Attended when they had a Zinefest. It was interesting seeing the creativity of the artists. Bought a drawing there that is really creative.

Took my girlfriend to see The Nutcracker and we were in awe the entire show! The dancing was off the charts and since I have never been to a ballet before I was waiting for the performers to start with some dialogue, but they didn't need any after all. I couldn't believe how many young dancers there were and how much they knew about the art of movement. The principle dancers stole the show with an arrange of dances that had me memorized. It was just the BEST!!

My first visit to OCCCA was to check out the recently opened “Hôme” exhibition. The gallery is in the Downtown Santa Ana Artist Village, and since I didn’t even know this place existed, I decided to explore a bit.

The center resides in a brick/glass façade building in an artsy area of Santa Ana, and while the gallery space (over 6000 SF) might seem nondescript, the heart and soul of the OCCCA are definitely not. The interior is very simple: 2+ large rooms with concrete floors and a view to the timber roof truss framework. There is plenty of space to move around and view the artwork. The mission of OCCCA is to promote, exhibit and publicize a variety of contemporary creations from local area artists. Experimentation and risk-taking are encouraged. Censorship is non-existent.

As for contemporary art, I tend to dislike more than I like, but the experience of going to see what someone created is always worthwhile for me. The “Hôme” exhibition, now thru July 26, was moderately interesting. Some pieces I really liked (the little shacks on the wall); others didn’t make me pause for more than a few seconds. Regardless, I will definitely be coming back here to check out more exhibitions.

Some notes:
(1) Admission is free
(2) Parking is available in public lots (various prices) or on-street (metered). Street parking is free on Sundays.
(3) The Artist Village has other galleries and many places to eat. Try walking around a couple blocks in all directions; it’s fun.