Imagination Celebration - Through May 24 | Arts Awards - Oct 14

Famed Artist With OC Roots Chris Burden Has Died

Chris Burden, an artist who received his MFA at UC Irvine and achieved notoriety for his 1971 performance art piece, "Shoot," at F-Space Gallery in Santa Ana, in which he had someone shoot him in the arm, has died at 69 from melanoma. From his early years, when he used his own body as his medium for controversial works, Burden evolved into an internationally-celebrated conceptual artist. Perhaps his most famous and best-loved work is "Urban Light," (2008) his installation of 202 restored streetlamps from the 1920s and 1930s at the Wilshire Blvd. entrance to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, which also exhibits his "Metropolis II" room-sized cityscape, a kinetic sculpture filled with the frenzy of toy cars and train traffic (seen above). Obituary here.

Rep. Loretta Sanchez Honors 46th District Student Artists

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez(above) honored student artists from the 46th District during a reception at the Art Institute in Santa Ana on May 11. The top winner wasCarla Gutierrez of Godinez Fundamental High School in Santa Ana, student of Helen Seigel, for her work "Dreams and Nightmares Come True." The work will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. for the year with works from student winners in most Congressional districts around the nation, and Gutierrez will travel there for the Congressional Art Competition opening reception, courtesy of Southwest Airlines. Additionally, courtesy of AT&T, she has received funds to cover hotel and incidental costs while in D.C. and a gift card at Michael's to purchase more art supplies. Second and third place winners and two Honorable Mentions also received gift cards courtesy of AT&T. Arts Orange County assisted in the proceedings for the third year in a row, represented by Rick Stein, Executive Director.

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DOUGLAS C. RANKIN TO LEAVE IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

After nearly 29 years as President of the Irvine Barclay Theatre, Douglas C. Rankin will step down at the end of August. He will continue as a program consultant through early 2016 to ensure an orderly transition. Rankin, who was honored in 2012 with a Helena Modjeska Cultural Legacy Award by Arts Orange County (above), was hired four years prior to the opening of the Barclay, and earned it international attention through his visionary programming, which included the presentation of an annual Flamenco festival and exclusive engagements of some of the world's foremost contemporary dance. companies and musical artists. Read press release here.

BALBOA PERFORMING ARTS THEATRE FOUNDATION DISSOLVES

After an effort over more than a decade by local activists to secure sufficient private funding to convert a former movie theatre on Balboa Peninsula into a 300-seat performing arts center, the nonprofit organization formed to make it happen has announced its dissolution. The City, which owns the property, is now considering the future of the building, once hoped to form the centerpiece of neighborhood revitalization. The Balboa Performing Arts Foundation's remaining funds are being transferred to the nonprofit Newport Beach Arts Foundation to support performing arts in the city. Read more in the Daily Pilot here.

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