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Path of Pilgrimage, An Exhibition of Paintings by Joshua Smith

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THE PATH OF PILGRIMAGENew Works by Joshua Smith

An Inspire Exhibition at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity

Opens October 13th

Costa Mesa, CA, September 1, 2015: Artists are often asked where their inspiration comes from; when Orange County artist, Joshua Smith, is asked that question he is quick to respond that he relies on his dreams and his faith for inspiration. Working in a vortex of color and often on over twenty varying sizes of canvas at a time, Smith, not unlike the dreams he credits with inspiring his work, paints in a fever of remembrance, memory, mysticism, and metaphor.  

“I take my visual clues from architecture and from religion, allowing my paintings to be a reflection of art and of my faith,” says Smith, “and like a small child, I fanaticize my surroundings, the sky’s the limit.” A technically proficient oil painter, Smith, with his Masters in fine art from Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford, Connecticut, approaches his work like a metaphysical journey through some unknown reality; he believes in the omnipotence of the dream, the fantasy.

With his emphasis on landscape, his colors lay one on top of the other in a powdery mist of memory; chairs, paths, trees, butterflies, nests, and small home-like structures stand in lonely isolation, but still he imbues each canvas with the emotion of hope and of home. The paintings’ dense, fragile surfaces and areas of multi-chromatic richness recall ancient wall frescos. 

“The Center is thrilled to present this Inspire Exhibition of work by the artist, Joshua Smith,” says Craig Kausen, chairman of the board and Chuck Jones’s grandson. “His work, like that of other great artists, inspires each of us to view our world a little differently, with faith and hope; and, perhaps, to question our responsibility to the world around us.”

Opening night reception for the artist is Tuesday, October 13 from 7 to 9 PM at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity, 3321 Hyland Ave., Suite A, in Costa Mesa at the South Coast Collection (SoCo). The reception is free and open to the public. The exhibit will close on November 30. A portion of proceeds benefit the programs of the Center, a 501(c)3 public charity.

A graduate of the Hartford Art School, University of Hartford (Connecticut) with a Masters in painting, Smith received his undergraduate degree at the Laguna College of Art & Design.  He has participated in over 30 group exhibitions and more than 25 solo exhibitions in the past 10 years. Awarded the prestigious Best New SOLO Artist at the New York International Art Expo in 2007, Smith recently exhibited at the Carousel du Louvre with the Socièté Nationale des Beaux. He has been involved in numerous projects with The Guildford Handcraft Center, taught as adjunct professor at the Hartford Art School and has been exhibition curator at the Nathan J Gallery, Farmington, Ct. Currently, he lives in Orange County with his wife and two children.

Irvine Classical Players Perform "Peter and the Wolf" at Chuck Jones Center for Creativity!

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BUY TICKETS HERE!Please join the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity as we celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Emmy Award-winning, “Peter and the Wolf”. Enjoy an evening’s recital with the Irvine Classical Players and the Seraphim Symphony in this fundraising benefit for the Center and these fine Orange County musicians. All proceeds will benefit the non-profits. This musical evening will take place Friday, May 29, from 7 to 9 PM at the Center, 3321 Hyland Avenue, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Tickets are available by clicking on this sentence.

“Peter and the Wolf” was originally commissioned in 1936 by the Central Children’s Theater in Moscow with the intent to engage young people at an early age with a love of classical music; Prokofiev finished the work in just four days. In 1995 Chuck’s character designs became the basis for an live action/animated TV special written, produced, and directed by George Daugherty, that starred Lloyd Bridges and Kirstie Alley. It won an Emmy the following year for best children’s television special.

The Center is pleased to partner with Irvine Classical Players and Seraphim Symphony to bring you this selection of music from this musical masterpiece. Please join us!

 Tickets are available by clicking on this sentence.

Sommy Rhee spotlights The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity on her blog!

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Sommy Rhee recently highlighted The Chuck Jones Center for Creativity on her blog. Sommy posted a wonderful article highlighting our Drop In and Draw session and our gallery. Check out the photos she took! She's also a contributor for Red Tricycle, so check her article about The OC Mix and the Center! We hope to see more of Sommy and her family at the Center!

 

Saturday mornings, our family has been hanging out at the SOCO Farmer’s Market & the OC Mart Mix.  This is our favorite family-friendly destination. There is always something new or cool going on here, and the best part is that it isn’t too crowded so it’s perfect with people like us who have two young kids….Read more

 

Are You Going to the Cartoon Art Museum Gala Grand Opening?

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Tomorrow night, March 23rd from 6 to 9 PM PDT, the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity and the Cartoon Art Museum present the grand opening of the exhibition, "Chuck Jones: Drawing on Imagination, 100 Years of an Animated Artist. 100 works of art from his early career through his last projects are presented in this retrospective of the genius of Chuck Jones. You'll meet some very hip people: Linda Jones Clough, daughter of Chuck Jones; Marian Jones, his widow; and Craig Kausen, his grandson. You'll also have the opportunity to visit with some old friends such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Marvin Martian, Wile E. Coyote, and the Road Runner. Tickets, from $10.00 to $50.00, are available by clicking here or at the door. The Cartoon Art Museum is located at 655 Mission St. in the SoMA Arts District of San Francisco. Call 1-415-CAR-TOON for more details. Be there or be square!

Artist Jorge Pacheco To Be Spotlighted at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity on Saturday, February 16, 2013

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Please welcome guest artist, Jorge Pacheco, to the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity on Saturday, February 16, 2013 from 10am-2pm. He's bringing over 26 years of experience as a cartoonist, comic book artist, caricaturist, and children's book illustrator to the Center.

Like comic books? Jorge's worked with DC Comics, Archie Comics and Marvel Comics.

Interested in illustrating children's books? Jorge's done it! Some of his illustrations include "Children In Motion" by Bettyjoe Cooper and "The Official Princess Rule Book" by Lisa Chapman...to name a few!

Thought of creating your own comic strip? Jorge's done it! Check out his syndicated comic strip "CEO Dad".

 

Come down to the Center and meet Jorge. He'll be ready with pencil and paper to sketch with you, show you a few tricks and guide you to find your own creativity!

About Jorge Pacheco

Jorge has been a professional Cartoonist/Illustrator the past 26 years and  a graduated of the Joe Kubert School of Comic Book  Arts. Mr. Pacheco has worked for almost every major comic book company, Dark Horse Comics, DC Comics, Tokyopop, and Zenescope Comics and was staff artist for Harvey Comics from 1990-1995. He has drawn many famous licensed characters, such as Casper the Friendly Ghost,The Flintstones, Bullwinkle and Rocky to name a few. He also worked for Jim ( Garfield) Davis and had his own syndicated strip CEO Dad. Mr. Pacheco has also illustrated 6 children's books. And was a guest speaker at the Charles Schulz museum and is very excited to be a part of the team at the Chuck Jones Center for Creativity! For more about Mr. Pacheco please check out his website atwww.pachecotoons.com

Questions? Contact Sasha Advani: Sasha@ChuckJonesCenter.org or (949) 660-7793 x107