We’ve been working hard to bring you the most amazing collections for the 2011 exhibition. Below is a sneek peek at some more of the items we will debut! Enjoy!

The unique collections are beginning to unfold for this year’s Millard Sheets Center Fair exhibit, “ECLECTIONS, The Art of Collecting.” The list below is just the beginning of what our visitors will discover as they wander through the gallery enjoying the displays and reading the stories behind the collections and collectors.

Now a permanent addition to the gallery, demonstrating artists will be working amongst the displays in varied mediums, many of which will mirror the collections.

The Gallery Store promises to have new and exciting treasures to be purchased and enjoyed. Begin making plans to visit us in September by going on line and finding great deals on Fair tickets and events. Keep checking back for updates, and very soon, images from the collections will be posted.

·        American Iron Banks

·        American coins

·        Tin toys

·        Model Trucks

·        Jewelry store Motions

·        Buttons

·        Salt & Pepper shakers

·        Looms from around the world

·        Carved Netsuke

·        Radios of old

·        Neon signs

·        Butterflies & Seashells

·        Bird eggs

·        Music boxes

·        Sewing machines

·        Orange crate labels

·        Gas powered race cars

·        Tin robots

·        Painted ponies

·        Playing cards

·        American glass

·        Quilts

·        Lunch boxes with four color décor

·        Carved plywood Wood sculptures

·        Ceramics pinch pots by Rose Cabot

Creating an exhibit for the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts is an exhilarating process which both takes and gives energy to its designer. First, an overall theme is chosen and agreed upon by all involved in the complexities of its production. I have found from my many years as an artist and designer that creating within the framework of what exists is more productive that trying to force a design into a space which it does not fit. The framework is made up of the available budget, the facility in which it will be shown, the creative capabilities of staff and preparators, and the time frame scheduled. In the case of exhibits for Millard Sheets Center for the Arts at Fairplex (MSCAF), a wonderful support system is already in place. Fairplex, in recognizing the importance of the exhibits we produce for our specific Fair audience, provides a budget which allows us to do our job well. The MSCAF building is a wonderful 12,000 square foot gallery with large rooms, high ceilings, and an adjacent patio space for exterior events. Our “A” Team of talented people rises to every creative occasion I throw their way. And lastly, we are given ample time to prepare for the September show-time and Labor Day opening.

As I worked on the research for this year’s exhibit and its theme, I began to narrow down the vastness of its subject matter and discovered that there was one thread which ran through these three centuries of growth and discovery - invention. And I began to discover the connections between ancient inventions and modern ones. These exciting innovations will be displayed throughout the exhibit and will give viewers of all ages insight into where ideas and products came from. My hope is that some will walk away with their own new creative ideas bubbling in their minds. Perhaps a brand new inventor will be inspired to generate something that will better humankind.

We begin actual construction in July and won’t rest much until opening on Labor Day weekend. Other new and exciting developments are in the wings at MSCA, so stay tuned to our website and don’t hesitate to get involved. Again, I solicit your thoughts, ideas, and suggestions about the past, present, and future of the Center’s function and progress.

Best and thank you for your continued support, Tony Sheets  

Tony Sheets - 2010 Exhibit Director

I grew up in the innovative artistic community of nearby Claremont, surrounded by professional artists including my father, Millard Sheets. While this is my fourth year as exhibit director for MSCAF, he directed exhibits here for twenty-five years, 1931 to 1956. Because of his long and successful career with the Los Angeles County Fair, the Fine Arts Building was named after him in 1993. As kids we spent every summer at Fair, pretending we were helping Dad, while mostly running off to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Fair.

This year’s exhibit is an extension of the 2009 Making of Art exhibit, and will bring us from the 1700s to the 1900s. It will highlight the Industrial Revolution as it spread from Europe to the United States, and touch on the beginnings of the computer age. It will feature steam power and innovative processes which created new materials, and show how a simple punched card changed industry. It also changed what artists portrayed in their art and the methods and mediums they used to create it. This new age social change brought on the creation of a middle class, which in turn became the sustaining force of the artist community with their fresh purchasing power. The underlying them of the exhibit will definitely be change.

At this point in time I am thoroughly engrossed in the designing and execution of this year’s Fair exhibit which will run from Labor Day weekend until October 3, 2010. Once I have this exhibit up and running I will begin narrowing down the theme for next year from the three or four show concepts I have running around in my creative happy cloud. I will continue to post updates here and I encourage comments regarding the concept and development of this exhibit, or perhaps ideas for future exhibits. Please feel free to email your thoughts to me at tonysheets@oigp.net .

Best and thanks, Tony Sheets