Elizabeth Van Hunnick’s Heart for Art
James Hubbell has enjoyed the support of fans and collectors throughout the years. But few have promoted him as generously as Elizabeth Van Hunnick.
Elizabeth and her husband Rudy, a long-time board member of the Oceanside Museum of Art, have been avid Hubbell supporters and came to know of him through their shared support for the fine arts museum whose mission is to bring people together and explore the art and stories of Southern California artists. James had a special affinity for the OMA. He believed it ideally located—a midway point between Orange County and San Diego in a part of the county with few cultural venues. And the feeling was mutual. OMA has featured Hubbell in no less than five solo shows and included his art in several more.
Elizabeth’s roots run deep in Southern California. Her parents Garrett and Anne Van Hunnick immigrated from the Netherlands and set up their dairy in the Orange County city of Cypress which was known as ”dairy valley.” Elizabeth grew up on the dairy and attended U
SC, eventually returning to her hometown to become a teacher. “I taught high school and the kids were so much fun. It was nice to be able to turn teenagers on to reading and English.”
Elizabeth’s parents also instilled in her a passion for art. She and her sister Wilhelmina made many trips to Europe to visit family and explore their western European culture and heritage. That passion resulted in a significant personal art collection filled with works from around the world: it’s a vibrant display of 20th and 21st century modern art, with vivid colors and contemporary themes. Her collection includes many local artists including mosaic artist Jean Wells and James Hubbell.
After moving to Oceanside with her husband, Elizabeth became friends with OMA’s then-curator Peggy Jacobs who first brought Hubbell to her attention during the 2005 OMA exhibition The Watercolors of James Hubbell, Meditations on Nature and Life. This groundbreaking show featured works painted by James in the aftermath of the 2003 Cedar Fire which destroyed his home and studios. Thousands of dollars of art were sold that helped the Hubbell’s rebuild their home. This sparked a friendship between the Van Hunnicks and the Hubbells that would grow around their shared interest in art and in promoting OMA.
The Van Hunnicks sponsored the 2013 exhibition In Search of Shadows: James Hubbell Sculpture at the Oceanside Museum of Art. At age 82, with a career spanning six decades, this was James’s first solo sculpture show. Elizabeth remembers, “He was such a talented artist. It was an honor to give his sculpture that public attention.”
“We had a connection with Jim and wanted him to make our front door.” recalled Elizabeth. “After it was installed, he came out here to look at it. There were two panels at the top and they were painted blue and he didn’t like that. So he brought out all his little paint pots and a ladder. And he got up on that ladder and I was worried because he wasn’t so young anymore.”
They next became supporters of the capital campaign to build the Ilan-Lael Center for the Arts with sizable gifts made in 2014 and again in 2016. Their name is memorialized on the multi-purpose Meeting Room, the Center’s main gathering space. In March of this year, Elizabeth honored James’s passing with a significant cash gift from the Elizabeth J. Van Hunnick Foundation that will ensure the long-term care of Ilan-Lael and carry forward his legacy for future generations. “We’ve been to the property many times and visited with Jim and Anne. He was such a sweetheart.”
Elizabeth remains active in OMA, working behind the scenes to gather support for a planned expansion of the museum which is now in its 28th year. “The arts are important and OMA fills an important role in giving a voice to local artists. James’ art represents our little corner of the world. And we loved him for it.”
Patrons like Elizabeth Van Hunnick are the oxygen that keeps the arts thriving in our community. We at the Ilan-Lael Foundation offer her our deepest thanks and gratitude and hope that her story inspires all our readers to support the arts in whatever way you can.
Learn more about how you can become part of Ilan-Lael’s legacy through Planned Giving.