The Hilbert Museum of California Art is the best museum in Orange County that you've never heard…read moreof. Even me, walking around recommending the place now, can barely remember its name. But still, since coming here for the first time only a couple of weeks ago I've recommended it multiple times. And now? Multiple + 1. Though you'll be asked, at entry, if you've made reservations, don't be daunted. Reservations are unnecessary and museum admittance is free of charge. Though the Hilbert had been on my radar earlier, I'd forgotten about it until noticing, at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, that several artists had pieces acquired by the Hilbert, spurring me to visit. Housed in two separate buildings connected by a central plaza framed with an astounding Millard Sheets mosaic, the building you enter for check-in has a frequently changing (3 times annually) display. On this visit they featured the California Art Club's 115th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition. Outstanding in every respect, I couldn't help but notice how many artists were there touring the show and how many of the pieces were already sold. Yes, the works in this particular exhibit were for sale, much of it quite reasonably priced considering the astounding talent on display. The second building features exhibits from the Hilbert's permanent collection and there was nary a dud in this space either. In that this is a museum of California art, the collection includes a lot of Disney-adjacent artists but also, so much more. I particularly enjoyed the way they kept each of these exhibits relatively bite-sized, to enable a broad showing of their remarkable collection. Knowing that the Hilbert is free, excellent, and always mixing things up pretty much guarantees a return visit on every future trip to Southern California. If you like museums and are anywhere nearby this is a museum definitely worth making time for.

This was hands down one of the best out of nowhere experiences I had in a long time and it…read morecompletely blew my mind. Not just was it one of the coolest free things to do with a lot of content to be seen. I so glad I stopped in.

I absolutely loved the creators of the gallery. I was sad to find out that they would have to move,…read morebut at that time I was able to purchase a lovely illustration from a Fancy Nancy book series. I ADORE it once Chemers is settled in their new location, I'll be there.

Friendly, non-invasive treatment from staff. Great gift shop for close friends. Reasonable prices.read more

Great place to get picture frames, glass and more! I only needed a single pane of glass for a…read more12x16 picture, but was very impressed with the other services/products available. The glass was cut promptly, was priced reasonably and was a perfect solution.

Great place. Small, quaint and very personable. Reasonably competitively pricing. Got a scarf…read moreframed and they did an astonishing job that looks like a piece of art. Very knowledgeable and experienced. Took time to go through options and gave recommendations. Will go back again for more future framing needs.

Attended the reception for ArtStart which features affordable art perfect for holiday gifting…read more They also feature a silent auction with professional framed photography starting at $100.

Great art center with interesting and unique exhibits. They take great pride in all their events…read more Opening nights are fun since they fall on Art Nights in the village. Hours should be more accommodating through the week.

I love visiting Matoska Trading Company in Old Town Orange! Such a hidden gem. This place has such…read morea unique and welcoming vibe. A one stop destination for gifts or to buy yourself something cool. One of the best things about this store is definitely their prices on crystals. They have some of the most reasonable prices I've seen anywhere. I was recently in Sedona where prices were double to triple the price. Whether you're shopping for quartz, amethyst, or any other stones, you get great quality without breaking the bank. Many are in different sizes, shapes, etc. They also carry a really great selection of Sage and other smudging herbs. Beautiful dream catchers, jewerly, beautiful pieces of art, books, etc. I am a fan.

We had a quick fascinating walk through of this American Indian goods shop. There were all kinds of…read moreart work, and souvenirs and excellent gift ideas.

I wandered into this place completely by accident while simply walking downtown Gas Lamp one night…read moreafter returning to my hotel. I did not recognize the name Chuck Jones automatically so I walked in as the doors were propped open in welcome and started to browse. I instantly saw a lot of Marvin the Martian, Bugs Bunny stuff and was wondering why they were carrying so much of that theme. The fella working inside greeted me behind the desk and told me a bit about the gallery - that it is owned by the estate/family of Chuck Jones and it has been open and owned there for many years. That he is the artist behind those drawings and many others and they feature several other artists inside the gallery. They have some moderately priced pieces around the front and middle of the gallery and at the back they have a more rare collection of pieces, some of which were upwards of $50k by Chuck Jones himself and other celebrated artists. A neat feature was a Chuck Jones sketch of Wylie Coyote on the back door in marker - with a photo of him doing it live at an event to demonstrate his talent/technique.

While scoping out our options to explore along our Trolley Tour, we came across this Gallery. When…read moremy son heard about it, the Chuck Jones Gallery made our must see list. He is a huge fan! Reading the reviews ahead of time, we knew that there would be no photography inside and that it may be just a quick look since we obviously were not there to purchase artwork (much of which is in the low thousands). When we arrived my son told of his admiration of Chuck Jones and we assured the gentleman that we knew about no photography being allowed. He was really nice to us and we were able to explore the whole gallery. I did get their card so we have the option to purchase later. They do have smaller prints that seem to start around $100. The artwork included some prints by other artists, too. Namely Charles Schultz, Dr. Seuss, and Fabio Napoleoni. This gallery is definitely a place for cartoon art fans to visit. If I could afford it, we would most definitely purchase from here, as well. They also can ship your art home for you. Definitely check it out, but be respectful about the gallery not allowing pictures being taken inside. There are also copyright issues to consider. Many museums these days don't allow it either, so it isn't any different. We just took a few pictures outside afterwards standing in front of the sign above the gallery door to commemorate our experience. We would both love to return some day.

The best store I've ever experienced--yes, experienced. I feel blessed that the rebel in me said…read moreenter even when the sign clearly read "Please, Do Not Enter." What waited on the other side was a cascade of surprise, curiosity, and constant discovery. Every curated piece felt like an invitation to look closer, to see differently. It was clear I had stepped into the world of two brilliant minds, generously offering us a small glimpse of how they see. And I was all in. I left spinning, elevated, creatively full--astonished that a place like this even exists.

I got the cutest purse form here . It was a good day where none of the south coast plaza rent a…read morecops bothered me and left me in peace to actually get inside my bag and make myself happy . It's a beautiful pattern silk blue and green with shiny silky threads

You know, I've worked at two different art museums, and I'm still not what you'd call an "art…read morebuff," ...I'm more of what's you'd call "a lot buff!" *rimshot* Thanks folks, I'll be here all week. Take my wife, please. Boy are my arms tired. I'm pretty sure Grand Central Art Center is my new fave part of downtown Santa Ana. It's part grad student studios/other exhibitions/sales galleries. And, let me tell you, this is one top notch art gallery. Coming from a non-art buff, that means a whole helluva lot, doesn't it? Well, it should - because if I, a person who thinks Damien Hirst is just complete bullshit, then it should mean something to you. I'd say 85% of the works in this gallery caught my attention - a much higher ratio that the rest of the galleries around here. They've got some cutting edge stuff, a lot of trendy stuff and a dash of traditional sorta stuff. The space is top notch too. I love the way the different galleries are setup. But wait...there's more. On this particular art walk night that I went, they had posters of their upcoming exhibitions. Don't you roll your eyes and say "so what." These posters were the best free posters I've ever seen. Printed on fine quality paper with awesome designs. Oh, and FREE. Duh. Thumbs Up: -Non boring art. -If you're lookin' to buy, there is art here you can actually afford. Well, not you, but you over there...you can afford it. -Next to just about everything cool in Downtown Santa Ana. -Free food and drink during art walk! Thumbs Down: -It may end up being my second favorite thing after I finally visit Lola Gaspar across the way.

During the OC Yelp Elite Event here in March, a fascinating piece of artwork caught my eye…read more And no, for those who were there, it was not the Hitler Head teapot. Yes, I agree. W.T.F. Anyways, the husband and I saw a really cool piece of art and inquired about it a few days after the event. The price was right but we had some difficulty actually buying it. Let's just say there was a lack of communication with the curator and it took both my husband and I multiple attempts to buy the piece...over a month later. Whatever. But I would like to add that Alyssa, the curatorial assistant, was very helpful once we were able to finally pick it up. The experience of buying the art was a headache, but I actually really like the gallery. They show very eclectic genres of art and a wide range of contemporary artists - from cult artist "Dark Vomit" (scary!) to Thomas Kinkade (even scarier!). But the stuff in between is really cool. Take an afternoon and go check it out. The Artists Village in Santa Ana is one of the cooler neighborhoods of OC and Grand Central Art Center is, by far, one of the better art centers.

If you're a Disney fan, this place is an absolute hidden gem! The selection of Disney prints,…read morepaintings, and collectibles is incredible, with something for every type of collector and Disney enthusiast. One of the best parts of the experience is watching talented Disney artists create their artwork right before your eyes. Seeing the creative process in person makes each piece even more special. They also host amazing guest artists, and on occasion, you can even meet Disney Imagineers, making every visit unique and memorable. Whether you're looking for a beautiful piece of artwork, a collectible to add to your collection, or simply want to immerse yourself in Disney creativity, this is a must-visit destination. The quality of the artwork, the talented artists, and the magical atmosphere make it an unforgettable experience that keeps you coming back

While shopping around at Downtown Disney, my family and I found the Wonderground Gallery in the…read moreDowntown Disney District. It's a boutique styled gallery and shop. The gallery specializes in Disney themed artworks, prints, collectibles, housewares, accessories and more. You can browse through framed pieces, posters, mugs, and other merchandise that blends classic Disney magic with art. The gallery also features a drawing station where sketch artists create custom hand drawn art right before your eyes! When my family and I came in on a Friday evening after California Adventure, the Gallery was busy! We saw the large unique Collectible Magic Key! It was cool, but expensive. You could easily spend an hour here looking at all of the Disney art pieces. Over the years, the Wonderground Gallery has celebrated a variety of art styles and periodically hosted meet and greet and even signing events with featured artists! Recently the gallery was refurbished in 2024. Parts of the offerings were moved over to other Disney stores like the Disney Home store. If you're visiting Downtown Disney, I'd highly recommend checking out the Wonderground Gallery. Before taking pictures of the gallery, we did ask a cast member if it was okay, and we were informed it was good to take pictures inside the Art Gallery! My family and I enjoyed our time here. Discounts are accepted at the Wonderground Gallery which includes the Magic Key Holder Discounts, the Disney Vacation Club discounts, and the Disney Visa Cardmember perks.

Studio and art gallery in downtown Fullerton. The Art Walk is full of fun surprises, and Violet…read moreHour is no exception. Artists come and show off their work, and everything is on sale. I went to see a few friends show their work this month, and was taken aback by the gallery. Mike and Candace have done an amazing job with the space they own, and the way they display their artists' work makes the whole experience super fun and unique. Every nook and cranny of the warehouse has something interesting, and i feel like I'm walking through a labyrinth of personal expression. They also have DJs spinning, live bands, or just random music playing throughout. It's also very close to a lot of bars and restaurants off Harbor, so spend some time checking out this place before hitting up your favorite pub or restaurant.

First Fridays of every month at the The Violet Hour:…read more ART! Tons. STRONG DRINKS! Tons. COOL SHIT THROUGHOUT! Tons. FREE. Tons.