The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University opened in 2016. Its Collection- which includes oils, watercolors and drawings of urban and industrial scenes, coastal views, farms, ranches and landscapes of everyday life – is a significant repository of images of the 20th century by California artists, celebrating the unique artistic and cultural development of the Golden State.

I was particularly drawn to the exhibit A Fine Romance: Images of Love in Classic American Illustration which features original magazine illustrations by Joe De Mers, Jon Whitcomb, Joe Bowler, Gwen Fremlin and other acclaimed illustrators of the mid-20th century.



A fun discovery was this painting by Earl Cordrey (1902 - 1977), a watercolorist of the 1940s and 1950s, primarily known for his men's fashion work and his story art for Collier's, American Magazine, and American Weekly. A long association with California (he was born there) where he retired from illustration work to do scenic pictures. Unbeknownst to me, I have been a fan of his for a very long time. He moved to Palm Springs in 1942 and was instrumental in launching Palm Spring Life magazine as well as the official seal of the City of Palm Springs. Mr. Cordrey's works are still some of my favorites.
I keep telling Steve that I would like to replicate this piece and walk around Palm Springs just like an Earl Cordrey painting. Fun stuff.
A portion of the Hilbert collection of more than 1,000 paintings – mostly works in watercolor and oil created from the 1930s to the 1970s by all the luminaries of the California Scene movement – is on display in the Museum’s permanent collection.
We met artists we feel we should have known but didn't like Millard Owen Sheets.
Many of the luminaries worked with Disney like Eyvind Earle who was instrumental in the realization of Sleeping Beauty.
Or Retta Scott, another powerful women in Disney's employ, who scared all of us with the hunting dog attack of Faline in Bambi. Wow.
We were introduced to Mary Blair's husband. Lee Blair earned early fame as a watercolorist, winning the Gold Medal for Watercolor in the 1932 Olympics (yes, they had art competitions as part of the Olympics- who knew?). He worked at Disney Studios during the late 30s and 40s on various projects such as Pinocchio, Bambi, and Fantasia. His career took a different turn in the 50s when he and a partner opened a successful film advertising business in New York City. Through the years, however, he continued to paint award-winning watercolors. Lee and Mary shared a passion for the sea and sailing, but it was Lee who continued to express this love throughout his life in much of his art. Here is his Mary by the Sea (1934). Fun stuff.
Not only were we entertained by the beauty of this collection, but we learned so much about those who really made a mark on the art world and beyond. Goodwill Industries by John Hubbard Rich (1930) depicts the foundation of Goodwill Southern California which was established in El Pueblo de Los Angeles in 1916 by Katherine B. Higgins, the first woman to establish a Goodwill. The painting shows the volunteers gathering donations in burlap coffee sacks. So interesting... the entire visit to this treasure of treasures- The Hilbert Museum- left us thoroughly impressed and eager to return.