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Huntington
Beach's Centered on the Center, an annual non-jury
art show in which anybody can enter if they pay the
fee and get in line as the first 150 or so, includes
some pop culture humor.
Above is Randy
Lyford, board member at the
HB International Surfing Museum, who stands next
to a statue of a surfer wearing the surfing museum's
logo shirt and hat, a green pair of shades, and
carrying a surfboard. Lyford, who's a docent at the
surf museum located several blocks from the HB Art
Center, points at the sculpture at the Centered on
the Center reception held free as a premier of the
unveiled works. There's a friendship between the two
museums, and the surfing museum has even lent items
from its inventory for exhibits at the Art Center
such as
On
Board.
Now over 10
years in existence, Centered on the Center draws the
largest crowds of any unveiling for artist and
public receptions at the public/private partnership
museum. One of three museums in Huntington Beach
that are all examples of such partnerships,
admission to the Art Center is free. (The other two
museums are the Huntington Beach International
Surfing Museum and the
Newland House Museum.)
Wander from
this art-centered museum several blocks to the
surfing museum where art is also included in
exhibits, and there's a chance you'll see Lyford
welcoming guests and giving surfing tours. Lyford is
an avid surfer who's surfed most of his life. He
shares his passion for the water sport with tourists
who visit from around the globe.
The Huntington
Beach Art Center offers art camps for kids, adult
courses, rental space, concerts and rotating art
exhibits. Course information is offered on the City
of Huntington Beach web site (surfcity-hb.org) under
the "residents" category. Look for a publication
called the Sands. This is where you'll also find
announcements about the Centered on the Center event
and calls for artists to register to enter their
works.
What else:
Located in downtown Huntington Beach on the fifth
block of Main Street, the hotels within walking
distance (one mile or less) offer a full beach
vacation that can be experienced in conjunction with
a trip to Disneyland and Knott's Berry Farm theme
parks. For those who just prefer a weekend or stay
at the beach, you can take in this little museum and
the International Surfing Museum, plus the beach for
exercise and entertainment. While some wander into
the Pierside Gallery for popular art in a small
space, wander to the Hyatt Regency to see a stand
alone gallery called The HB Gallery. The top
representative for Todd White art, this gallery is
in a light, bright space, and features the works of
many local best-sellers such as Toreen West.
Where to
eat: Right next to the Huntington Beach Art
Center is one of our favorite little Thai cafes,
Thai Wave. Offering five different types of curry
dishes on their menu, you can customize your meals
with the amount of spice you like. Prices are quite
affordable. Across the street and half a block away
are two additional favorites, Jan's Health Food
kitchen, a very small order counter with a few
tables in and outside the cafe; and Bodhi Tree
vegetarian Chinese. Their spin-offs on meat are
really good, as are their soups.
Where to
stay: On the low end, $110 - 200 approx. is Best
Western Huntington Beach Inn. It overlooks the beach
and Huntington Beach Pier. The top tier hotels
you can walk to include
Hyatt Regency and
Hilton. For those with cars who want to
save more, drive to either the north end of Pacific
Coast Highway three to five miles distance to find
five hotels in the affordable range, or go east on
Beach Boulevard where you'll discover three or four
properties ranging from Howard Johnson, Best Western
and Comfort Suites to Hotel Huntington Beach near
the HB Bella Terra Mall. See all
Huntington Beach Hotels / or
Sunset Beach beach hotels.
Huntington
Beach Art Center
538 Main Street, Huntington Beach, CA 92648
714-374-1650
Hours: Wednesday - Saturday - 12 noon - 6 pm;
Sunday
- 12 noon - 4 pm;
Closed Monday - Tuesday
hb site
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