Architect Irving Gill

and the

Oceanside Museum of Art

In 1992, I was tasked by the Chairman of the Oceanside Arts Commission to find a place in downtown to display Visual Fine Art. A columnist in the San Diego Union Tribune had described Oceanside as a vast cultural wasteland.

In 2026 The Oceanside Museum of Art shines as a beacon on the Hill for our City's inspirational guide into the World of Culture and Art. Sometimes the Whiteness of it All becomes a place of otherworldly wandering as a stranger, to become another self. We become an other entering into the world of the artist. We stand, enchanted, beguiled with the possibility of entering into the mind world of another. Such is the magic of entering through the door of Imagination.

OMA is such a place. Stepping up to the grand courtyard our walk becomes lighter, expectant with the excitement of the what ifs. It has become this Community Place of Culture and Art due to the professional and empathetic work of the Staff and the unending generosity of our donors and supporters through the years.

Gill painting of Fire Station

Irving Gill was an Architect. Beyond that, an engineer, and an Artist. In the Art/Design World we have a saying, KISS. (keep it simple stupid). The simplicity of his construction* methods made it possible for him to design buildings like sculpture. The repeats, the combing of elements in the simplest pure forms made his projects unique. The “Whiteness”, was amplified by his whimsical of splashes of color. The Primary colors, used for musical sparkle, his favorite being blue for the Ocean. 

Rudy Van Hummick  

On March 1, 2026 the announcement of the  Gill designed Fire Station to become the third element of the Museum has become a reality. This final  phase of the OMA Campus covers one entire block on Pier View Way. Now, the Gill City Hall, the Beautiful Pavilion and Gill Fire Station have become One.

OMA, the past, present and future, Perfect! Gill, our heritage, our community, our world of imagination and the What Ifs of Tomorrow. He always knew...

                                               

  

* His building method. This page hows many of his designs and the beauty of pure form.  

 

I Could Stay Forever

A Place of "Blue Happiness"

One of the most splendid of all of the Arts is our place of great gastronomical reward. Such a place is where my Daughter and I were yesterday. The sky was blue with puffy clouds dancing, the harbor was still waters, and the Blue Pacific was sparkling with joy, waves softly singing the sounds of surf.

This is a place of memories of my late husband who was sure that the best burgers were only to be found at the Lighthouse Restaurant. 

As we lounged on the warm sunny deck, memories of yesteryear flooded within me. I could see him, smile huge on his face, with the burger and fries before him and the day was complete, the place of fulfillment only to be found here at the Oceanside Harbor.

The Burger Gone with Gusto...

We humans all have our "Place of Blue Happiness", the place where we return over and over again. The warmth of the owners knowing you and the remembered chairs we always sat, and we were once again carefree. This place of happiness does not have to have a Michilin Star, it has only to has to have the love of bringing you sustance with human warmth and smiles and rememberence.

The Art of a great chief is one which makes you feel that here, and only here the rewards of his/her art of wonderful enjoyment of your ordered choice is found. The Lighthouse menu is a plethora of offerings to make you want to stay forever to sample it all...The Lighthouse brings all of this to you and us, we say Thank You, and our return is forever promised ...

 

 

The Sea

&

Dear Tomorrow

The Magic of the Happy Blueness of the Pacific Ocean. It's hard to explain this aura of a place where all of our angst is taken away, and replaced by a gentle calm that is so entrancing. We sit at the edge of a creative force which is compelling, and succumb to its rhythmic heartbeat . Hours we play, gather, work, and live with this magic. The Sea, the crucible of life.

There is an Art House in Oceanside which lives by the Sea. It is 117 years old. This historical house is one of a very few which has survived the redevelopment in Oceanside. The House is yellow, the color of the Sun, One of the primary colors, the Sea is blue, the Sunsets, the red. We, the artists are primary, the issue of the salty sea.

As I walked through this vintage structure, I wondered how many children had climbed up these stairs, how many women had stared out the front window watching the sea to bring back the husband, how many artists had found this place to create their works birthed by the music of the Blue Surf Singing the song of creation.

Painter Resident

This place, “DearTomorrow”, is located at 216 Tremont St. Oceanside. The captain of this endeavor of Artists Residencies,  is Ryder England. An artist, Poet, and ceramicist, he walked with us into an intriging  adventure of the possible. One room was the residence of a Painter, another a softly lit room of poetry, another a wondrous non-profit place of such incredible possibilities, that I'm still after a week, finding out the works they bring to the Children in our area. Un Mar De Colores, An Ocean of Colors.

Un Mar De Colores,  the Ocean as a Relative. When I read this on the card that Mario gave me, my heart skipped a beat. Here was a young man who is indeed a sympatico soul for humanity. I was captivated by his truth of purpose. The Children of our area are so fortunate for this truth of caring.

Lessons from the Sea

At the back of this Art House is a workshop. The artist resident, Chase Ryan, a man who loves wood. I too, love this wondrous form of life given to us for oxygen, homes, furniture, toys, and shady days of summer. Chase creates original works of art we call furniture. As I touched the kiln dried 4 x4s, I remembered the days of my father's creating works of art. The vibes of the yesteryear when this kind of workmanship was valued, was intense and welcome. Here was an Artist true to his passion and gives his senseiblities to his craft regradless of monetary compensation.

Chase Ryan

At the end of our Tour, I was beguiled. Wishing that I was 20 again, living by the Sea, drinking in the air filled with possibilities of creating the art that was so deep within my soul, finding the Art House of the Yellow Sun, finding the rythum of the creative force of the Sea, my relative the Blue Pacific...