Everyone loves a good farmers market. An open-air market full of fresh produce, great face-to-face interactions with farmers, chefs and artisans, and a perfect place to educate yourself or your family on fruits, vegetables and health. In addition to offering locally sourced fresh produce and goods to the community, farmers markets help preserve farmlands, and promote economic stability and sustainability. Luckily, here in Southern California, we have the optimal weather for farmers markets and a huge variety of local farmers and artisans to choose from. 

Irvine Certified Farmers Market

Taking place on Saturday mornings at Mariners Church, this is a local favorite for farmers markets in the area. This large market has tons of vendors, offering something for everybody. We’re talking about locally grown Asian vegetables, fresh seafood, honeys, organic and non-GMO fruits and vegetables, grass-fed organic meats and cheeses, the best nut selection in the area, live music, and more. This market isn’t the cheapest, but the quality of goods and foods are well worth the cost. The vibe and atmosphere at this market is friendly, welcoming and plentiful. 5001 Newport Coast Drive, Irvine; Sat., 8 a.m.-noon.

O.C. Great Park Certified Farmers Market

The Great Park Certified Farmers Market is the quaint but lively market taking place on Sunday mornings in the center of the gorgeous Great Park, near the Palm Court Arts Complex. This destination farmers market has delicious vegan cheeses, handmade salsas and hot sauces, fresh organic produce, wood-fired pizzas made on the spot, locally sourced meats, a good selection of food trucks, handmade natural pet foods, Hawaiian shave ice and other custom desserts, some of the best empanadas around, a great selection of artisan pickles, olives and nuts, and a ton of other independent small businesses. 6950 Marine Way, Irvine; Sun., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

(Courtesy of Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market)

Outside the Bubble

Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market

Although the Orange Home Grown Farmers & Artisans Market is all the way in Old Towne Orange, this is a huge farmers market event every Saturday and is definitely worth the journey. The vendors here offer amazing locally grown fruits and vegetables, sustainably sourced eggs, meat, seafood, cheese (vegan and non-vegan), hummus, spreads, salsas, baked goods and other artisan products. The crowd is lively and excited. There is usually live music or an awesome DJ, a kid’s club area, cooking demos, a pet-sitting area, yoga classes onsite, and a ton of different food trucks for people to enjoy. 303 W. Palm Ave., Orange; Sat., 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

Laguna Beach Farmers Market

The Laguna Beach Farmers Market is an intimate and high quality market. Open to the public Saturday mornings, this market has very few food vendors but a great curated selection of produce, meats, cheeses, fresh baked goods, organic juices and kombuchas, spreads, dips, honeys and salsas. Most vendors here offer samples of some of their best sellers, which is a great plus, but you might want to leave your dogs at home (they’re not as welcome here as most other farmers markets). If you head west for this gem, you’ve definitely got to try the jumbo tamales and the crepes.Parking Lot 12, 521 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach; Sat., 8 a.m.-noon.

Tustin Certified Farmers Market

The Tustin Certified Farmers Market is one of the more affordable farmers markets in the area. On top of that, it takes place in gorgeous Old Town Tustin near Cream Pan, making it a great little mid-week jaunt for fresh ingredients and tasty treats. They offer free parking for guests of the Farmers Market, a great assortment of Asian fruits and vegetables, amazing hummus, fresh bread, eggs, seafood, flowers, salsas and oils. They also have a good, yet small, selection of food vendors, with freshly made kettle corn, tamales and fresh dog food! El Camino Real and 3rd St., 245 El Camino Real, Tustin; Wed., 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

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Living a plant-based lifestyle in Southern California is no longer the burden it once was, and Irvine is one of the most vegan-friendly cities in Orange County. With its great range of diverse cultures, Irvine welcomes every kind of cuisine as well as people to its community. With over 65 square miles to its limits, Irvine is a big place to navigate — but, don’t fret, we’ve got you covered. Whether you’re a full vegan or vegetarian-curious, we’ve compiled the best vegan spots in Irvine for your plant-based adventures.

Butterleaf

At the top of our list is Butterleaf. Although it is a fast-casual counter-spot, the food coming out of Butterleaf is delicious and satisfying, regardless of whether you’re a vegan or just veg-curious. Simple and straight-forward, Butterleaf offers diners five main options for food and additional side dishes, drinks and sauces. The burger, burrito, tacos, bowl and salad are hugely portioned and all mouth-wateringly good. The Avocado Bombs and poutine appetizers are also huge and decadent. If you can find parking at the Trade Food Hall, you’ve got to stop by this awesome little vegan gem. 2222 Michelson Drive, Irvine.

Blaze Pizza

A slightly less impressive but equally delicious vegan option is Blaze Pizza, which offers vegans and gluten-free folk a cheap and easy pizza that they get to customize to their hearts’ desires. This chain’s traditional and gluten-free crusts are vegan, and it also offers Daiya vegan cheese to go on the customized pies. For a vegan sauce, try the classic red, spicy red, barbecue sauce or just a simple drizzle of olive oil. 4255 Campus Drive, Irvine.

(Courtesy of The Irv)

The IRV

The unsung hero of this rundown is The IRV. Yes, this place is the café inside the Whole Foods in Irvine, but this casual dining spot has table service, craft beer and cocktails, and innovative plant-based (and gluten-free) cuisine. The vegan cauliflower nachos, vegan sushi rolls, market vegetable flatbread, and kung pao veggie noodles are some of our favorites, but there are tons of options here for the vegan and gluten-intolerant crowd. The best part – they have brunch! Grab your crew and head over to The IRV for some awesome mimosas or bloody marys and indulge in a healthy Plant Pusher Bowl with chipotle Field Roast sausage, hashies, tofu scramble and avocado. YUM. 8525 Irvine Center Drive, Irvine.

Thai Café

If you’re craving traditional Thai food with a vegan edge, Thai Café is the only place you should go. With no website and an unassuming house-like brick-and-mortar facade on the corner of Jeffrey Road and Walnut Avenue, the Thai food served at this tiny local favorite is mouth-watering. Just writing about it now, I am salivating. Vegan and gluten-free friendly, you can alter just about any dish to make vegan if you aren’t satisfied with the already vegan and vegetarian section, and the servers are hard-working and personable. Thai café is great for takeout or dine-in, and has a casual but pleasurable dining room experience. 14715 Jeffrey Road, Irvine.

(Courtesy of Wheel of Life)

The Wheel of Life

This environmentally-friendly Thai-Chinese fusion restaurant has been around for ages and is the perfect place to take recent converts or Chinese food-loving vegans who rarely get the satisfaction of eating faux dark meat Asian cuisine. Luckily, the food at The Wheel of Life is actually healthy for you! With favorites like beef and broccoli, sweet and sour chicken and pad woon sen, this humble family-owned vegan Asian restaurant has great service, diner-esque ambiance, and delicious vegan Asian comfort food for all.14370 Culver Drive, Irvine.

Pho Ha Noi

A quiet Vietnamese sit-down restaurant with a lot to offer vegans, Pho Ha Noi is a casual but friendly spot to get delicious vegan buns, stir fry or spring rolls. There is no website to view menu items, but their pho and banh mi are not vegan. There are, however, many classic Vietnamese options that are. The lemongrass tofu bun is a local favorite and the tofu spring rolls are gigantic, delicious and cheap. 14021 Jeffrey Rd., Irvine.

(Courtesy of Mokkoji)

Mokkoji

The ultimate secret vegan hot-spot in Irvine is a Shabu Shabu bar called Mokkoji. Although this place serves many other kinds of diets, they offer a vegan plate option, vegan apps and even a gluten-free sauce option for those who need it. They have rotating craft beers, amazing servers who actually care about your dining experience, and a wait that will make you feel like you’re in Hollywood — but it’s worth it! Their spicy miso broth, ponzu sauce and goma sauce will make you feel like you are cooking your own food at a restaurant is the only way to eat out. Their music is hip and loud, the ambiance is steamy and personable, the beer and sake are amazing, and the food is fresh and healthy — a great vegan date night spot! 14041 Jeffrey Road, Irvine.

Far East Bowl (Courtesy of Veggie Grill)

Veggie Grill

With two locations within Irvine city limits, Veggie Grill is an easy and accessible casual dining spot with seasonal specials and a variety of flavor profiles for vegans. Vegans generally consider Veggie Grill one of the last resorts for full-vegan dining options, but for mixed parties of vegans and non-vegans, this chain satisfies many. The menu is designed to fulfill the newly vegan’s non-vegan cravings with comfort food at the forefront of their options. With strong-flavored sauces and dressings, and internationally-inspired options, Veggie Grill is a solid choice for quick and tasty vegan food. 13786 Jamboree Road, Irvine; 732 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine.

Yard House

A surprising vegan underdog in Irvine is Yard House. If you can stand the constant stream of sporting events on televisions that show up every three feet or so and the dull roar of the bros and their crews that frequent these watering holes, the Gardein menu at Yard House is exceptionally vegan-friendly. Now, not every Gardein dish on this menu is vegan (strangely), but it is a pretty large menu nonetheless. With burgers and sandwiches, Asian-inspired dishes, and even classic bar food items, Yard House offers vegans a lot of options to satiate their cravings and still feel like a part of the pack. 620 Spectrum Center Drive, Irvine.

(Courtesy of Cava)

CAVA

If you’re craving good Mediterranean food, CAVA is a perfect location for your vegan Mediterranean needs. A chain of gorgeously curated fast-casual Mediterranean cafes, CAVA allows diners to choose every aspect of their meal. Taking cues from the Chipotle model, at CAVA, you get to start with a base of salad, a bowl, pita or combo, and add spreads, protein and toppings. The falafels and roasted seasonal vegetables are delicious and their hummuses and harissa are vegan and quite tasty. This is an easy and casual option for a vegan Mediterranean meal in Irvine. 3972 Barranca Parkway, Irvine.

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Every year, Irvine Fine Arts Center hosts an open group exhibition to showcase Southern California artists — partly as a way to offer contemporary up-and-coming artists an opportunity to exhibit and partly as a way to make money. One of their only pay-to-play exhibitions, with a $20 entry fee and awards totaling in $1,300, the “All Media Exhibition” includes some really amazing works of art that might have gone unseen by Irvine residents otherwise. 

The annual juried exhibition is a much-anticipated highlight in the Arts Center’s programming and offers all levels of Southern California artists the opportunity to showcase their talents in a reputable gallery in Irvine. Juried by a different person each year, this exhibition doesn’t just show random artworks that are submitted, but a conscious collection of outstanding and extraordinary talent through the lens of an experienced arts professional’s critical eye. This year’s juror was Constance Mallinson, a renowned artist, writer and curator. Her artworks are in collections like the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Pomona College Museum of Art, San Jose Museum of Art, and the National Academy of Sciences. Her professional arts writing has been featured in Art in America, X-TRA, Fabrik, Artillery and The Times Quotidian. 

Irvine Fine Arts Center’s All Media Exhibition (Yubo Dong)

Mallinson has helped the Arts Center craft an eclectic and fascinating exhibition that dives into colorful and conceptually-driven pieces in a variety of forms and styles. The curation of the artwork also speaks to the impeccable eye of the juror and staff of the Arts Center — the show leads you through the work instinctively, through color and form, keeping you entertained the whole way through. 

More than 50 different artists are exhibited in this iteration of the annual showcase, and they span a great variety of style and skill. The first small gallery visitors happen upon is a bright and colorful exploration through paintings, sculpture, installation and mixed media works. This room exudes palpable energy and life through its textural works and its unabashed showcase of color. Christine Atkinson’s mixed media installation work Of Paradise is the first thing you are drawn to in this space. Bright, strange and textural, this piece uses several materials to compose a kind of interpretation of a tropical paradise that has a shining coldness to it.

Another piece in this space that catches your eye is the Threadwinners’ Techstile Blanket. This “blanket” is a humorous and creative crocheted tapestry that has three-dimensional technological objects covering every surface. Referencing so many different types of technology in one blanket evokes a feeling of chaos and over-consumption of goods, which resonates with our current culture’s obsession with technology. The heavy blanket looks as though it would weigh down anybody who had it on them, which also parallels the weight of the technological burden placed on our culture today.

Irvine Fine Arts Center’s All Media Exhibition (Yubo Dong)

The larger main gallery space in the Arts Center includes the title wall for the exhibition and an assorted and more muted collection of works ranging from mixed media pieces, prints, paintings, drawings and small sculptures. The space is large with high ceilings and tall white walls but feels underutilized as the pieces in this gallery are all similar shades of neutral colors and of varying sizes. With few stand-out works, this space gets lost among the others. 

Irvine Fine Arts Center’s All Media Exhibition
(Evan Senn)

Blair Martin Cahill’s Nine Nudes is a small but significant work on display in the front of this space that beckons any viewer closer for inspection. An embroidery piece in a frame, we see traditional painting composition techniques being utilized with meticulous attention to color, shading and placement of nine different plump bodies in motion. They are obviously doing something together in this grouping, but what that something might be is unclear. It is a curious and captivating work. Nearby, Katlin Evan’s Left Overs #4 is a ghostly graphite drawing on Duralar showcasing plants and garbage intertwining with one another as if a precious strange alien life form floating in isolation. 

Around the corner from the main gallery space is an additionally large space that is half living room and half exhibition space. This is of course challenging, but is made even more challenging with its heavy sculptural display. 

Irvine Fine Arts Center’s All Media Exhibition
(Evan Senn)

The two-dimensional works in this space are enticing and hypnotic, leading you around the space to happen upon each new curious work with energy and intensity. Some of the more compelling works on display on this side of the gallery space include: Riley Waite’s Ian Was Here oil painting, Michael Chesler’s mixed media work Ghost House, Steven Hampton’s Putin and Bird oil painting, Norman Mark Aragones’ Growing Up photograph, Mahtab Moh’s oil painting Persian Venus, and Caroline Yoo’s photograph Are You Listening To Me? The sculptures on display on the floor in this space, however, are not as interesting and feel cumbersome to the overall experience of the exhibition space. 

In the furthest corner of the Arts Center main gallery space is a smaller alcove gallery area that has a topical and clever video piece by Pamela Susan Rush that appropriates Cindy Sherman’s Untitled Film Stills in a captivating way, and a decorative installation of hanging sculptures by Renee Azenaro. Azenaro’s Occlusions installation is full of crocheted steel wire sculptures that hover off the ground at varying heights and recalls the standing ghosts of sea creatures washed up on the beach. Although each piece is fascinating and aesthetically pleasing, they do not communicate well with one another and feel more dissonant next to one another than one might like. 

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Daniel Duford, The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Head, from Divinations for the Coming Climate Crisis series, 2019; acrylic on panel; 16 x 16 inches; courtesy of the artist. ©Daniel Duford

This new installment of contemporary art features six new exhibitions of works by artists from the Pacific Rim, which loosely includes the western shores of North America and South America, and the shores of Australia, eastern Asia and the islands of the Pacific. The six new exhibitions act like mini-solo shows for artists Carolina Caycedo (United States/Colombia), Daniel Duford (United States), Ximena Garrido-Lecca (Peru), Mulyana (Indonesia), Robert Zhao Renhui (Singapore) and Yang Yongliang (China). On view from September 21 through March 15, 2020, the artworks presented span a wide range of artistic media and offer varied approaches to conveying creative concepts. Cassandra Coblentz, OCMA’s senior curator explained that some of the exhibitions are more conceptually driven, or politically inclined, and others take a more poetic and even playful approach.

“All of the exhibitions approach the idea of our relationship to nature in different ways,” Coblentz told us. “Each taking a different formal approach, however many of them question the ways in which industrial development has affected nature over time. Also, some explore indigenous relationships to nature that value nature as a living entity in contrast with a contemporary consumerist approach to how industries today use natural resources.”

The previous iteration of OCMA was known for a variety of exhibitions, representing a wide range of different styles of art throughout history and in contemporary art, but this new chapter of OCMA beginning with OCMAEXPAND has changed its goals to fall more in-line with the needs of our contemporary culture.

Coblentz explained that the new mission of the museum is to focus on California and the Pacific Rim in their programming. “We developed this program to offer our audiences a wide range of perspectives on the contemporary art from this very vast and complex cultural region. In presenting international artists, we are offering our community opportunities to connect to issues we relate to on a local level but also through an expanded understanding of shared global concerns.”

Coblentz curated three of the six new exhibitions, including “Carolina Caycedo: Wanaawna, Rio Hondo and Other Spirits,” “Daniel Duford: Underworld Stories Told in Tree Time,” and “Ximena Garrido-Lecca: Spectrums of Reference.” 

“Wanaawna, Rio Hondo and Other Spirits” expands upon Carolina Caycedo’s previously ongoing Water Portraits series where she creates printed fabric works, still images and videos from photographs of rivers and waterfalls. She mirrors, alters and remixes them to create fascinating imagery that presents bodies of water as active and living entities that participate in our world and lives rather than remain passive and exploited by humans. This alternative reality Caycedo creates is a beautiful and dreamy world where equality is not just for humans but also for our environment, forcing viewers to consider our treatment of bodies of water today. She’s included new works of local bodies of water like the Santa Ana River, San Gabriel River, the Pacific Ocean, and Kuruvunga Springs. Caycedo will also experiment with submerging the Water Portraits in water and wrapping them around the body, among other actions, in order to create new experiential works that touch on indigenous traditions. 

“Daniel Duford: Underworld Stories Told in Tree Time” brings together a series of Duford’s narrative paintings, prints and drawings that depict underground migrations and edge dwellers who emerge from the wild to tell ancient stories. Fascinated by Gary Snyder’s poem The Way West, Duford uses the landscape like an important character in his own stories. He develops the concept of “tree time,” or the slow perception of tree growth as a model for a longer narrative arc in the story of the North American landscape, which he explores through his artwork. Similar to Caycedo, Duford presents the environment as an equal participant in our world, valuing its viewpoint and offering the non-human entities in our environment the power that they lack in reality. He portrays the Earth as a living entity that can regenerate and survive over time, further supporting the untold stories in Duford’s work that are “trapped” under the urban growth we have forced upon the planet.

“Ximena Garrido-Lecca: Spectrums of Reference” also deals with industrialization and urbanization but focuses on how they have affected the relationship between nature and culture. Garrido-Lecca specifically focuses on the contemporary uses of silicon, blurring the boundaries between nature and culture. In her work, she reduces nature’s presence to an object instead of the ancient understanding of nature as a living force. By repurposing silicon scraps used to make computer chips and fragments from discarded solar panels Garrido-Lecca creates mind-blowing functional art objects like a stained-glass window and vessels inspired by pre-Columbian ceremonial ceramics that make us consider how industrialization has affected culture and how we consider and use or abuse natural elements in a capitalistic society. 

The work on view in OCMAEXPAND’s new season is thoughtful, sensory and exciting but also offers timely insight into current political issues. “We are living in a moment when it is crucial for us all to be thinking about our relationship to nature,” Coblentz said, “and I always believe contemporary artists offer the richest opportunities for us to think through the most critical issues we face today.”

Robert Zhao Renhui, Image from the series Effect, 3 Kinds of Butterflies, 2019; Archival Digital black and white print; 43 x 30 inches ; courtesy of the artist. © Robert Zhao Renhui

The additional exhibitions on view are curated by independent guest curators John Silvis and Melanie Ouyang Lum. “Mulyana: A Man, A Monster and The Sea,” curated by Silvis, is made up of three immersive environments by Mulyana that depict oceanic life. His large installations of hoards and clusters of oceanic creatures act as metaphors for the beautiful, yet fragile diversity of silent marine life that is going extinct like the coral reefs. Through his work, Mulyana is able to appeal to viewers’ communal care instinct to consider how we are treating the environment. 

“Robert Zhao Renhui: Effect,” also curated by Silvis, highlights the abundant presence of flies and butterflies in our environment and the strange ways in which humans treat them. In “Effect,” suspended fly traps and lures are used to reflect Zhao Renhui’s fascination with the many ways that humans have invented to exterminate insect life. He even includes 100 different fly pheromones applied to photographic panels in a warm yellow referencing the commercially produced flytraps we see every day. 

Yang Yongliang, Views of Water, 2017; Digital multi-channel video; courtesy of Yang Yongliang Studio.  © Yang Yongliang

“Yang Yongliang: Eternal Landscape,” curated by Melanie Ouyang Lum, is a more poetic exploration of landscape through the use of Chinese landscape paintings (shan shui). Deeply rooted in Chinese art history, Yongliang uses new media to approach shan shui landscapes as he looks for the interconnectivity between tradition and modernity, old and new, and art and technology. He uses video, photography and a virtual reality work to help create a thoughtful space for viewers to journey into the landscape of the artist’s mind and dive deep into this fascinating mix of old and new art concepts.

Coblentz hopes that through all these very different works, viewers will be inspired to think more deeply on our relationship with the environment but also to be inspired by the versatility of art-making, something that we easily forget when bombarded with so much media on a regular basis. “We hope that visitors are moved to spend time with the works on view and will be inspired to think more deeply and critically about the issues being presented in the works,” she said.”

The exhibitions will be on view September 21, 2019 to March 15, 2020 at OCMAEXPAND, South Coast Plaza Village, 1661 W. Sunflower Ave., Santa Ana; ocmaexpand.org.

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Skateboarding is not a new phenomenon; it is well-known as a worldwide sport that has risen from an underground sub-culture to mainstream culture with its own style, attitude and aesthetic. The new exhibition, “Skate | Create: The Art of Skateboarding” at the Golden West College Art Gallery celebrated this culture with an opening reception on August 29, and remains on view through October 5, as it explores this passionate culture through the fine art of some of its heaviest hitters, historic contributors and local up-and-comers. 

(Evan Senn)

Southern California is the birthplace of skateboarding and has continued to remain one of the epicenters of skate culture since its inception. Born in the 1950s, surfers discovered skateboarding as a way to embrace the feeling of wave-riding on flatland. In the 1960s, a good number of surfboard manufacturers in Southern California such as Jack’s, Kips, Hobie, Bing’s and Makaha saw the skateboard market as a new business opportunity to capitalize on and started building skateboards that resembled small surfboards. After the late 1960s, skateboarding became a widespread phenomenon in television, music, publishing and with youths in cities across the United States. 

In the 1970s and 1980s, Orange County became a hub for this growing underground sport. Anaheim was one of the first places to house a publicly-accessed skate park, Surfer’s World, and also was home to other skate areas, like Sadlands, that drew hundreds of skaters from all over Southern California. The O.C. offered expansive space and room for growth for many surf and skate companies such as Vans, Etnies, RVCA, Volcom, Thirdchoice and Quiksilver, making it an epicenter for skate art and culture that has continued to thrive today.

“Skate | Create” at GWC Art Gallery in Huntington Beach highlights this unique culture by showcasing artworks by talented and respected artists, including Shepard Fairey, C.R. Stecyk III, Jeff Ho, Jason Maloney, Lance Mountain, Richard “French” Sayer, Dereck Seltzer aka “TMRWLND,” Tina St. Claire aka “TFail,” Ed Templeton, Jules Muck, Jennie Cotterill, and Jonathan Martinez aka “Art of the Endangered.” The exhibition also highlights the new generation of skate-inspired artists like Matthew Perdoni, Tristen Adamson, Brandon Davis and Brian Averill, among others.

(Evan Senn)

The work on view ranges in technique and style — from screen prints and photographs to paintings and sculpture. The range of work in the exhibition also touches on the variety of styles present in skate culture; we see elements of punk rock, tiki, geometric designs, nostalgia aesthetics, traditional academic painting, cult horror, animation and more present in the artwork on view. 

Shepard Fairey’s “Prevent Police Boredom … Skateboard” print and Ed Templeton’s “Skater Boy Gets Roughed Up by Security, Holland” bring attention to the longstanding friction between the youth culture of skateboarding and the long-arm of the law with humor and honesty. C.R. Stecyk III, Tristen Adamson and Jules Muck all delve into the history of skateboarding with references to legendary Venice skater Jay Adams, sidewalk surfing, bright neon colors and empty pools — although with different styles of work. Stecyk with his photography and screen prints, Muck with documentation of her Venice mural, and Adamson with a painting. Other artists, like Jonathan Hunt and Brian Averill, explore the abstract beauty in skateparks and skate-inspired design, while Jason Maloney and Matthew Perdoni approach sub-cultures within the skate community in interesting ways. Maloney deals with the stigmas surrounding cannabis use and its prevalence in skate communities in his “Hey Bud, Let’s Party” series of small paintings. Perdoni highlights the presence of skateboarding in nomadic life in his painting of a train-hopping skateboarding hobo, representing communities in many rural American areas. 

Other artists like TMRWLND aka Dereck Seltzer and his former partner TFail aka Tina St. Claire are represented with gorgeous graphic fine artworks resembling their signature styles of street art infused with skate aesthetics, attitude and style. Showing a lesser known side to the skate art style, we see fine art painter Catherine Kaleel explore nostalgia with an homage to the lost art of cassette tapes and the musical and historical sides of skate culture. Topping the exhibition off, we have some physical play in the space with some large-scale wooden sculptures by fine artist and skateboarding aficionado Brandon Davis. Davis’s sculptures are skatable sculptures placed in the gallery in a particular route for skaters to enjoy one or all three of the sculptures as they shred their way through the gallery space. 

The history of skateboarding is complex and localized here in SoCal. While the culture and aesthetic has spread all over the world, we can proudly look to our local roots to find the source of this unique and powerful culture and style. Amply placed in the heart of Huntington Beach’s skate community, just across the street from the Vans Skate Park, “Skate | Create” at GWC Art Gallery gives a thorough sense to viewers as to where skate art and culture came from and where it’s heading.

“Skate | Create: The Art of Skateboarding” is on view at GWC Art Gallery through October 5, 2019.

GWC Art Gallery, Golden West College, 15751 Gothard St. Fine Arts Building, Rm. 108, Huntington Beach, 92647.

www.goldenwestcollege.edu/art-gallery/

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Located in the shopping center on the corner of Culver Drive and Walnut Avenue, near the I-5, The Wheel of Life is a long-time local favorite. Although the décor is a hodge-podge of 1990s diner, beach cafe and Mediterranean restaurant, the food keeps people coming back. The quality of cuisine is not high end, but its consistency and familiar fusion flavors is reliable and satisfying. If you’re in the mood for cheap and tasty Asian food but want it to be healthy and homemade, this is your spot. 

Every dish on the menu at The Wheel of Life is made to order and is customizable, which helps guests with dietary restrictions get exactly what they’re looking for. Some of their most popular dishes include pad thai, tom kha gai, barbecue spare ribs, pineapple fried rice, red curry, lad na, beef and broccoli, kung pao shrimp, coconut ice cream and fried banana, and their Better Than Cheesecake. 

Lad Na (Evan Senn)

This reviewer eats at The Wheel of Life a few times a month and every new dish we try is just as good as the last. Most recently, we had the ever-popular pad thai, two different kinds of spring rolls (fresh and fried), cashew nut tofu, and the lad na made gluten-free. Although they don’t have a gluten-free soy sauce at The Wheel of Life, they are happy to make nearly any dish gluten-free with substituting different flavors and spices into the dish to make it tasty.

Walking into The Wheel of Life any night of the week, and you’ll most likely have to wait for a short amount of time — like we said, this restaurant is a popular local favorite. They call themselves a “Vegetarian Thai Restaurant,” but the food is a Thai-dominant mix of different Asian-American style dishes. If you’re craving Chinese, Thai, Mongolian or Vietnamese, you can get something at The Wheel of Life that will satisfy your cravings. You get all the flavors of your typical independent Asian restaurant without any of the cruelty. They make most of their own vegan meats using gluten and soy to perfect the textures of different style dishes, they don’t use any MSG, and only healthy oils. 

Pad thai (Evan Senn)

The concept behind The Wheel of Life stems from the Buddhist Wheel of Life mandala, which is also incorporated into the restaurant’s logo and design. The Buddhist Wheel of Life illustrates the essence of the Buddhist teachings, the Four Truths: the existence of earthly suffering, its origin and cause, the ending or prevention of misery, and the path to liberation from suffering. On this wheel, picture by picture, it shows that everyone is always his or her own judge and responsible for their own fate, because, according to Karma, causes and their effects are the fruits of one’s own actions. 

(Evan Senn)

This particular concept is perfectly suited for a vegan and vegetarian restaurant since a person’s decision to eat cruelty-free is a personal choice. We are all responsible for our own actions, and even if it is only one meal once in a while or every meal of our lives, making better choices for our health, our world, and to lessen the suffering of other living beings is an important lesson of Buddhist teachings that I think we can all relate to on some level, whether or not you are Buddhist, believe in Karma or not, or eat vegan regularly or not. The Wheel of Life makes these lessens accessible and these choices easier to make by offering tasty and cruelty-free cuisine. By doing this, they show us the lessen of how we can turn the prison of selfishness and suffering into a source of help and happiness for oneself and for others. Additionally, just as the Buddhist Wheel of Life was created so that all people would be able to see and understand the Buddhist teachings, the restaurant The Wheel of Life makes food that is palatable for many different tastes. 

Providing sweet and savory details, a variety of textures, vegan proteins, and cultural dishes, The Wheel of Life is a satiating eatery. However, if you’re looking for a high quality fine Asian dining experience, this may not be your favorite spot. The dishes are not necessarily artful, and there are complex nuances of flavor that Asian cuisine connoisseurs may not find in the dishes at The Wheel of Life. The food is, nonetheless, tasty, quick, healthy, and affordable. 

The Wheel of Life, 14370 Culver Drive, Suite 2G, Irvine; (949) 551-8222, wheelofliferestaurant.com.

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Made up of three elements – the installation of Migration Patterns, the sculptures Echoes of Extinction, and an interactive performance at the opening event Are We Creating a Silence? – Tipping Point” is an artwork created to open up a dialogue on these sensitive issues without drawing conclusions for the visitors. Instead of explaining the concept through words and statements, Tipping Point provides us with relics of lives lived through a multitude of media, to help us draw our own feelings and thoughts on what has happened, what is happening now, and what is yet to be.

Tipping Point Migration Patters – Photo by Eric Stoner

The dominant visual of Tipping Point is the enormous cage-like structure, Migration Patterns, on the museum’s rooftop patio. This black metal circular structure is made using visual symbols for migration patterns, bulls-eyes and cyclical shapes. The structure is open for visitors to walk around and through. From the outside of the structure, it seems like a circular cage or a maze, but as you pass through the sliding 8’ x 4’ panels in the center of the structure, you disappear into a core made of one-way mirrors unseen from the outside.

Inside this core, you can see out, but no one can see you inside the structure from the outside. In the central core of this work, you become invisible like the extinct animals, with only your sound reverberating outward, like them. The visual experience from the outside looking in doesn’t change, others don’t notice the difference of you inside the space, but you get to experience the drastic change of being gone, if only for a moment. “You see yourself reflected around and you can see out, and people can hear you, but they can only see your feet peeking through under the panels,” Turk said.

In her time at OCC in 2018, highlighting various attributes of this continent’s birds, Turk developed a visual language to explore the concept of extinction through physical objects and experience. Inspired by the recordings of extinct birds, cataloged by the Ornithology Lab at Cornell University, Turk created stunning sculptural expressions of these sounds with Echoes of Extinction. Motivated by the visual expression of the sounds of these extinct birds, she made these two-dimensional designs into three-dimensional columns or totems. Placed vertically instead of a horizontally in a gathering, they resemble a forest of trees or a graveyard of tombstones for these extinct creatures forever encapsulated in these metal and wooden expressions of their unique voices. Each object seems to glow with light and shadow and vibrate with the energy of the animal it belonged to. With added scannable QR codes at each “Sound Column,” visitors can scan the code and listen to the sounds of these extinct and endangered animals.

Light Messaging in the Forest – Photo by Brett Hilliard

“It’s like a field or a forest,” Turk explained. “So, what you see are sounds by birds, and then inspired by the island we’ve thrown in two whales and a porpoise. And we started to move towards not just extinct but endangered animals or mammals as the sea provides – but things that don’t have the same boundaries that we do. All the birds were from this continent. So that’s sort of another look at territory and boundary as well.”

With eight different animals represented in various columns – including the Bald Eagle and the Brown Pelican – with some repeating, visitors get a real sense of entire species that had lived before now and are no longer here, further echoing the disappearance in the Migration Patterns installation and promoting learning and the construction of memory and time on this planet. “That was why the San Diego Zoo person was there because I wanted to drive the idea of inspiration from what’s real,” Turk said.

“I incorporated all these different ways to dance around that paradox,” Turk continues. “These sounds that are no longer here are made physical for people. And then in the installation, you’re here but you disappear and all you can hear is the sound. And the same with the dancing prompt at the opening.”

At the opening event for Tipping Point, on July 13, 2019 at the Catalina Island Museum, as the sun set on the island, the dancing and performative aspect began with visitors becoming active participants in the artworks themselves, in Are We Creating a Silence? As the light fades, the messages and movement of the audience is all that is left and is recorded with time-lapse. With gorgeous songs composed by Michael Mortilla singing the sounds of extinct animals, he made a soundtrack for dancers to move to, in and around the space. The relics of these people and the time they spent with Tipping Point will be displayed in a time lapse video at the museum for future visitors to watch.

Turk asked them to write “what they treasure” in the air with lights provided. “As we documented this, the dancers disappear in the images but their messaging and a relic of their movement remain, surrounded by the sound columns. I love how that field of light and movement looks.”

“The prompt for the sound was to express an extinction, to define the absence of sound with sound,” Turk explained. “So, everything was sort of balancing in that paradox of how do you create this conversation around extinction without it becoming so overwhelming that you shut down, and how do you describe what’s not there with what is.”

In 90 minutes, people were experiencing sculpture in the installation and in the sculptures of the sound columns. After that, people were guided through song and movement with the OCC Choral, a violinist, and a composer Michael Mortilla, accompanied by a dance performance by Assembly Dance Company. After all that, the audience was asked to participate by writing with light. Within these layered expressions, the audience explored that cross between the ephemeral and the eternal.

“ThinkLab LIVE .003: Tipping Point” will be on view through March 2020, Catalina Island Museum, 217 Metropole Avenue, Avalon, 90704.

Catalinamuseum.org

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Butterleaf is a gem of a casual counter café inside the Trade Food Hall, which is kind of like a chic contemporary food court for the area. Honestly, Butterleaf offers something for everybody; whether you’re in the mood for burritos, tostadas, burgers, salads, bowls, fries, soup or deep-fried treats, Butterleaf’s got you covered. Owned by chef Andrew Gruel and Lauren Gruel, Butterleaf is their newest addition to their restaurant family, and comes from a place of true food love. They own Slapfish and Two Birds Chicken, both of which are neither vegan nor vegetarian, and Andrew Gruel is also a judge on the Food Network and a host for the AM radio show SoCal Restaurant Show. The fact that the owners are not vegans is a little disheartening to the plant-based community since it shows us that they are not in this business for the health and promotion of a plant-based diet, but their food does tell us that they sure love vegetables.

In the last decade, veganism and vegetarianism have been gaining steam all over the world. There are many ways that going vegan can help the planet, as we now know that animal agriculture is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions than all transport combined. Raising animals for food requires massive amounts of land, food, energy and water — the byproducts of animal agriculture pollute our air and waterways.  Compared to meat-eaters, vegans also weigh less, have lower cholesterol, blood pressure and rates of type 2 diabetes. They have a 30 percent lower risk of heart disease and lower cancer rates. 

Southern California has become a Mecca for vegans and vegetarians, and with hundreds of different styles, types, price-points and tastes for plant-based cuisine, you’ve really got to make something top shelf in order to last in this competitive environment. Thankfully, Butterleaf is sticking around. Its perfect combination of veggie-heavy, nutrient-dense dishes are not only tasty choices for anybody, but they are created in a way that leaves diners full and satisfied. 

The food at Butterleaf is simple and satisfying, but something to note is that this is a restaurant that is definitely created with the non-vegan in mind. This isn’t vegan food for vegan people, this is plant-based food for non-vegetarians looking to expand their diet to include more veggies and less meat. The dishes at Butterleaf don’t offer much in the way of high protein options, but do offer complete protein sources in small quantities and do so in a way that can satisfy your hunger with added fiber, seasoning, healthy fats and oils. 

This writer’s personal favorite, the Avocado Bombs are the light, crispy and fluffy cousin to boring old avocado toast. These little bombs are whole pieces of avocado covered in a seasoned panko breading and served with a sweet and spicy sauce that makes them irresistible. This is not their healthiest option, but is much healthier than some deep-fried something you could find anywhere else. 

Their tacos or tostadas (depending on the season) are simple yet decadent. The flavorful veggie-loaded tacos or tostadas are stuffed with sauce, avocado, perfectly cooked seasonal veggies, spices and herbs and have a perfect crunch to them. There is no need a side dish with these tostadas (or tacos), although they have amazing sweet potato fries, guacamole and chips, umami chips, veggie chowder and sometimes even have vegan poutine.

Now, the burger is a local favorite. With a decently-sized homemade hearty black bean and quinoa patty, a fluffy and tasty wheat bun, a perfect combination of ketchup and secret sauce, and the traditional butterleaf lettuce, tomato and smashed avocado, it seems pretty straightforward. But, this burger patty is one of the tastiest house patties we’ve had. People will order two of these at a time they’re so good. The burrito, on the other hand, should not be order in pairs. This massive baby is a beast that is jam-packed with veggies, quinoa, avocado, sauce and seeds, but it so hearty we’ve yet to finish one in entirety. 

The bowl and the salad are very similar, with minimal differences between the two. The salad offers more raw veggies and smaller chops, while the bowl has a pile of grilled and sautéed veggies with quinoa and smashed avocado, and garnished with a variety of seeds; both are topped with a delicious carrot vinaigrette or salsa.

The food court style of eatery is popping up all over SoCal, and although the ambience is lacking slightly, most people forget all about it once they start chowing down on the delicious food options at their disposal. Although it feels more like a lunch spot, Butterleaf stays open until 8 or 9 p.m. and is open seven days a week. It also offers natural sodas, kombuchas and waters. The Trade Food Hall is a very busy center, especially around lunch time, so parking is a big issue that this shopping center has not seemed to have worked out yet. But it’s packed for a reason: The offerings inside this center and especially inside the Trade Food Hall are outstanding. 

Butterleaf, 2222 Michelson Drive, Irvine. butterleaf.co., @butterleafeats.

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Put together by Rue Rue Life and Aquila Projects, this contemporary art exhibition explores the concept, construction and representation of memory through four artists’ artworks. With two painters, one photographer and one installation artist, the works on view retain approachability for a variety of audiences. The works on view engage with the expression of memory using relatable visual language components that allow viewers to interpret the imagery and composition into something personally meaningful to them.

Walking into “Idiosyncrasies,” it is difficult to see any art at first. This coworking space is filled with beautiful architecture, water features, plant life and energetic groupings of people in different nooks around the space, the art takes a backseat. There is no specified space for WorkWell’s Gallery, so you have to hunt down the sparse wall space to find the art in their regular exhibitions. 

(Evan Senn)

The first piece you see is a collection of paper works by Ali Sabet that recall the figurative scribblings of Willem DeKooning — quick, chaotic, female figure-centered, and infused with energy. Placed on a large wall near the entrance to WorkWell, the grid of eight mostly-black brush paintings on white paper are playful, lively and inviting, setting an approachable yet ambiguous tone for the rest of the exhibition. The content of these sketchy painted drawings ranges from generic female figures and body parts to birds to abstract scribbles and compositions.

Turning a corner from Sabet’s first installation, you find the dark and enigmatic paintings of Reza Saleh scattered throughout the large communal work area. Saleh’s paintings are sleek and graphic figurative designs that resemble the kings and queens of playing cards. Through his paintings, he creates a fascinating bridge between the traditional visuals of Iranian calligraphy, figurative cubism and contemporary graphic design. 

(Evan Senn)

Focusing on a rich color pallet and playing with paint opacity and metallic finishes, Saleh is able to provide a unique experience for viewers, aiding them to recall their own memories — whether it be through playing cards, art history, cultural exploration, material memory or through that of the figures he has created. These fascinating figurative paintings are evocative and nuanced, providing a beautiful and complex art experience in a surprising space. 

On the opposite side of the WorkWell space, there are small offices, sitting areas, conference rooms, and a communal kitchen — this area is difficult to navigate when looking for art. The wall spaces are narrow and the work that is able to fit on these walls is small in comparison to the space and visible amenities. Between the offices, however, you can find breathtaking framed photographs by artist Faye Gedik. The nature photographs are close-ups of seemingly magical moments in nature — a single wild flower with perfect natural light, a bright red bird nestled in decaying flowers, the natural exactitude of a close-up of a blooming succulent, or a hummingbird feeding of a flower in mid-flight. The photographs are smaller than they feel, but the imagery is inspiring and picturesque.

(Jasmin Pannier)

In the rounded glass conference room at WorkWell, there is an intriguing installation called “Kokedama: Compassion and the Grieving Garden,” made by Fibers and Florals that seems to blend into the architecture and design of the space making it almost unnoticeable at first. However, upon closer examination, this installation is magical and otherworldly. Floating angled potted plants dangle at varied heights high above the conference table in this glass room, each slightly oscillating like relic memories hanging around in our minds waiting to stir something within us. This installation is accompanied by some wall text explaining the connected idea of Kokedama. Kokedama is a style of Japanese bonsai, where the plant’s roots are bound by soil and moss, which is meant to reflect the wabi-sabi principles of “beauty in imperfection.” 

One of the women behind Fibers and Florals reflected on losing her grandmother while making this installation, stating that working with florals and foliage in her memory has become a kind of self-care, aiding in her healing from grief. Knowing the inspiration of loss and love at the core of this work, it is easy to see these floating plants as unique human souls forever floating in our hearts. 

Although the works are all very different from one another, they each have a relatability that provides power for the viewer. Each of the works on view is fairly open to interpretation, forcing the viewer to confront their stored image banks, recall personal memories and highlight the idiosyncrasies in all of us.

“Idiosyncrasies” is on view through August 15; Gallery @ WorkWell, 17322 Murphy Ave., Irvine; workwelloc.com/gallery.

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Standing in front of the sculptural wall art of Eduardo Aispuro in “Time Under Tension,” you are immediately confronted with a gut reaction, forcing you to consider what exactly is making you feel what you are feeling. They are abstract three-dimensional wall sculpture-painting hybrids that upon viewing recall themes of both man and nature and the struggle of life and death in simple shapes and forms. Some shaped canvases with strange corners, others with odd shapes pushing their way out toward the viewer from behind the shining canvases. His works are mingling with that of Patricia Liverman, who also makes three-dimensional wall paintings, slightly less physical than Aispuro’s, but just as complicated.

Time Under Tension (Evan Senn)

Liverman’s works are smaller and take on an unassuming position until you are 10 or 12 inches away from the jagged surface of her finely assembled paintings. Full of cracks and crevasses, built up with a palpable tension pushing the perceived boundaries of what is real and what is imaginary to their respective limits. Some of Liverman’s pieces resemble granite covered topographical maps with small pieces assembled into mountain ranges and bodies of water, or environmental occurrences in the natural world like mold growth or dried out riverbeds; but their compositions have a symbolic pressure or struggle residing in their forced edges. You feel the movement of time, the push of responsibility, the advent of change forcing her edges to find new breath and a different path to follow, like the roots of trees pushing through concrete over time just to keep growing into themselves. 

Looking at these familiar moments rendered in oil paint shards and bits, we are forced to consider our own moments of change and discovery — what has pushed us into ourselves to a point of rupture or regrowth? The shimmering blacks Liverman uses in her works also lends to the introspection and soul-searching, recalling a dark abyss of nothingness or a combination of everything. By creating painted chaos and visual change and growth, Liverman encourages us to look back within ourselves. 

Time Under Tension (Evan Senn)

Aispuro’s works seem to be documenting the actual occurrence of change as it is happening, we get an intimate look at change being made. With simple materials and three-dimensional play underneath his painted canvases, the unusual forms in Aispuro’s artworks are pushing new shapes out of the expected square or rectangle composition to create something unique. The canvases are pulled taut, as if they might break soon from the pressure — this is a feeling every person can resonate with, as if we might bust open or tear from the stress of something difficult. This tension is unavoidable in our minds every now and again, but like these paintings, we never break or tear from the pressure, we are malleable and adaptable, instead we will stretch and make room for the growing change. 

Eduardo Aispuro is based in Southern California and is predominantly interested in the strange relationship between perception and observation as well as the relationship between art object and viewer. The attention he gives to the picture plane and the surface of his works acknowledges the importance of the skeletal structure of his practice, both in his use of symbolism and in his use of materials.

Southern California-based Patricia Liverman is fascinated with creating “scars” within her paintings, reassembling fragments to create new wholes. Her process involves utilizing previously painted works and repurposing them for new pieces, further supporting the idea of scars and new growth from old wounds. The new creations then carry with them a history of her own practice, of the works that preceded them, layers of intention and emotion, physical labor and love, pushed together with new meaning and new energy to create something beautiful and fresh. This practice parallels Liverman’s interest in paint as a malleable, adaptive physical material and as a means of representation and emotional significance.

Time Under Tension (Evan Senn)

Both Aispuro and Liverman create works that are steeped in art history with nods to Minimalism and Post-Minimalism, and specific influential nods to artists like Lee Bontecou and Tony DeLap. Although they reference the history of the art object and what has already been done in three-dimensional painting and art-making, they both approach their own practice with unique intention and vision, creating original artworks that not only help viewers to stop, consider and relate, but also that help solidify their contributions to the larger contemporary art discourse as something worthwhile and meaningful. Through shards of memories and stretching protrusions, Aispuro and Liverman facilitate introspection and wonder, bringing us closer to ourselves through art.

“Time Under Tension,” located in Gallery 1 at Irvine Fine Arts Center, is on view through August 10. Heritage Community Park, 14321 Yale Ave., Irvine.

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