Bowers Museum Extends Inside the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit

The Bowers Museum in Santa Ana has reopened and extended the very popular Inside the Walt Disney Archives 50 Years of Preserving the Magic exhibition. We missed seeing this exhibit when it first debuted last year so we were excited to be the first visitors back on reopening day. The Bowers Museum is now open at 100% capacity but masks are still required for all visitors and staff in accordance with Orange County's recent tier change. Advanced ticket purchase is still strongly advised.

Below are the highlights of the current exhibits that are now on display at the Bowers Museum.

Extended! Inside the Walt Disney Archives: 50 Years of Preserving the Magic celebrates The Walt Disney Company on the 50th anniversary of its archives, with behind-the-scenes access never before granted to the public. The 10,000-square-feet traveling exhibit, which premiered at D23 Expo Japan in 2018, offers several rare items only on loan to the Bowers boasting more than 400 objects, including original artwork, costumes, and props. Inside the Walt Disney Archives: 50 Years of Preserving the Magic is curated by the Walt Disney Archives in conjunction with the Bowers Museum.

Being major Disney fans, we appreciated the fabulous variety of film worn costumes, props and memorabilia that covers the past 50 years. This exhibition can be experienced now through June 20, 2021 and is an upgrade to your general museum admission.

Inside the Walt Disney Archives: 50 Years of Preserving the Magic

Ticket includes access to General Admission exhibits. No reentry into Inside the Walt Disney Archives will be permitted after exiting.

Adults $23 weekday- $25 weekend Seniors (Age 62+) & Students (12) $20 weekday- $22 weekend Children (3-11) $5 Children (Under 3) Free
Santa Ana Residents (Sunday Only) Free Active Military & NARM member $10

Gemstone Carvings: Masterworks by Harold Van Pelt Transformed by one man's vision and skill from a solid stone to an incredibly delicate work of art, the gemstone carvings of Harold Van Pelt really have to be seen to be believed. Each work in the exhibition is a reflection of hundreds of hours of craftsmanship. Van Pelt’s working of the stone down to paper-thin walls brings out the gorgeous natural quality and colors of agate and gives quartz the transparency of glass.

Treasures in Gold & Jade: Masterworks from Taiwan features works of incredible beauty and complexity by two of Taiwan’s premier artists. Twenty-seven carvings by Huang Fu Shou show a surprising range of jade's colors: from emerald green to an almost pearlescent white. Seventeen poetic sculptures by Wu Ching capture the majesty of gold, breathing form into questions on the nature of being.

The details and designs are only equalled to the sheer vision and talent by these two artist. They have created intricate works of art enhancing their mediums true natural beauty. On display till September 5, 2021.

Miao: Masters of Silver Featuring over 250 intricate works of silver, Miao: Masters of Silver features jewelry and textiles primarily made in China’s Guizhou Province, where the largest population of Miao people reside. Male silversmiths create a variety of ornaments through casting, smelting, repoussé (a reverse hammering technique), forging, engraving, knitting, coiling, cutting, and other methods. Concepts such as beauty, unity, fortune, and pride are expressed as visual abstractions and geometric motifs.

This exhibit is definitely one that needs to been seen up close to appreciate the stunning details.

Spirits and Headhunters: Art of the Pacific Islands This exhibit collectively covers the area referred to as Oceania. This comprehensive collection highlights masterworks from the three cultural regions of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia. Particular focus is placed on New Guinea, land of the headhunter, gaze upon larger-than-life masks, finely crafted feast bowls, objects associated with the secretive Sepik River men’s house, beautiful shell and feather currency, magic figures and tools of the shaman, objects related to seagoing trade routes, gorgeous personal adornments, weapons of warfare and the most precious of human trophies taken in retribution.

I found this to be one of the highlights of our visit. This exhibit is not only extremely interesting in its content, it showcases the amazing talents these featured cultures possess while using the most simplest of instruments.