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

Fran Lebowitz Moderated By Maria Hall-Brown

The renowned cultural commentator recently featured in the Netflix documentary series "Pretend It's a City" brings her trademark wit to a conversation at the Irvine Barclay Theatre moderated by the Senior Director at PBS SoCal MORE

First Look: Kei Coffee House in Westminster

Kei Coffee House grand opened last month in Westminster, and java junkies and tea tipplers are in for a treat. Here’s what to expect.

Newport Beach Refreshes Civic Center Park with 10 New Sculptures

Nestled along perfectly manicured paths and wooden bridges, among flowers and other flora, the Sculpture Exhibition in Civic Center Park is a relaxing escape for Newport Beach residents, eager tourists and local businesspeople that wander the hilly terrain on their lunch breaks.

It’s been a decade since the Newport Beach Arts Commission launched the exhibition, essentially an art gallery without walls that showcases a rotating lineup of impressive sculptures in the heart of the city.

Although Newport Beach isn’t as renowned for its creativity as the art colony of Laguna Beach next door, the city has taken steps to change that in recent years, and this exhibition is possibly the biggest step of all. This is the ninth iteration of the project, which features 10 new installations that were positioned in the park in June.

10 Orange County Restaurants That Have Shaped Our Image of Mexican Cuisine

A crispy taco, a saucy enchilada, Spanish rice and refried beans smothered in yellow cheese. Sounds delicious–but dated. Of course there’s nothing wrong with a yummy combo plate, but look how far one of Orange County’s favorite ethnic cuisines has come.

Mexican restaurants have spread their wings and they’re soaring. So as we celebrate Diez y Seis, the anniversary of self-determination for our southern neighbor, we salute restaurants that have changed our minds about what this cuisine is and how it’s presented. Our collection of 10 trend-setting restaurants and six local favorites isn’t just about where to get a tasty meal – it’s a carefully curated list that explains how such stellar offerings landed in our backyard.

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.

Viet Film Fest Launch

The Vietnamese American Arts and Letters Association (VAALA) and the Frida Cinema kick off this annual celebration of cinema featuring Vietnamese and Vietnamese-American artists and stories with a red carpet and a reveal of the year's award nominees MORE

ARTventure 2024 Community Arts Day

From a juried exhibition to hands-on art-making activities for the whole community, Costa Mesa's annual ARTventure is for the artist in everybody MORE

Buena Park Culture Fest

Lion dancing, a mariachi band, and a "Samurai Stilt Walker" are just some of the entertainers scheduled for this free family celebration of the diverse cultures that make Buena Park unique MORE

Curtains

Newport Beach Theatre Arts Center presents a musical comedy whodunnit set in the world of 1950's Broadway MORE