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2026 WEBSITE SPECIAL GUESTS Over the years, guest artists have been invited to exhibit works on the site which either express or interpret the summer theme in certain ways. Please welcome the newest guest for 2026, painter Michael Ward, as well as the first summer guest, photographer Michael Graves.
Phyllis Lutjeans, a museum educator and former curator, said of Michael Ward's work that "Although Michael Ward may be called a neo-realist painter, his work can ultimately be described as abstract realism. The picture image is photographically realistic, but within the context of the paintings his compositions are complex and almost abstract. Deciphering the work section by section one sees how a multitude of individual complete compositions are put together to form the entire work. For me, the viewer is confronted by a realistic image that puzzles us and clearly tells the story simultaneously." Or as one person viewing his work at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts once remarked, "You make the ordinary beautiful." Ward has participated in solo and group shows throughout Southern California and has been a long-time exhibitor at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts. His work currently may be viewed at the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts, booth 34, through September 3, and at the California Art Club's 115th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition taking place through September 13 at the Hilbert Museum at Chapman University, 167 N. Atchison Street in Orange. If you would like to learn more about Michael Ward and his art, please visit the website https://tmichaelward.weebly.com. You can find the images of his paintings displayed on the All Cities By City concert page. All images are copyright by Michael Ward and may not be reproduced without express permission from the artist.
Michael Graves is a photographer with over four decades of experience spanning commercial, industrial, and fine art photography. He studied at Bakersfield College under Bertal Brink and Harry Wilson, where he developed a foundation grounded in technical discipline and visual sensitivity. His professional career has included aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, cycling, and medical photography, where precision, craftsmanship, and attention to detail were essential. Alongside his commercial work, Graves has maintained a lifelong commitment to fine art photography. His ongoing projects explore the historic landscapes of Route 66, abandoned architecture, automotive subjects, and the expressive qualities of light. Working in both black and white and color, he frequently employs the dramatic principles of chiaroscuro, using twilight and neon illumination to sculpt form, atmosphere, and memory. Graves' recent Route 66 exhibitions include the Chaffey Community Museum of Art, the Claremont Heritage Foundation (2026), and the San Bernardino County Museum in Redlands. His work is also scheduled to be exhibited at OC Camera in Laguna Hills in January 2027. In 2025, he received the Curator's Award at the Steve Thomas Photo Open. If you would like to learn more about Michael Graves and his photography, please visit the website www.krop.com/michaelgravesphotography/#/. You can find his Route 66 photography displayed on the All Cities By Date concert page. All photographs are copyright by Michael Graves and may not be reproduced without express permission from the artist.
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Michael Ward is a self-taught artist living and working in Costa Mesa, CA. When he was a teenager, his father gave him his camera and he began wandering around taking pictures of things he found interesting. After early paintings of those photos influenced by Photorealist artists, Michael begin painting again in the mid-1990s in acrylic on canvas.
