90 YEARS OF ART AT THE FAIR - Los Angeles County Fair

90 YEARS OF ART AT THE FAIR
1922 Los Angeles County Fair debuts October 17 under six tents
Theodore B. Modra organizes arts exhibitions at the Fair
Millard Sheets wins first art competition at the Fair
1923 The fine art exhibits move out of tents and into a wooden building
1924 Sheets becomes Modra’s assistant
1926 Applied arts and crafts exhibitions first presented
1931 Millard Sheets named Superintendent of the Fair’s Art Department
1932 Juries and purchase prize established for fine art exhibition; non-juried amateur artwork
presented under grandstand
1933 A new arts and crafts building opens behind the Administration building, now known as
Administration II building
1937 The Los Angeles County Fair Gallery opens, designed by Los Angeles architect Claude Beelman,
and built by the WPA
1937 The Theodore B. Modra Memorial Exhibition of Art, September 17 – October 3
1938 National Sculpture Competition: Lawrence Tenney Stevens awarded purchase prize for his
sculpture, Monument to Young Farmers of the Nation, to be installed in front of the Fine Arts
Building
1940 Albert Stewart awarded first prize in sculpture at the L.A. County Fair
1942-47 Los Angeles County Fair suspended during World War II
1948 Los Angeles County Fair re-opens, Sheets noted for adding bright colors throughout the
fairgrounds
1950 Masters of Art From 1790 to 1950 exhibition (50 paintings and 25 sculptures including
Delacroix, Turner, Cezanne, Gauguin, Picasso, Van Gogh, Rodin, Moore among others); Sheets
named Director of Art
1951 One World of Art exhibition (work from 21 countries and cultures, spanning thousands of years
from ancient Egypt to the present, including works by, Eakins, El Greco, and Constable, pre-
Columbian, Asian, and Indian artwork). The Governor of California, Earl Warren, conducted with
Sheets a televised walk-through of the exhibition for CBS; Richard Petterson named Director of
Arts and Crafts
1952 Albert Stewart and John Svenson created Bull Wall, a brick relief sculpture, in the patio of the
Gallery
1952 6000 Years Art in Clay exhibition (including ancient pottery and sculpture from Egypt, Greece,
and China, along with contemporary pottery that incorporated Hamada, Leach, Natzler, Voulkos,
among others.)
1953 John Svenson carved The Ranchero on site in the Court of the Redwoods
1953 Painting in the U.S.A., 1721 - 1953 (including Stuart, Sargent, Calder, Remington, Bellows,
Motherwell, and Gottlieb, among others)

1954 The Arts of Daily Living, featured in House Beautiful magazine (showcasing Stewart, Svenson,
Davenport Ford, Maloof, McIntosh and more)
1955 The Arts of Western Living
1956 Contemporary American painting, sculpture and graphic art exhibition
1957 LA County Fair replaces fine art exhibition with amateur photography
1957 Millard Sheets resigns as Director of the Fine Art Program of L.A. County Fair after 25 years
1960 Fine art exhibition returns to Fair organized by the Laguna Beach Art Association(focusing on
“objective, contemporary, representational work” sparking negative reaction by the faculty of
Pasadena City College)
1962 Art-in-Action exhibit of arts and crafts organized by Richard Petterson
1963 Art-in-Action exhibit continues
1966 North American Indians
1967 Peruvian design focus of art exhibition
1968 Eclectic assortment of interior design, and arts and crafts presented
1969 Interior design again featured in Fine Arts Building
1994 Fine Arts Building is dedicated the Millard Sheets Gallery
1995 Multiple Impressions 1996 Art and the Athlete
1997 Grins: Humor & Whimsy in Contemporary Art
1998 Millard Sheets Gallery incorporated as a nonprofit, charitable organization
California: Landscapes & Earthscapes
1999 California Blend: Tradition and Change
2000 ART 2000: Applauding Revolutionary Talent
2001 The Art of Illusion
Millard Sheets: A Collector’s Vision
2001 The Ranchero re-installed at west entrance of the Gallery
2002 The Master of Form: Carl Milles, February 23 – March 31 (the exhibit was circulated by
International Arts & Artists, Washington, D.C.)
2002 Carved, Chiseled, Cast: Figurative Sculpture
2003 The “Living” Room - Art as an Accessory
2004 Master Woodworker, Sam Maloof - One Half Century of Woodworking and Design
2004 Love: Whimsy and Wonder Art from the Heart
2005 Defining Self & Inspiration – Latino Artist of Los Angeles
2006 Beyond Heritage
2007 A Tapestry of Life - The world of Millard Sheets
2008 Hoofprints - The Horse in Art, Legend and Action
2009 The Making of Art – The First 30,000 Years
2010 From the Industrial Age to the Computer Age – Three Centuries of Innovation
2011 Eclections – The Art of Collections