Hilbert Museum in Orange Presents 'Seen Anew': A Fresh Look at 20th-Century California Modernist Art
The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University in Orange, California, is showing 'Seen Anew: California Modernist Art from the Hilbert Collection' in its Sodaro South Wing. According to the museum, it is the first exhibition to explore California modernism through the lens of modern stylization — the simplification of form, expressive color and bold design that became defining characteristics of 20th-century California representational art.
Curated by California art historian Gordon McClelland, the exhibition presents paintings and works on paper by artists including Eduoard Vysekal, Stanton MacDonald-Wright, Mary Blair, Ken Potter, Keith Crown and Ed Reep. The museum notes that while modernism transformed art around the world, California artists made it distinctly their own, developing a visual language rooted in the light, openness and optimism of the Golden State rather than the darker anxieties often associated with European modernism.
The Hilbert Museum marks its 10th anniversary in 2026. Other current exhibitions include 'Back by Popular Demand,' a visitor-chosen reunion of favorite works from the collection's first decade, and 'Stone and Scene,' which pairs Asian viewing stones with paintings from the collection. The museum offers free admission and is located at 167 N. Atchison Street in Orange.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: Stanton MacDonald-Wright 1918年画作《Sunrise Synchromy in Violet》。（Wikimedia Commons，Public domain，Stanton Macdonald-Wright）'Sunrise Synchromy in Violet' (1918) by Stanton MacDonald-Wright. (Wikimedia Commons, Public domain, Stanton Macdonald-Wright)
