41st Irvine Annual makes the art world accessible

Los Angeles Times

7 days ago

When the 41st Irvine Annual opened on July 12 at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, some visitors were experiencing the municipal arts and community center for the first time.
For others, the juried exhibition was a full circle moment.
'We have an artist in this exhibition who went to preschool at the co-op next door, took art classes here as an adult and now is showing here,' said Virginia Arce, exhibitions program coordinator at Irvine Fine Arts Center.
Whatever an individual's relationship may be to the center, Arce said it is imperative for art environments to feel accessible to everyone in the community.
'In thinking about what the space really serves, we want to introduce more professional practices, opportunities and just ways that the community can be more involved,' Arce said.
With Irvine Annual, a four-decade tradition of showcasing regional and national artists, the center continues to curate an event that fosters connections between artists, curators and community members alike.
Formerly known as 'All Media,' this year's exhibition features a range of mediums, including painting, sculpture, photography, mixed media and fiber that can be displayed on a wall, a new requirement this year.
The show has been held under many different names in the past, Arce said.
'In the early '80s it was called Notice: Arts Orange County, and it was called New Juice for the remainder of the '80s,' said Arce. 'Sometime around the early '90s it became All Media.'
In addition to the new name, there are few other changes this year. The show always offers monetary awards and this year the prize money has increased. The first place winner receives $700, second place collects $500 and the artist who captures third place goes home with $300. Also, the Irvine Fine Arts Center has added a Viewer's Choice Award that carries a $200 prize. Those whose works are given honorable mentions will receive $200 each.
'Viewer's Choice has been really well received because people are excited to weigh in on what their favorite piece is,' said Arce. 'As we are seeing the tally come in, it is interesting to see which pieces get the most love.'
There were nearly 1,300 entries to the juried exhibition, which gave guest jurors Elizabeth Múnzon, Dakota Noot and Stephanie Sherwood the arduous task of whittling down the pool to a slim selection of 80 works that comprise the show.
'The three jurors are all artists and curators, which I thought was really important, ' said Arce. 'They have experience making art and also producing exhibitions. They are all emerging curators who are also kind of established, as well.'
Arce notes that even if an artist's work isn't selected for the show, it is a good way for them to get on the radar of important and up-and-coming curators.
The work is among the most diverse the center has seen, according to Arce, not only in terms of content but also in media. Textiles feature heavily, as do other unusual materials.
'Black Girl Magic' (2022) by Bonita Deamicis is a large scale crochet work that incorporates intricate coils and beading designed to represent the 'beautiful beaded, braided, and curled styles of Black girls.'
Jose Loza used the transparent mesh from old window screens to create a floating dream of two immigrant children that reach out of the frame with ghost-like hands in his 2024 work 'Infant Memory.' In the artist's statement, Loza calls the discarded window screen, 'a material that evokes the experience of navigating multiple spaces simultaneously, a reality for many immigrants.'
There is also work from established local artists like writer and photographer, Jesus Cortez, whose digital photography piece titled 'Jesus Is Your Homeboy' (2025) is featured alongside work from Javier Cortes, who Arce says is a photographer to watch. Cortes's pieces 'La Monroe' and 'Cholito' are not unilike Cortez's work, documenting immigrant subculture from a place of intimacy and love.
On Aug. 2, the Irvine Fine Arts Center will present 'Irvine Annual: Professional Practices Panel' from 2 to 4 p.m., providing valuable insight from the guest jurors on how to build sustainable, recognized careers in the art industry.
The panel is another way Arce hopes the Irvine Fine Art Center can continue to make the arts accessible to the community today and into the future.
'It is really important for municipalities to support arts,' she said. 'There has been a lot of funding rescinded and now more than ever a space like this is really meaningful.'
The 41st Irvine Annual runs through Aug. 30 at the Irvine Fine Arts Center, 14321 Yale Ave. For more details visit artsinirvine.org.