If you’re thinking about checking out the city of Fullerton’s Art Walk, you can maximize your experience and time by hitting up some of the most intriguing work the city has to offer.
The Magoski Art Colony opens its doors every first Friday of the month to art enthusiasts and is a central place to take in a variety of work.
You may have seen the city and local papers publish a map plotting up to 20 galleries between Chapman and Santa Fe avenues. But looking for a place to start can be daunting. Here are five spaces at the Hibbleton art gallery to explore during your adventure:
1. Candaz Magoski, the leader of the Magoski Art Colony, stands next to a mannequin in a crouching position set in an antique wheelchair. The curator has mannequins sporadically placed through the gallery, for guest to take pictures with.
“My Husband and I own this establishment and we work on bringing artists together locally as well as from
all over the world to show their work in one place. “
-Candaz Magoski
2. Artist Nancy Johnson, shown in the picture on
the left, sits in her wheelchair next to her friend and art patron. Johnson greeted many guests with a smile and encouraged visitors to sit and chat.
The artist displayed her series of flightless birds, equipping their wings with objects to assist them into flight, from floating balloon animals, and paper airplanes.
“Yes I am the bird, a lot of my paintings allow me to work through my internal struggles.”
-Nancy Johnson
3. A fuchsia wall of faux fur and satin lures you down the hall of the Hibbleton gallery where curators of the XXXO installation, Valerie Lewis and Leanne Sergeant, are passing out pink heart shaped stickers that say “I Consent” on them, allowing whoever takes the sticker to touch their wall.
The viewer is equipped with a map, highlighting the focal points of the wall — from a bottle of perfume, to an ornamental flower that is reminiscent of the female form. Visitors noted this installation aroused the senses.
“We want to take sexuality back, and not be marginalized by one half of the population.”
-Valerie Lewis
4. Artist Melinda Hagman paints portraits of her favorite authors, pictured to the right. Her space is stacked with antique poetry books and erotica published as far back as the 1920s. She is excited to share that a portrait she has just completed, sold after she shared it on Instagram.
“I worked at a bookstore for ten years and I just love books and literature.”
-Melinda Hagman
5. Art Walk regular Miguel Rodriguez analyzes the work of Priscilla Mereno at her opening reception in the Hibbleton Gallery.
Priscilla’s work drew a large crowd of diverse individuals that took in her work: Cartoon-like characters and objects painted on wooden blocks, and painted pieces mounted on the walls.
“I come to the Fullerton Art Walk every month. I like Pricilla’s work because it’s different from what I usually see.”
-Miguel Rodriguez
So there you have it, one gallery, and five different perspectives. If you have been thinking about going to the Downtown Fullerton Art Walk, but not sure where to start, the Hibbleton is a great focal point that brings a pool of diverse people of the community together. Who knew that amongst the countless bass-rattling bars and lively night life scene, our Fullerton community also has a rich subculture of creativity.
