The most popular corner of the newly expanded Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University for the six months following its reopening in February was Fred Ortiz’ collection of oil paintings by local artist Emigdio Vasquez.
The $12 million expansion project, led and financed by Orange County locals and art collectors Mark and Jan Hilbert, tripled the museum’s size from 7,500 square feet to more than 22,000. It is made up of 26 galleries for rotating displays across two buildings; the second facility was added during the expansion.
The Hilbert Museum has counted almost 30,000 visitors since February, already double the usual number of annual visitors prior to its renovation, according to Mark Hilbert. Of all the collections part of the reopening, museum regulars and docents agree that the Emigdio Vasquez exhibit has been one of the busiest parts of the museum.
Local collector Ortiz, who lives in Huntington Beach, accumulated more than 40 pieces by Vasquez over a 10-year period. He first met the artist at the former Martínez Bookstore in Santa Ana in 1995 and started buying and commissioning various paintings from Vasquez.
Vasquez, nicknamed “the godfather of Chicano art,” grew up in the city of Orange where he began his artistic career focused on Chicano people and culture. He painted over 400 works and 32 murals in OC while teaching at Santa Ana College, managing major public arts programs at Bowers Museum, the California Arts Council and the city of Santa Ana.
Before the exhibit closed on Aug. 3, Ortiz was invited to share his story of becoming the top collector of Vasquez’ work and how he came to offer and curate the collection at the museum.
“A Slice of History”
Even though Ortiz had spent almost every Saturday at the museum discussing the paintings and the artist with visitors, the collector noted he was nervous before the presentation.
Prior to the sold-out event, Ortiz told the Business Journal that bringing the show to the Hilbert Museum all started with a book he had written about Vasquez.
It was the first step he took in sharing his collection of Vasquez paintings, that had not been seen in public, with more people after the artist had passed away in 2014.
Ortiz said he met Mark Hilbert at the museum almost two years ago to tell him that he had over 40 original pieces of work by Vasquez and recently put them into a book. Hilbert asked Ortiz to bring him the book and soon after agreed to give him two galleries to display the collection as one of the museum’s reopening exhibits.
The exhibition included the first pieces Ortiz bought from Vasquez, such as the “Mike’s Pool Hall” painting that was on display at the bookstore where he met the artist. Smaller paintings that Ortiz later commissioned Vasquez to paint were also shown, such as a series of still life paintings featuring food, cars and later singular portraits of characters from his larger works.
To match Vasquez’ works of the Chicano community in OC, Ortiz gave him a 1936 photograph of his father and friends in Los Angeles that he “knew the artist would want to paint.” He dubbed the work “Chavez Ravine Home Boys,” which hung next to the original photo.
Ortiz hopes to bring the exhibit back by next year once he finds another space.
The “Mike’s Pool Hall” painting will remain in the North Gallery of the museum on loan.
Following its success in Orange, Museum Director Mary Platt said it was likely for the Vasquez paintings to return to the Hilbert Museum in the future.
“You definitely haven’t seen the last of him,” she said.
