Gardena High School's Collection of Paintings Receives a Centennial Exhibition at Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University

ORANGE, Calif., May 10, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- What: The Gardena High School Art Collection's Centennial Celebration kicks off at the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University with "GIFTED: Collecting the Art of California at Gardena High School, 1919-1956," a major exhibition that examines the famed art collection in a display of 70 paintings and archival materials – the largest exhibition of the collection yet publicly mounted, and the first time the collection in its near-entirety has been on display in more than 60 years.

When: The exhibition opens Saturday, May 11 at 6 p.m. with an opening reception and will then run through Oct. 19.

Where: Hilbert Museum of California Art (167 N. Atchison Street in Orange, CA, 92866).

Details: The Gardena High School Art Collection (GHSAC) is widely acknowledged as having one of the outstanding collections of California Impressionism in the country. What began in 1919 as a lesson in art appreciation for the high school's graduating senior class matured into an exceptional permanent collection, an art association and a cherished community tradition. The GHSAC enriched the lives of an entire community for over three decades, leaving a tangible legacy of the community's ideals.

From 1919 to 1956, students in Gardena High School's senior class selected, purchased, and donated some 72 works of art to the school as class gifts. Over the years, the artists, federal art projects and other individuals and organizations also made many gifts of art to the collection. In 1923 Gardena High School designed a new auditorium to house the permanent collection, establishing the first public art gallery in Southern California with a collection of regional art. Since the mid-1950s, the collection has been in storage and unavailable for viewing by the public. The exhibition "GIFTED: Collecting the Art of California at Gardena High School, 1919- 1956," opening at the Hilbert Museum of California Art on May 11, provides the first opportunity to see the collection in its entirety since 1956. The year 2019 marks the 100th Anniversary of the collection.

Please note:
The exhibition "GIFTED: Collecting the Art of California at Gardena High School, 1919-1956" is organized by the GHS Art Collection, Inc. in association with the Gardena High School Student Body and curated by Susan M. Anderson. It will travel to the Fresno Art Museum from Jan. 24 to June 28, 2020, and the Oceanside Museum of Art from July 18 to Nov. 29, 2020, following its showing at the Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University from May 11 to Oct. 19, 2019.

About the Hilbert Museum

The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University – recently named Best Museum in OC Weekly's "Best of Orange County" -- was established thanks to the generosity of Mark and Janet Hilbert of Newport Coast, and opened its doors in 2016. The Hilbert Collection – which includes oils, watercolors and drawings of everyday life in the Golden State – is a significant repository of 20th- and 21st-century representational art by California artists. The Collection also includes American illustration and animation/movie production art.

About Chapman University

Chapman University is California's third largest private university and ranks fifth in the U.S. News & World Report listing of Best Regional Universities in the West. Chapman is categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 "high research activity" institution and offers personalized education to more than 9,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Chapman strives for diversity and inclusion by recruiting and supporting students representing a variety of backgrounds, experiences, learning styles and unique talents. The campus has produced a Rhodes Scholar, been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. Founded in 1861 and based in the City of Orange, California, Chapman also includes the Harry and Diane Rinker Health Science Campus, 21 miles south in the Irvine Spectrum, Orange County's technology hub. In 2020, the university will open its 11th college, the Fowler School of Engineering in its newest facility, Keck Center for Science and Engineering.

SOURCE Chapman University