Irvine : Remodeled Museum to Feature Photo Exhibit

Irvine residents will be able to enjoy a closer look at one aspect of their city’s past when remodeling and expansion of the Irvine Historical Museum is completed in mid-September.

The museum will feature a 150-piece exhibit of photographs and artifacts depicting east Irvine’s history from the days of Spanish missionaries to the present renovation of the Old Town area.

Clifford Bodamer, museum director, said the exhibit will also include a visual overview of the redevelopment plans for east Irvine, which include converting some older buildings into restaurants, shops and a hotel.

Bodamer said the museum remodeling project will consist of putting a false wall over the many windows that now restrict the number of items that can be displayed. The wall “will increase the exhibit area by about 30%,” he said.

The remodeling project, using volunteer labor supplied in part by Boy Scouts and operating on a budget of $3,800, is expected to be completed by Sept. 14 and a reception will be held that day to celebrate both the renovation and the museum’s fifth anniversary.

A larger project to expand some storage rooms will be completed by the end of the year, Bodamer added.

Because the renovation budget is small, Bodamer said the museum, located at 5 Rancho San Joaquin, is seeking volunteers to assist in the project. Work parties are scheduled for Aug. 17 and 18 and again for Aug. 24 and 25. For more information, call (714) 786-4112.