Hours of Operation

Thursdays & Fridays: Noon–4 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free Admission  

Location

270 Corsair
Irvine, CA 92618

Current Exhibition

Grrrl Germs: Punk feminism goes viral, 1991–2026

Exhibition: August 29–November 29

The exhibition will open Saturday, August 29, during Daisy Chain Fields. The exhibition will be on view, free and open to the public, September 3–November 29.

Grrrl Germs: Punk feminism goes viral, 1991–2026 is an exhibition showcasing the creativity and passion of the punk feminist movement Riot Grrrl, and how it radiated globally across 35 years. It features five listening areas with a sampling of music around the world created or influenced by Riot Grrrl bands; fliers that provide a glimpse into the variety of community-building and activist events; a selection of handmade and self-produced zines; and a collaborative map tracking Riot Grrrl chapters, Ladyfest gatherings, and related endeavors. The movement’s rousing call for girls’ and women’s rights, and its encouragement of DIY artistic expression still resonate, inspiring new generations.

Grrrl Germs: Punk feminism goes viral, 1991–2026 is curated by Astria Suparak (Open in new window) and presented by Daisy Chain Fields, with special thanks to C3 Presents and the City of Irvine.

View Installation Photos (Open in new window)

Visit the Daisy Chain Fields Exhibition Website (Open in new window)

Upcoming Exhibitions

Onehillion: A Whisper in the Dark
Luke Matjas: I Have This Dream Where I'm Talking With a Hawk
Gina Lawson Egan: Full Moon

The Great Park Gallery presents three solo exhibitions that explore distinct worlds shaped by dreams, memory, nature, and the imagination. The exhibitions open Sunday, January 31, with a free opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m.

Exhibitions: January 31–May 2, 2027 
Opening Reception: January 31, 1–3 p.m.

Onenhillion: A Whisper in the Dark

Orange County artist and poet Onenhillion uses poetry, animation, sound, and illustration to create dream-like worlds that explore the emotions of memory. Lush landscapes, imaginative figures, and quiet moments occupy her images, which are often complimented by simple yet poetic prose. Onenhillion: A Whisper in the Dark is the most ambitious immersive installation for the artist to date. Drawing inspiration from childhood memories, this exhibition is an exploration of finding respite in the brighter, often-overlooked joys of daily life amid the darker, fiery days. 

Since 2017, Onenhillion has cultivated a dedicated audience and community around her work. Originally creating illustrations that recall kawaii culture vulnerability and aesthetics, the artist has since honed in on crafting her own unique visual language and approach to image making. With refreshing honesty, Onenhillion’s work acknowledges the complexities of life’s highs and lows while drawing inspiration from her own lived experiences, creating worlds that possess a childlike wonder.

View Exhibition Rack Card (Open in new window)

^{Image credit: Onenhillion, Will I Ever Be Back?, acrylic on canvas, 2026, 22 x 30 inches}

Luke Matjas: I Have This Dream Where I’m Talking With a Hawk

Southern California is rich with preserved open spaces that allow us to explore the flora and fauna of the natural world. The Santa Ana Mountains, Newport Back Bay, miles of beaches and coastline, and the Irvine Open Space Preserve exemplify some of these sublime and magnificent landscapes. Luke Matjas: I Have This Dream Where I’m Talking With a Hawk is a mixed-media solo exhibition by California artist and outdoor enthusiast Luke Matjas. Featuring works in printmaking, digital media, large-scale drawing, and sculpture, the exhibition offers visitors a vibrant immersive experience that explores the lingering effects of time spent in preserved natural spaces. 

Humanity’s earliest stories emerged from the landscape, and by paying close attention, the time we spend in these settings can become a source of meaning and myth-making. This exhibition explores the intersections of space, place, culture, and the lasting imprint that the outdoors leaves on the mind. Acting as the artist’s travel journal, these artworks chronicle odd and unusual chance encounters in the wild—moments that instill a sense of awe and wonder and, in turn, inhabit our dreams and deepen our curiosity about the natural world.

View Exhibition Rack Card (Open in new window)

^{Image credit: Luke Matjas, Mixed Terrain, 2026, drawing printed on archival wall fabric}

Gina Lawson Egan: Full Moon

Gina Lawson Egan is a ceramic sculptor whose imaginative practice merges fantasy, surrealism, and meticulous craftsmanship into detailed three-dimensional works. Gina Lawson Egan: Full Moon surveys sculptures that blend human, animal, and botanical forms through unexpected shifts in scale, texture, and perspective. Influenced by ancient artifacts and historical aesthetics, her works are at once playful and psychologically charged, suggesting layered narratives and hidden inner worlds. 

Through tactile surfaces, expressive gestures, and intricate patterns, Lawson Egan creates sculptures that reward investigative viewing from multiple angles. Rooted in intuition and an immersive relationship with clay, her practice balances accessibility with complexity, inviting both curiosity and contemplation. Since the early 1990s, Lawson Egan has exhibited and taught throughout California, and her work is held in numerous public and private collections, including the American Museum of Ceramic Arts.

View Exhibition Rack Card (Open in new window)

^{Image credit: Gina Lawson Egan, Full Moon, 2021, ceramic, colored slip, underglaze, glaze and stain, cone, 96 x 31 x 35 inches. Photo credit: Gene Ogami}

Check back soon for more information!

Hours of Operation

Thursdays & Fridays: Noon–4 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Free Admission
_{*Great Park’s Hangar 244 is subject to closures due to private event rentals and/or larger city-wide events. For building closure status, please call 949-724-6599.}

Ongoing Exhibitions

Closing Marine Corps Air Station El Toro

In 1993, Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro was designated for closing by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and all of its activities were to be transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The station officially closed on July 2, 1999.

Since 2002, the Legacy Project has documented the transformation of the former Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro into the Orange County Great Park. They have created more than 200,000 images and famously turned a giant jet hangar into the world’s largest camera and used it to take the world’s largest picture.

These photos capture the Flying Bull insignia around the military base and its buildings.

A Guide to Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro

A Guide to Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro is a documentary about the history of the region.

This 9-minute archive will take you on a retrospective journey from the early days of the Irvine family’s prodigious ranching and agricultural projects, to the coming of World War II and the subsequent arrival of Marine Corps Air Station, El Toro.

The film screens every 20 minutes in the History Room hallway of Hangar 244.

The Flying Bull 

In 1943 Walt Disney designed the El Toro Flying Bull logo for Marine Corps Air Station El Toro. Walt Disney Productions created approximately 1,200 designs during World War II for both American and Allied military units. In 1993, Marine Corps Air Station El Toro was designated for closing by the Base Realignment and Closure Commission and all of its activities were to be transferred to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. The station officially closed on July 2, 1999. These photos, captured by the Legacy Project, document the Flying Bull insignia in various locations of MCAS El Toro. 

Opening El Toro 

Construction of Marine Corps Air Station El Toro began on August 3, 1942 on land previously owned by the Irvine Company. The runways and taxiways were completed by December 1, 1942 and all squadron hangars were complete by January 15, 1943. These photos, taken by Bob Blankman, a history archivist and member of the first unit stationed at El Toro, capture the building of the base.

Coordinates 

Since 2002, the Legacy Project has documented the transformation of the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro into the Orange County Great Park. They have created over 200,000 images and famously turned a giant jet hangar into the world’s largest camera and used it to take the world’s largest picture. This photography collection showcases 18 former MCAS El Toro buildings and sites, accompanied by a large-scale historic map of the base highlighting the coordinates and building numbers represented in each photo. The Legacy Project is comprised of artists Mark Chamberlain, Clayton Spada, Jacques Garnier, Robert Johnson, and Douglas McCulloh.

Life on the Base: MCAS El Toro 

The day to day for El Toro service members included the expected activities of life on a military base, however their free time and recreational activities were fun, diverse and similar to Great Park visitors today. The images on display, courtesy of the First American OC Historical Photo Archive and the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, capture life in the early days of MCAS El Toro. Originally exhibited in the 2023 Great Park Gallery exhibition Life on the Base: MCAS El Toro curated by Cynthia Castaneda.