The Orange County Museum of Art is known for their exciting exhibitions of historical and contemporary art, but recently they have teamed up with Target to bring to the public something even better. The second Sunday of very month for this past year has been free, yes thats right FREE. Thanks to a sponsorship from Target (everyones favorite store) The Orange County Museum of Art has and is able to give to the people of Orange County a fun and educational experience that is cost effective.

During these tough economical times its nice to be able to do things that don’t cost a lot, and now you and your family can come to the art museum for free. But you won’t just look at art, you will be able to become a part of it by creating your own!

Interactive guided tours, performances from prestigious theaters and art groups, arts project tables where kids have the opportunity to create artwork that relates to the current exhibition… these are just some of the fun things that you and your family will be able to do.

The next Target Free Second Sunday happens to be this Sunday, and both Target and The Orange County Museum of Art have a fun filled day planned. All of this Sundays events are based off of Mother’s Day and the current exhibition titled Illumination: The Paintings Of Georgia O’keeffe, Agnes Pelton, Agnes Martin, And Florence Miller Pierce, a series of beautiful watercolor like paintings. This Target Free Second Sunday is also held in conjunction with the annual Orange County Imagination Celebration. Which is a great opportunity for children to be recognized for their artists talent!

Listed below is a list of the fun types of activities that will be available this Sunday!

Free Family Portraits: Make sure to sign up for these free family portraits and create a memory that lasts!

Keepsake Photo Frames: Decorate and design your own keepsake photo frame. Pick up your free family portrait to showcase your special day with Mom!

Sun Hats: Personalize your own hat and have fun in the sun with style!

Festive Flower Pot:  Pot your own colorful flower and embellish it with style. Add your name and other fun stickers!

Watercolor Wonders: Explore unique forms from nature creating colorful and abstract flowers. Use special watercolor crayons and paint inspired by artwork from the Illumination exhibition.

In addition to all of these fun art projects there will be a performance and workshop done by Backhausdance; which is sure to be really exciting!

This is sure to be a really great day Mother’s Day, so if you have some free time come and check it out, if you can’t this month there is always next month! I will be there this Sunday helping out with the art projects so I hope to see you there all there!

This event runs from 11AM-4PM Sunday May 10, and every second Sunday at the same time.

For more information on The Orange County Museum of Art please visit their website here www.ocma.net

Photos courtesy of The Orange County Museum of Art

If someone had told me five years ago that I was going to move to Orange County, I probably would have called them crazy. I, just like everyone else outside of California, had a skewed view of the place. Not to mention I was living in the Fabulous Florida Keys. Whenever I tell people where I’m from, they can’t imagine why I would want to leave. Think about a theme park. It is so much fun to go there. Lots of people go many times a year, and some people might even say they want to live there. Living in the Keys is like living in a theme park. It’s a lot of fun to visit, but after a while that fun starts to get old and you get bored. It’s not like that here at all. It is definitely a place where tourists go, but it is also an exciting place for residents as well.

I came here a little over four years ago when I met my husband, who was born and raised here in Mission Viejo, which has been ranked the number one safest city in America several times. We’re currently raising our two little boys here. My favorite part about living here is that we never seem to run out of things to do. There are endless amounts of parks, we have beaches, canyons, creeks, mountains, museums, and more. Not to mention Disneyland! Whoever said that Orange County is the place to be wasn’t lying, but you’ll never know until you actually go.

Angela Bishop also writes for Nine More Months.  You can follow her on Twitter.

Orange County.  The name itself wouldn’t have meant too much to many people outside its county limits a decade ago.  Sure, it has been home to the likes of Disneyland, Angel Stadium, and its beautiful beaches for far longer than that, but really it wasn’t until the likes of films like Orange County and television series like The O.C. and Laguna Beach came along that Orange County took on a new sort of persona.  It went from a county once filled with orange groves to a place known for its wealth of beauty, and the wealthy and beautiful who live here.  The “Orange County Bubble” is a term frequently used by its natives to denote the distinction between the OC and the remainder of Southern California – and really, just about ANYWHERE else you could find yourself.  Thing is, there’s far more to this collection of 34 incorporated cities, approximately 3,121,251 residents, and countless resources than its glossy exterior presents.

Once you peel back the Orange Curtain, there’s a thriving community of people whose diversity is hard to match, and whose heart is even tougher to duplicate.  With great resources, there is great power – and fortunately, the power to do good.  Orange County houses a variety of organizations who do just that.  From non-profits such as Habitat for Humanity and Rock of Africa, to the faith communities of Saddleback Church, Rock Harbor, and Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, Orange County has a heart that’s far from skin deep.

I was born in England and raised there up until I was 6, but I have spent at least 15 of my 24 years living in Orange County.  I must admit, I’ve had a love/hate relationship with it in the past.  Now, though, after living on the east coast as well as in the south for a brief stint, I have a far deeper love of this place I have learned to call home.  Now, I live near the beach in Costa Mesa and I work in Irvine – what has come to be the business hub of Orange County.  My life is hardly stoic.  It is volatile and challenging, and blessed with the presence of friends, family, and a Boston Terrier I call Asher.  Together, we do this thing called life, in the bubble called Orange County.  I’ll be exploring the lesser publicized facet of the OC – it’s non-profit organizations and the people who drive them on towards the greater good.

Natalie writes at The Ramblings of a Muse. You can also follow her on Twitter.