East Borough in Costa Mesa/ Orange County

Last week, I met with Cassandra Coblentz, a curator based in Orange County, formerly with the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA). We hadn't met in person in a long time although there have been a handful of Zoom meetings along the way.

I've been thinking about the seminal Modernist Artist, Isamu Noguchi in recent years and asked if she would meet me at his grand work, California Scenario, in Costa Mesa.

In 2018-19, Cassandra curated my solo exhibition at OCMA. I was able to present three installations, one of which was the base for a multi-month public engagement project throughout Little Saigon.

Once the Pandemic hit, we developed a haiku project documenting hundreds of early thoughts about social distancing which is still available through OCMA's website.

Noguchi's California Scenario is a monumental work with an eclectic array of materials and modes of experience. It's Noguchi's homage to California and to the Segerstrom Family, who originally made their fortune on this very property growing lima beans.

After our walkthrough of CA Scenarion, we drove to one of Cassandra's favorite nearby places to eat, East Borough, 2937 Bristol St. Costa Mesa CA 92626.

I ordered the Pho Baugette which comes with a delicious Au Jus. It's Ban Mi gone wild basically. I loved it. The sandwich consists of mesquite smoked beef brisket and a Sriracha hoisin aioli. It hit the spot and gave me a boost for more brainstorming with Cassandra.