OUR ORGANIZATION
OUR MISSION
Culture OC’s mission is to engage with a diverse range of Orange County’s artistic and cultural communities at every level by publishing news and critical analysis to encourage interest, participation, fellowship and dialogue.
OUR VISION
Culture OC believes that arts and culture journalism is one of the cornerstones of a healthy arts community. Our vision is to provide the best possible arts and cultural journalism to Orange County, raise awareness of the area’s cultural richness and diversity, and strengthen the future of our field. In an era where mainstream news is abandoning this coverage, we seek to keep it alive.
August 2025
Culture OC forges a community media partnership with the OC Theatre Guild. Via this partnership, Culture OC publishes stories written and edited by contributers selected and paid for by the Guild. This collaboration supports Culture OC's effort to celebrate and amplify the vibrant arts and culture scene in Orange County.
Fall 2024
Culture OC hosts its first Culture Club Presents experience. Through Culture Club Presents, donors are invited to join Culture OC writers at cultural events throughout the county. The first event was a private tour of the Hilbert Museum, hosted by founder Mark Hilbert and visual arts writer and Senior Editor Richard Chang.
Sept. 8, 2023
First stories written under the Culture OC masthead are published on cultureoc.org.
April 2023
The Arts & Culture team announces the transition to publishing stories on their own independent nonprofit news platform, Culture OC, under the fiscal sponsorship of OneOC. Former Register/Voice of OC dance writer Kaitlin Wright joins the leadership team as a associate managing editor.
Spring 2020
Contributing writers Timothy Mangan and Laura Bleiberg are invited by the Library of Congress to include their articles in its Coronavirus Web Archive Collection. These stories were written for the our Decade Ahead series which also coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving their insights a unique perspective on issues confronting arts companies in the next decade.
January 2020
Former Register visual arts writer Richard Chang joins the leadership team as a senior editor. Chang was a contributing writer for Arts & Culture at Voice of OC when he was tapped to take on this editing role.
Anne Marie Panoringan joins the team as a columnist, writing bi-weekly about the burgeoning food scene in Orange County.
Sept. 10, 2019
The first Arts & Culture story at Voice of OC is posted. It wins a 2019 National Arts Journalism Award.
Hodgins and Janssen begin assembling a team of top working arts journalists in Orange County. Many of them formerly worked for The Orange County Register, Los Angeles Times and OC Weekly. Their expertise also helps us train the next generation of arts writers as they work with interns, some of whom have joined their ranks as contributing writers.
Summer 2018
With arts coverage diminishing in Orange County, Paul Hodgins and Heide Janssen, both former arts journalists at The Orange County Register, join forces to develop a news platform to showcase arts journalism in Orange County. In the process of seeking out advice from a variety of sources on the best way forward, they’re invited by the publisher of Voice of OC to join their nonprofit newsroom and post stories under their masthead.
Early 2018
Arts journalism has been on the decline, both locally and around the country. As of early 2018, the two major newspapers that cover Orange County (Los Angeles Times, The Orange County Register) have no full-time arts/culture staff. A third major paper that covered the arts closes in 2019 (OC Weekly).
OUR HISTORY
OUR HONORS
OC PRESS CLUB EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARDS
Best Arts/Culture Story
2nd PLACE
Richard Chang
The Chinese Lady' at Chance Theater Explores Immigration, Division and American Dreams
JUDGES' COMMENTS: It's truly an art form to tell an individual's story in a way that says something so huge about our common humanity, both the awe-inspiring ways individuals can add to the world's tapestry and the unconscious prejudices that would seek to nullify it.
3rd PLACE
Kaitlin Wright
Laguna Dance Celebrates 20 Years of Artistic Excellence and Community Impact
JUDGES' COMMENTS: Beguiling writing.
Best Beat Reporting
2nd PLACE
Timothy Mangan
London Symphony Shows its Stuff in Mahler
Vienna Philharmonic Brings Distinctive Sound to Beethoven and Strauss
L.A. Philharmonic Visits Orange County with Glowing Herrmann and Tchaikovsky
In Final Act, St.Clair and the Pacific Symphony Ponder Verdi’s Requiem
At Soka, Trifonov Argues His Case for Neglected Repertoire
JUDGES' COMMENTS: Mangan is a gem. His vast knowledge of classical music infuses his work and effortlessly educates readers while providing vital criticism. His reviews of concerts puts readers in the venue and makes one want to learn more--and by "one," I do mean this judge because I paused multiple times during judging to look up performances because I was so curious to learn more! This is smart work from a refreshingly unique voice.
Best Feature Story
Best Food/Restaurant Review
Best Food/Restaurant Story
Best Long-Form Feature Story or Series
1st PLACE
Joel Beers
All Aboard! Join Us in Rediscovering Orange County, One Station at a Time
Fullerton’s Metrolink Station Is the City’s Past, Present and Pulse
Hi-Tech & History: Anaheim and Orange Metrolink Stations Exhibit Vastly Different Vibes
The Santa Ana Stop: Your Launchpad to the County’s Most Layered Downtown
San Juan Capistrano’s Metrolink Station Honors the Past, But is Firmly in the Present
JUDGES' COMMENTS: Clever and engaging way to highlight local history, the success/failure of urban planning, the joys of architecture and the struggle to get people out of their cars. So much going on here.
Best Music/Entertainment Review
2nd PLACE
Timothy Mangan
Alexander Shelley and Pacific Symphony Reignite Beethoven's Fifth
JUDGES' COMMENTS: I can feel the writer's admiration throughout this review. The thoughtful word choice and rich imagery elevated the review and provided sophistication that mirrored the caliber of performance being reviewed.
Best Music/Entertainment Story
1st PLACE
Joel Beers
Nate Jackson Takes Orange County Punk History Personally
JUDGES' COMMENTS: A fascinating look at the history of Orange County's punk music scene.
Best Profile
3rd PLACE
Cynthia Rebolledo
Immigration Fears Forced Mr. Diablito Off His Corner in Santa Ana, But Not Out of the Community
JUDGES' COMMENTS: Well documented and comprehensive profile.
2nd PLACE
Ashley Ryan
From Concept to Costume: Behind the Scenes of the Entertainment Industry's Silhouettes
JUDGES' COMMENTS: Well illustrated with a flair for the subject being profiled.
Best Round-up or Best Of
2nd PLACE
Cynthia Rebolledo
Wrapped in Tradition: Where to Find Orange County’s Best Tamales This Season
JUDGES' COMMENTS: Unique search for Orange County's best Tamales. Great cross section of places to get tamales accompanied by great art.
3rd PLACE
Richard Chang, Paul Hodgins, Heide Janssen, Timothy Mangan, Eric Marchese, Anne Marie Panoringan, Jessica Peralta, Ashley Ryan, Kaitlin Wright
Culture OC Writers Reveal Their 2025 Arts and Culture Summer Picks
JUDGES' COMMENTS: A great look at the variety of Art and Culture available to readers.
The Sky Dunlap Award
HONORABLE MENTION
Lola Olvera
The Real O.C. Award
2026 HONOREE
Christopher Trela
The Sky Dunlap Award is the Orange County Press Club's highest honor. The award is given out at the annual awards gala and honors someone for lifetime achievement and community service.
FROM THE OC PRESS CLUB: "Christopher Trela was awarded the Sky Dunlap Award, the Press Club’s highest honor, recognizing lifetime achievement and community service. Trela is an award-winning journalist, photographer, public relations professional, and educator whose work has helped shape Orange County’s media, arts, and cultural landscape for more than three decades. A former president of the Orange County Press Club, he has earned numerous honors through the club’s annual Excellence in Journalism Awards and has published more than 3,000 articles and columns covering arts, culture, business, food, travel, and community issues. He currently serves as Lifestyle Editor for the Newport Beach Independent and Executive Dining Columnist for the Orange County Business Journal.
"Beyond journalism, Trela has made significant contributions to the community through arts advocacy, education, and nonprofit leadership. He teaches public relations at Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts; leads ArtsPR, a consulting firm serving arts organizations; and serves on several local nonprofit boards, including the Newport Beach Film Festival and Culture OC. A former Newport Beach Arts Commissioner and co-founder of New Voices Playwrights Workshop, Trela has dedicated his career to supporting the arts, mentoring future communicators, and strengthening Orange County’s cultural community."