I went to a live figure drawing night & it was a brand new experience for me, I had never done anything quite like it before (i literally went to Michael's right before to buy pencils and a sketchbook) so I was reasonably nervous walking in. & to my pleasant surprise, out of the ~20 something people in there, not a single one was mean or judgmental or dismissive. Absolutely nothing like the worst case scenario my brain was trying to convince me would happen if I ventured out lol It was really an all around a super welcoming & inspiring experience. I'm excited to go again and hopefully build up some skill and community read more

I've been following Location1980 for a long time on Meetup for their figure drawing sessions but haven't been to one, recently noticed they had a graffiti art workshop so I signed up along with my brother, it was great experience and would do it again read more

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Art Studio . Great Artist's . Beautiful work and Displays. find time to come visit this location. Various types of work. Different Events throughout the year! Always a wonderful time! Location 1980 ! read more

One of a kind art collective and gallery space. This place is so special and unique. So much more than just a gallery... All of the artists here have open studios and allow guests to see behind the scenes into their creative process. The variety of mediums and styles represented here is unlike anywhere else I've seen in Orange County. Painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, neon, murals and more... figurative, abstract, landscape, and everything in between. The energy here is wholesome and welcoming. They encourage everyone to join in on the creativity here! The Christmas ornament crafting station was such a fun activity for adults and kids! The annual holiday event is an absolute MUST for all OC art lovers. read more

Location1980 - The ornament crafting station. A 1980 Holiday Tradition! - Art Galleries Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Is a straight up magical community that is overflowing creativity, diversity, and love for all kinds of art. The resident artists there are incredibly talented and friendly. Truly an inspirational place. Thank you for a Holiday Art Sale I will never forget! read more

Location1980 - Gallery wall during the Holiday Art Sale - Art Galleries Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I'm in a hurry so I've got to make this quick, I'll try to be direct... First-off, I have absolutely no affiliation to this place, other than I have been going there from time to time for the past 4 years or so. I'm no more than a casual acquaintance of the organizers and we're not really buddies or anything. What I'm writing here is because I truly enjoy this place and I admire what it has become. I was lucky to attend this group way back in it's inception, I think it had only been open for a couple weeks then and I found the group through Meetup.com. Back then Location 1980 was just a small rented space in a dilapidated storage warehouse of an antique dealer. All the goods had been pushed aside to make enough room for a model and a few chairs, artist-horses and easels. Every week I returned to find something new, once it was less antiques, the next was improved lighting, refinished floors, new drywall and so on. Over the course of a couple years the antique dealer had moved out, inch by inch Jesse and Bret had taken over the entire building and turned into not only a comfortable, complete art facility, but they managed to turn the building into an experience, into a culture. I'm not able to attend anymore as I did in the beginning, but no matter when I randomly show up, I can count on something going on ANY/EVERY wednesday night and I encounter a handful of the same original people there attending the workshops aside a bunch of new people as well. The common denominator between everybody there is a good, comfortable, casual attitude. I find people very approachable and friendly and there is a general family-like atmosphere. I feel very lucky to witness how Location sprouted from nothing and has bloomed into a unique place where artists congregate and share art-making, support and advice. I've honestly never witnessed something like this before and all I can say is that it's an inspiration and an example of patience and determination on Jesse's and Bret's part. If you are in any way artistic, I highly recommend you come try this place out. You need not worry about your skill level and you can always count on quality, consistency, fun, inspiration, comfort and learning from others. read more

This space has been completely renovated! It is huge and some of the best artist in OC come here to be create and to be inspired, if you love to paint, if you love to draw if you want to support the arts, location 1980 is the place to be in the OC... People of all ages and all walks of life converge to do what they love best; to create and contribute to the arts. read more

Jesse, the gentleman in-charge of the establishment is friendly and professional. If you are looking a for a kick back studio that will allow your creative juices flow and be around other positive artists this your spot. A large gallery to showcase your work. They are also able to host various types of parties....trust me check this place out it's RAD! Nothing but positive creative vibes for any type of occasion! read more

There is a great mix of models bringing challenging poses. The place is really welcoming and chill as is the director "Jessie". I found the group of artists to be friendly and diverse. worth the time to effort to practice your chosen media! read more

Location 1980 is truly amazing. The artists are incredible and the inventory of art is very impressive. I was fortunate enough to stop by for one of the holiday events and was impressed on how organized they all are...all with great energy and vibes! read more

Location 1980 is a confluence of artistic minds from all over the Orange county LA area. A fantastic venue with a grassroots feel. Figure drawing weekly and appointment showings of local talent. A hidden gem amongst the garbage plasticity of Orange County social snobbery. A breath of fresh air. Definate 5. read more

I can honestly say that there is no place I have ever been to that compares to what Location 1980 is and offers. It gives me exactly what I have been looking for: a place to attend unique, positive exhibits right here in my own back yard. It's a true hidden gem smack dab in the middle of Costa Mesa that boasts a fantastic array of art, events, people and space that allows creativity to grow and flow effortlessly. I never knew how much I would enjoy painting until I took a chance and attended an art class on a Wednesday night. The class was cool, calm, casual and brought out the best in everyone that attended. After frequenting more of the art classes, and meeting some seriously great people, I eventually ended up attending more and more events here because once you experience what Location 1980 is, you can't stay away. A true work of art. Do yourself a favor and check it out. Highly recommended!! read more

I've been twice now and each time has been a great experience. The atmosphere is very friendly, the organizers are great, and the models have been top notch. They are extremely consistent... you can count on them having a session every Wednesday evening and Saturday morning (as of this writing) without fail. So cool to have a place like this available for the figure artist... amateur or otherwise. read more

I needed an art-studio for painting in california and lucky me I found the location 1980! up there I could find anything what I needed! while I travel with a backpack it is not always possible for me to bring around a lot of tools, so the location 1980 team was help me out where I needed, share them tools & space with me. the place is huge, so I could install my studio also outside when I wanted/needed, they were really flexible on anything! they have a lot of tools, almost everything what any kind of artist needed (not only for painter). on wednesday from 7pm to 10pm they organize an art-class with model where you can join too for a more then fair price! the ocean is 5 min. busdrive away or I could lend *flora* the bike & go straight way to the beach if I wanted to paint up there, get new inspirations or simply get a refresh with a jump in the ocean! :) so if u need a special place/studio to follow your art inspirations and passions location 1980 will be the right choice! read more