Summertime is officially underway as the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach welcomes locals and tourists alike to the opening week of the 2019 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and Pageant of the Masters.
Since opening on July 7, the Pageant of the Masters has received rave reviews from audiences and been featured on NBC’s The Today Show, FOX’s Good Day LA and in Forbes and Los Angeles Magazine. Combining theater, performance art and art history, the Pageant is one of the most unique productions in the world.
The 2019 performance, themed “The Time Machine,” is filled with more surprises and special effects than ever before. Every night, volunteer cast members step into famous works of art by artists like Vermeer, Dali, Rockwell and Da Vinci to bring art to life. Tickets start at $15 and are available PageantTickets.com and through the Pageant of the Masters ticket office.
On Monday, July 8, over 100 veterans were treated to an evening of at the Pageant of the Masters and performance by the Laguna Beach Community Concert Band. The Masters at Giving program is an opportunity for patrons to gift tickets to the Pageant to local non-profits and charitable organizations in the Southern California area. Since the program began in 2011, over 12,000 tickets have been donated.
The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show’s opening week attracted crowds to browse the galleries and purchase the newest artwork from 140 of Orange County’s top fine artists. The prestigious juried art show features a wide variety of media including paintings, photography, printmaking, sculpture, jewelry, handcrafted wood and furniture, ceramics, glass and more. Many exhibiting artists had major sales in the first week of the art show to art collectors, interior designers and first-time art buyers.
The Festival’s special event calendar kicked off July with a memorable concert with rising jazz superstar Grace Kelly. The 26-year-old saxophone prodigy brought the Laguna Beach crowd to their feet for the first Concert on the Green of the season. Upcoming not-to-be-missed concerts include Greg Adams, Eric Marienthal and Isaiah Sharkey. Concert series sponsored by Cambria Estates Winery. For details and to purchase reserved seating, visit foapom.com/concerts.
On Sunday, July 14, the Festival of Arts invited families for a fun-filled afternoon of art activities and a show by the award-winning all kids circus troop Le PeTiT CiRqUe. Over 200 children were able to participate in free art projects including hat-making, balloon art, spray tattoos, and printmaking. Also on Sunday, students and their families from Orange County attended a special opening reception of the 2019 Junior Art Exhibit (sponsored in part by California First National Bank and Mark Porterfield of Laguna Beach). A jury made up of Mark Porterfield, Steve Chadima, Emma Patton, Pat Sparkuhl, Gerald Schwartz and Mary Church selected 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from the more than 300 Orange County students’ work of art on display in the exhibit. An award ceremony is scheduled with the winners for Sunday, August 11.
From daily art classes to wine tasting, yoga to jazz concerts there’s something for everyone to enjoy this summer at the Festival of Arts. The fine art show runs through August 31 with more daily events and live music than ever before. View the entire schedule of events at foapom.com/events.
The 2019 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show will continue through August 31 with general admission tickets starting at $10 per person. Class registration and seating reservations vary by event, please see website for details. The Pageant of the Masters offers nightly shows through August with tickets available now starting at $15 per person. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit PageantTickets.com.
ABOUT FESTIVAL OF ARTS
The Festival of Arts, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has always been a local leader that has helped with the growth and development of the community and the arts in Laguna Beach. Established in 1932, the Festival of Arts’ mission is to promote, produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts. For every summer for over 85 years, the Festival of Arts has produced two world-class events: The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. Together both shows attract more than 225,000 visitors into Laguna Beach.