellence has repeatedly raised the bar for traditional art throughout the decades.
Mary Platt: “The Magic and Flair of Mary Blair”
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Hilbert Museum director Mary Platt took the audience on a visual tour of whimsy and wonder as she talked about the life and work of famed Disney artist Mary Blair. Blair’s use of bold colors and simplified shapes created a visually striking and modern interpretation of Lewis Carroll’s classic tale “Alice in Wonderland.” Her whimsical, surreal design choices, exemplified in her curious landscapes and fantastical characters, added a playful, dreamlike quality to her concept art for the animated film. Mary Blair’s artistic imprint on Disney’s “Alice in Wonderland” and her other Disney works remain a testament to her ability to elevate storytelling through her unique style of visual enchantment. Her innovative approach to color and form not only left an indelible mark on the animated films but also solidified her legacy as a pioneering force in animation concept art within the Disney canon.
Fred Ortiz: “Emigdio Vasquez: A Slice of History”
Wednesday, July 31, 2024
When Fred Apodaca Ortiz met the pioneering Chicano artist Emigdio Vasquez (1939-2014) for the first time in 1995, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Over the ensuing years, Ortiz commissioned and purchased many paintings from the acclaimed artist, who has been nicknamed “the Godfather of Chicano art.” In this wide-ranging talk, Ortiz spoke about that friendship and his stunning collection of Vasquez’s paintings, which he curated in the Hilbert exhibition titled “Emigdio Vasquez: Works from the Fred Ortiz Collection.” This lecture gave an inside look into Vasquez’s vibrant works that depict the culture and everyday life of his community, the Cypress Street Barrio in Orange, as well as portraits, classic cars, still lifes and more. Vasquez was also famed for his many outdoor murals, illustrating the struggles and triumphs of the Mexican-American community, including one at Santa Ana College and another on an apartment building owned by Chapman University on Cypress Street.
Adam Arenson: Local Landmarks: Millard Sheets and the Art and Architecture for Home Savings
Wednesday, July 17, 2024
For more than three decades, Millard Sheets (1907-1989) and his studio of artists designed Home Savings and Loan branches throughout California, studding their iconic projects with mosaics, murals, stained glass and sculptures that celebrated both family life and the history of the Golden State. Combining private investment and public art and championing historical themes in a period of dramatic cultural and political change, the Home Savings and Loan buildings are signature structures of Mid-Century Modern architecture that deserve to be preserved. Adam Arenson wrote the award-winning Banking on Beauty: Millard Sheets and Midcentury Modern Design in California (University of Texas Press, 2018), that shines a light on this distinctive style of architecture and art. He has written for The New York Times, The Atlantic and The Washington Post, and he has presented his research on Home Savings and Millard Sheets throughout California, including at Palm Springs Modernism Week.
Jean Stern: “Orange County Dreams: How California’s Great Artists Painted OC”
Wednesday, June 12, 2024
Acclaimed art historian and author Jean Stern shared beautiful images of the history of Orange County as seen through the eyes of many of California’s greatest artists. From the glorious shores of Laguna Beach to townscapes and everyday life in Newport Beach, Costa Mesa, Anaheim, Santa Ana and more, see the OC in oils and watercolors – even Disneyland got a turn! Featured artists included Barse Miller, Bradford J. Salamon, George James, Rosemary Vasquez Tuthill, Kerne Erickson and many more.
Gordon McClelland: “A Matter of Style…and More: California Art at the Hilbert Museum”
Saturday, May 11, 2024
Noted California art expert and author Gordon McClelland spoke about works in the exhibitions he has curated at the Hilbert Museum: “A Matter of Style: Modernism in California Art,” “Same Place, Another Time: Views of Orange County,” and paintings and prints in the Permanent Collection galleries. McClelland is the author of many books on 20th-century California art, including “California Scene Paintings,” “California Watercolors,” “Millard Sheets: The Early Years,” “Emil Kosa Jr.,” “George Post” and many more. All his books are on sale at the Hilbert Museum.
Jean Stern: “Millard Sheets: American Master”
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
Perhaps the most celebrated of California 20th-century artists, Millard Sheets (1907-1989) could do it all: painter, muralist, mosaicist, designer and teacher. Jean Stern, curator of the exhibition “Millard Sheets: California Master” at the Hilbert Museum, will take his audience through the biography of the acclaimed artist, and talk about the many outstanding paintings in the current show as well as Sheets’ spectacular 40-foot-long glass mosaic, “Pleasures Along the Beach,” which now permanently adorns the museum’s west facade.