Each week, Arts Orange County and Culture OC deliver you this look at the stories and events happening in our arts and cultural community.

Staging California in Early Hollywood

The UC Irvine Langson Orange County Museum of Art presents an exhibit tying the art of plein-air painting to the early history of American cinema, where unsung and often uncredited visual artists transported moviegoers to a dream version of the Golden State as well as other global vistas MORE

At Daisy Chain Fields, Olivia Rodrigo Puts Women Center Stage

The sold-out Irvine festival pairs an all-women lineup with a mission to raise money and awareness for organizations supporting women and girls.

OC Vibe Progress Includes a New Concert Hall, Kitchen Concepts, Public Art Programs and More

Concert hall programming, the two-story marketplace and the first public plaza are among the offerings that will be public-ready in Anaheim by early next year.

Orange County’s Acjachemen Nation Maps 10,000 Years of History for Its First Digital Archive

Orange County’s Acjachemen Nation, the Juaneño Band of Mission Indians (JBMI), is building a digital archive for the first time.

The Acjachemen Nation (pronounced ah-HAWSH-eh-men) originally inhabited what is now Orange County for as long as 10,000 years. The Acjachemen and the Tongva have had a long, complicated history in the region, including their ancestors’ treatment and captivity at the Mission San Juan Capistrano.

Joyce Perry, 71, has been the Belardes-JBMI director of cultural resources for 26 years and is no stranger to preservation and activist efforts. She is the founder of the nonprofit organization the Westerners First People of Earth Mother, Payomkawichum Kaamalam (PKK) that deals with archaeological and cultural efforts to preserve Acjachemen history. She currently resides in Irvine.

“You could say that we’ll be recreating a story that has never been told in Orange County from our perspective,” Perry said. “I know anthropologists, archeologists have published a lot about their concepts and their beliefs, but this will be the first ever from our perspective.”

Each week, we recommend a variety of events and experiences from the listings at SparkOC.com, our free website for Orange County's arts and cultural community.

The Orange Empire Chorus

Fullerton's chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society has been combining vocal music and comedy for audiences since 1957; this week they pay a return visit to the Muckenthaler Cultural Center MORE

Our Culture/Nuestra Cultura: Celebrating Chicano Heritage

This free event at Santa Ana's Delhi Library combines family-friendly activities, free treats, and a classic car display MORE

Sensory Dance Party Storytime

Westminster Library presents a storytelling hour designed for children aged 3-8 who may thrive in a more relaxed environment where they are free to move MORE

New Swan Science Faire! with AirUCI

The actors of the New Swan Shakespeare Festival join forces with Air UCI and UCI's Office of Research to bring the latest understanding of air, clouds, fire, and smoke to life in a unique series of craft-making activities and entertaining performances MORE