Amongst the vibrant atmosphere of Santa Ana's Artists Village, the Cal State Fullerton Grand Central Art Center serves an eclectic menu full of charm sprinkled with a dash of chaos.

The GCAC held an opening reception for two of its newest exhibitions Sep. 3. The exhibitions titled Chaos Job: Restrain Order, by assemblage artist George Herms, and Byblos: The Return to My Inspiration, by Lebanese artist Choucrallah Fattouh, fulfilled their purpose for the art center by bringing diversity to students and locals alike.

The reception, which was free to attend, saw more than 1,400 visitors from all over Southern California. Attendees had the opportunity to speak with the artists and immerse themselves in the artists' work. Mike McGee, acting director and founder of the GCAC, presented a thankful mood when discussing the exhibits.

"I'm really happy that we're able to host an artist from Lebanon, and George Herms is a really important assemblage artist in Southern California. He's in a bunch of exhibitions for the Pacific Standard Time that the Getty is sponsoring, so we're really fortunate to be able to have him do a show here," said McGee.

The Chaos Job: Restrain Order exhibition, which was displayed in the main gallery, was presented in conjunction with the Pacific Standard Time: Art in L.A. 1945 exhibit at the Getty Center in Los Angeles where Herms also has pieces on display.

Herms, who was an adjunct professor at CSUF in the 1970s, uses ordinary objects to produce his sculptures and art installations. When asked about the inspiration behind the exhibit, Herms said that he thought about the balance between order and chaos.

"I thought about chaos and why do we have it. Well, because if order took over, it would be a disaster, so chaos' job is to restrain order," said Herms.

Herms hoped visitors would leave the exhibit revitalized with life in some way. He compared the feeling to that of when he himself leaves a jazz club.

"I hope they enjoy themselves and that they love life when they leave here," Herms said. "Like when I leave a jazz club, I'm about two feet off the ground after hearing musicians blow. I would like people looking at my art to feel that great."

The Byblos: Return to My Inspiration exhibition by Choucrallah Fattouh, which was displayed in the project room, was continuously filled with attendees. Fattouh is the current artist-in-resident at the GCAC and has had previous exhibitions in Europe, South America and Canada. The exhibit is a tribute to his hometown of Byblos, Lebanon, which he considers a source for his inspiration and major influence for his work. Fattouh stated that he is enjoying his time in Southern California and enjoys interacting with the people.

"I have a new place for me, a new palette of people," said Fattouh.

Both exhibitions will be on display until Oct. 16. For information about gallery hours, the GCAC partnership with CSUF, and its exhibits, visit GrandCentralArtCenter.com.