California Fine Arts Exhibition (CFAE) will host an epic reopening on June 2 in the historic Santora Arts Building. The event coincides with the 1st Saturday, monthly Downtown Santa Ana Art Walk and will include live entertainment, refreshments and some surprises. The opening’s featured artist is Jon Ng.
New Gallery Concept
Craig Sibley, Executive Director of CFAE and former Director of Exhibitions at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, will announce an exciting new gallery theme and “Mystery Event” at the reopening.
Left: CFAE remodel in progress.Right: Craig Sibley and CFAE prior to the remodel.
According to Sibley, “the special events will be immersive, historic, themed, interactive and culinary”. Most notably, there will be a puzzle-solving component, similar to an escape room which challenge guests to help solve a staged murder. Specially prepared artworks will play a role in the concept. Please come by on the evening of June 2nd for all the details.”
These are tough times for galleries as customers have online art suppliers and innumerable art selections. It is imperative for gallery owners to differentiate themselves to entice people to visit. Sibley continues: “My intent is to create a destination experience for locals and visitors. For example, the vacationers and conventioneers in Anaheim may not have the time or transportation to get to the beaches. However they can get to the Santa Ana Artists Village as it conveniently located, accessible and walkable. The Santa Ana Artist Village and my new gallery concept’s events will provide dynamic experiences no beach can offer.”
Art Deco Remodel
The gallery is remodeled in a 1920’s Art Deco style. According to Sibley, there are several reasons for going with Art Deco. “First of all, it ties in so well with the Murder Mystery Event concept and the beautiful Santora Building. Secondly, I wanted to pay homage to Joseph Musil. Joseph is the renowned designer and restorer of Art Deco theaters such as The Crest and The El Capitan. Musil’s design showroom once occupied this very suite in the Santora. (here is a video) Lastly, Art Deco’s appeal continues to grow. Organizations such as the Art Deco Society of LA are growing their memberships and adding new events.”
The Gallery Reopening Festivities
Dovetailing with the Art Deco theme will be vintage style 1920’s era entertainment. The Atomic Cherry Bombs will doll up in their flapper finery and cut a rug. Britta Sibley (A Red Headed Veronica Lake, as Craig compares her to) will belt out some tunes from the era. You can expect to see vintage clothing enthusiasts on hand as this is right up their alley.
Most noticeable that night will be the vintage automobiles lined up in front of the Santora building. Craig has arranged for local collectors to show off their prized museum quality Art Deco-era vehicles.
A Long Journey
It took over six months to make this remodel happen, far longer than Craig anticipated. “When I said this remodel was going to be epic, I did not know it would be in the classic sense of the word” said Sibley. “I approached this as an artist and paid for it in sweat equity and time. I would change plans, go off in new directions and get obsessed with details. But I love the results.”
There is still plenty of chaos ahead with the reopening logistics and the concept execution. Craig sees beyond that and looks forward to introducing people to fine art. He is interviewing interns, making open calls for new works and counting the seconds when he can take down the paper covering his gallery windows.
Details
Date and Time: June 2nd, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM during the 1st Saturday Downtown Santa Ana Art Walk.
Address: 207 N. Broadway, Suite P, Santa Ana CA 92701.
For further information, please call or text Craig Sibley at (714) 519-4013, or visit CFAE’s Facebook page.
Thanks Steve. Great article!