Orange County Center For Contemporary Art

Incredible Estevan Oriol Photography show!!! Go see it through May 28, 2022. Beautiful non- profit gallery in Santa Ana. Great eateries near by w public parking structure less than a block away.

It's a small gallery. Good place for locals to just go and spend a little free time on a lazy weekend.

Never disappoints. Larger gallery that looks from the outside, and paired with the Bear Gallery right next door. The receptions are not to be missed... And they are no longer missed because their new directors have finally got this place organized! Finally doing a wonderful job. Excellent young pianist Saturday, good people, good snacks, a nice champagne, and a thoroughly enjoyable time.

Went for the first time with my daughters. We were greeted warmly by the woman at the front counter and given info about the current exhibit. Many interesting art pieces on display. We look forward to going back for the next exhibit!

I came here twice. Once yesterday and once a few weeks back. Both days they were closed despite my arrival being in their “regular operating hours.” They posted ads online on their new exhibitions both times, but they were closed. Last time they had a sign “will be back in 5 mins” but we waited there 15 mins.

Great place to experience contemporary art. Friendly volunteer staff.

***** WARNING TO ARTISTS ***** I participated as an artist in an OCCCA exhibition. Detailed repacking instructions for return of artwork (with photographs!) went ignored. They literally placed the framed oil painting in the box, then shoved all packing materials (including 4 form corners that should have been attached to the frame) to one end of the box, taped it shut, and called it a day. The expensive frame was severely damaged. This is shameful! Communication with exhibiting artists always comes from the Director. In this instance, nothing ever came from the Director, all communication was from someone whose title was "secretary", who ultimately handled return shipping of my now damaged painting over to an off-site person at some college down the block. DISGRACEFUL!

Great displays, staff was helpful when asked questions. Some of thw exhibition I had seen in books. Seeing them in person was amazing. Loved it

I attended a wedding reception here and it was so beautiful. This is a great venue for these kind of occasions. The building is nestled in between many local bars and old timey businesses. They had a great area for pictures and to hang out with drinks and appys before dinner. There was a bartender who worked really hard and got plenty of tips! The table settings were beautiful. It was so neat to view the artwork on the walls while in line. The hostess was really sweet too.

We had a lovely experience viewing Shane Guffogg's exhibit "40 Years of Self-Portraits" (https://www.occca.org/2021-03.html) which featured this artist's unique and little-known visual exploration of his psyche. Though everything can be viewed online through the Zoom reception and 360 degree tour, there was much to interest seeing the pieces in person. The museum curator was also very friendly and present. I have only one critique: the area is basically just an open gallery with concrete floors, much smaller than a museum. The artworks were laid out on the walls but they could have made use of the huge open space in the middle. Due to its size and spareness, I can't imagine most laypeople spending more than 15 minutes walking through this mostly abstract exhibit. The OCCCA has transformed itself with thorough pandemic-driven considerations: You must reserve a private viewing appointment through email, sign a liability waiver and have your temperature taken upon entering, and of course wear a facial covering and socially distance. There are arrows on the floor and no-touch sanitizers and restroom facilities. I felt very safe! All in all, visiting the OCCCA was a unique way to spend our Sunday. With it being right on Main Street (a 3-minute walk from 4th Street Market!) and offering FREE GENERAL ADMISSION, why not pay them a visit? Tip: Visit their website under "Visit" to find the names and addresses of 4 parking structures for which the first 2 hours are free, as well as current metered parking rates and a detailed map of their location.

Really cool gallery! they have interesting expositions and renewed every month (maybe sooner, I'm not sure) I have been going there as a part of the Santa Ana ArtWalk for years and it never have disappointed me.

*****  WARNING TO ARTISTS ***** DISGRACEFUL! I participated as an artist in an OCCCA exhibition. Detailed repacking instructions for return of artwork (with photographs!) went ignored. They literally placed the framed oil painting in the box, then shoved all packing materials (including 4 form corners that should have been attached to the frame) to one end of the box, taped it shut, and called it a day. The expensive frame was severely damaged. This is shameful! Communication with exhibiting artists always comes from the Director. In this instance, nothing ever came from the Director, all communication was from someone whose title was "secretary", who ultimately handled return shipping of my now damaged painting over to an off-site person at some college down the block. DISGRACEFUL!

My fiance and I chose to have our wedding here! Right when we walked into this gallery, we knew that this felt right. We wanted to do something un traditional, and we loved having this blank canvas to work with for designing our wedding. The night was beautiful and Pam was so easy to work with! It was OCCCA's first ever wedding, so they were a little hesitant, but I'm sure it will be the first of many weddings there! Thank you OCCCA!! -The only issue in using this place for your wedding is that you have to do pretty much everything on your own. You need to rent your own tables/chairs/linens/dishes etc. You also need to make sure you have people or hire staff to clean up and serve, and the biggest thing is that you will need to set up everything on your own, unless you have an event coordinator who can arrange that all for you! I hope this helps!!

Out of all the galleries we visited, this would have to be my favorite. The space is pretty big and I like its minimalistic feel where they don't pack a lot in giving it a claustrophobic feel. The current exhibit is entitled "Fashionistas" and showcases outfits made with different everyday items such as: Target grocery bags, clothes pegs, newspapers, the tape from cassette tapes, etc. Innovative and highly creative! I think this might be one of those galleries where I may enjoy an exhibition no matter what it might be. I like contemporary art!!! The staff who manages this place is very friendly as well.

Stunning. Not just the place but the productions held here. 1st visit: Sat.Sept.05, 2009 for Artists Village Open Gallery Walk in Santa Ana w/full guest list & album - http://www.dreamincalifornia.com/calendar/11145044/ 2nd visit: Sat.Feb.27, 2010 for "Bands & Stitches" courtesy of: http://lafreebee.com/free-corset-fashion-show/ As described in the promo: "...and art too! The Orange County Center for Contemporary Art is hosting a FREE event w/ art exhibits by artist: Kebe Fox, Stephen Anderson and Richard Towle. LIVE MUSIC by: Street Spirit, Center Cannot Hold, Tommy Spase & the Alchemists. Topping the night off is a dark couture fashion show by Shawk Stitches (Corset Show)." Cool, artistic, bands perform while mix groups/guests mingle around gallery, model/photography shoots, w/complimentary wine, cheese, fruit, cracker, meat slices--all donations & friendly vibe graciously accepted. The show itself was rather brief though highly captivating & creative. My only lament, not bringing my own camera though plenty of professionals flanked entire spacious layout. Highlight: sharing entire fun experience w/5super awesome, art-lovin, beauty-appreciating, fashionistas gfs.

My husband and I had our wedding reception here last month and it was perfect!! If you are looking for something a little urban, and an open floor plan, this is your place for an event! There are 3 rooms to use, we used the main area for our tables, the DJ and our photo booth. The back room we used to set up a Wii, and we used their projection screen, the front was more a quiet room for people to sit and get out of the craziness. OCCCA was very easy to work with, the price was great, and if we ever have an event again, I will do it here!

Have been to several shows here, and most recently had my own work included in a juried show, "Body Language". Everyone at the gallery was polite and friendly at every reception and every step along the way for the show. Drop-off and pick-up were painless and easy, and my work was treated with care. Very busy receptions, with lots of the OCCCA member artists in attendance and fun to talk to. The lectures I've seen at other shows (including the JPL show) have been fascinating and add quite a bit to the experience. I would certainly show here again. The only thing I'd prefer is having the show's catalog published on time for the show- we've torn down already, and the catalog still hasn't arrived! Bummer!

I don't know the gallery as intimately as some other reviewers, having only been in once during a musical performance, but it was a good space and it was accessible and friendly. I love this part of Santa Ana. The Artist Village is very quaint, with the older buildings and trees lit up with lights, and it makes for an enjoyable evening. I say, add these guys to your list of things to do. It's sure to be interesting.

This gallery continually produces inspiring, high quality, shows of relevant contemporary work. I am always glad I stopped by after a lunch or dinner in Santa Ana. Don't wait for artwalk, go!

Great exhibits every time I stop by for Artwalk. Usually they have goodies (wine and snacks), but without the art speaks for itself. A great, clean, open space for a variety of art exhibitions.

This is a cool gallery found within the Santa Ana Artist Village area. I always go here as one of my gallery stops during the Santa Ana artwalk, which happens every first Saturday of the month. Sometimes there are bands/ musicians that play in the gallery during the first Saturday receptions. It's pretty cool. They also occasionally have a call for artists, so you can submit your work and maybe it'll be picked for the show!

I've only been here once, but it was one of the best experiences I've had at an art gallery. My friend an I came for a special "Siouxsie Sioux"/gothic-themed night where they had several great musical performances as well as a screening of a 1980s Berlin Siouxsie Sioux show. At that time, they had an exhibition going on showcasing a variety of really fantastic gothic artwork. The people running the gallery were very friendly and helpful, and we left feeling very inspired. This is a wonderful gallery that is a perfect spot to visit if you like creative, innovative, thought-provoking art.

Beautiful gallery. Just went there when I attended a work related event. It's a large open space with some great art, right in the heart of down town Santa Ana, which I had also never visited. I would definitely go again and recommend that you visit, at least once!

You won't find a gallery as diverse and interesting than this. Each show is a different experience, and caters to a wide variety of artistic tastes. Also, opening night for a new exhibition is extremely fun and high energy! They take place on the first Saturday of every month, which just happens to be the Santa Ana Art Walk. In the area are dozens of galleries, and if you haven't been to one you have really been missing out. It is not uncommon that OCCCA has special music performances, dance performances and other special events monthly. You can check out the details for current and upcoming exhibitions at www.occca.org.