Pageant of the Masters
June 28
2007 Pageant of the Masters Where Art Comes To Life!
July 7th - August 31st, 2007, Gala Benefit Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Each night during the summer season at 8:30 the Festival of Arts presents its most famous attraction, the Pageant of the Masters.
What is it?
Ninety minutes of "living pictures" - incredibly faithful art re-creations of classical and contemporary works with real people posing to look exactly like their counterparts in the original pieces. An outdoor amphitheater, professional orchestra, original score, live narration, intricate sets, sophisticated lighting, expert staff, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers have won recognition for the Pageant as the best presentation of its kind.
MISSION STATEMENT:
Our mission is to promote, produce, and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.
The 2007 Pageant of the Masters Theme is: Young At Heart
"It takes a long time to become young," observed the modern master Pablo Picasso.
In keeping with the Diamond Jubilee commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Arts, the theme of the 2007 Pageant of the Masters is Young at Heart. From the carefree games and richly-illustrated fantasies of childhood to the wistful nostalgia of middle age and the imaginative reinventions of our "golden years," this summer’s celebration of "art that lives and breathes" pays tribute to the many ways in which artists in every era and culture have encouraged us to never lose sight of our universal love of creative play. Whatever your age, you and your family will find plenty of fun-filled theatrical magic and inspirational artistry on display in Young at Heart.
(C) MBN 2007 William Hoehne
Festival of Arts
California's Premier Fine Art Exhibition
July 1st - August 31st, 2007
(Closed July 4th and August 25th)
Open Daily 10:00am - 11:30pm
Festival of Arts Admission
$7 for general admission and $4 for seniors and students. All general admission tickets to The Festival of Arts - California’s Premier Fine Art Exhibition are season passes. Patrons are encouraged to make repeat visits. Laguna Beach residents with ID receive free admission, as do children under the age of 12.
Art Exhibition
California’s finest Summer art event is staged in a six-acre canyon park near the ocean in Laguna Beach. The stars of this summertime tradition, which began here in 1932, are over 140 of the Southland’s most accomplished artists. This is a rigorously juried show, requiring exhibitors to demonstrate and maintain high aesthetic standards. Their work is truly fine art! The artworks on display are for sale and represent a complete spectrum of art media: paintings, sculpture, pastels, drawings, serigraphs, photographs, ceramics, jewelry, etched and stained glass, fiber arts, handcrafted furniture and even scrimshaw. All of the works are original art - another element that distinguishes the Festival of Arts from other shows.The Festival is the perfect place to find affordable and unique works of art to decorate your home or business.
More Festival Festivities
In addition to the art exhibition, the Festival provides a relaxing, entertaining environment with plenty to see and do. Best of all, your ticket to The Festival of Arts or Pageant of the Masters is a season pass to the to the Festival of Arts that's good for admission all summer long. So come back as often as you would like, and enjoy a full palette of exciting things to see and do.
Daily Art Activities, Events and Exhibitions
In addition to the special events, come and enjoy art workshops, daily docent-led tours offering expert insights to the exhibits, musical entertainment and hands-on demonstrations in printmaking, ceramics, painting and paper art. Then, explore the outstanding accomplishments of talented local students at the Junior Art Exhibit, featuring 150 works selected from over 1,500 submissions.
Mission Statement:
Our mission is to promote, produce, and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.
The Festival of Arts - California’s Premier Fine Art Exhibition will welcome a record turnout this year as visitors from around the world come to celebrate the Festival’s 75th Anniversary. To commemorate this historic year, the Festival is hosting an array of special events and activities for their guests.
Festival of Arts Opening Day
Celebrate with the Art of Disney
July 1, 2007
The Festival of Arts and the Disneyland® Resort come together to celebrate teh Festival's 75th Anniversary! Join the Festival at the unveiling of a special Disney® exhibit featuring artwork by Disney artists and creative works by aspiring junior artists from the Orange County Therapeutic Arts Center. These beautiful renderings will remain on display throughout the summer. Free with Festival admission.
Asian Arts Day
CELEBRATE ASIAN HISTORY AND CULTURE WITH THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS!
Saturday, July 14, 2007
he Festival of Arts initiated its special event series many years ago with its first “Asian Arts Days”. Relive history on Saturday, July 14, 2007, from 1pm to 4pm, as the Festival of Arts pulls out all the stops to create an Asian Arts Day like none other. Asian cultures will be explored through dance, live music, art workshops and more! Guests will experience the diversity of Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, Chinese and Indian cultures. This year’s Asian Arts Day is sponsored in part by ConocoPhillips.
You will be fascinated by the caliber of live performances on hand at the Festival during Asian Arts Day. Enjoy an array of traditional musical and dance performances by renowned Asian dance and music troops Northern Shaolim Kung Fu Association and the Korean Classical Music and Dance Company. While the live performances are underway, you can also partake in various Asian Arts activities and classes such as “Asian Brush Strokes”, a painting class taught by Festival artist Hal Lambert and Origami lesson taught by Festival artist Noriho Uriu. There will also be Asian-inspired face painting, Japanese Raku pottery classes and printmaking with Festival artists Monica Dunham and Anne England.
All Asian Arts Day activities are free with Festival admission with the exception of a small materials fee for the Raku Workshop.
FESTIVAL OF ARTS HOSTS ITS FIRST EVER FOOD FIGHT WITH
LAGUNA CULINARY ARTS!
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Didn’t Mom always tell you not to play with your food? Come and watch us break all the rules! Join the fun on Saturday, July 28, 2007, from 12 noon to 2:30pm, as the Festival of Arts teams up with Laguna Culinary Arts to present two culinary battles entitled Food Fight – Culinary Competitions and Demonstrations on the Festival of Arts grounds.
Similar to the top-rated show “Iron Chef America” on the Food Channel, the Festival will have four individual cooking stations set up in the center of their grounds. These stations will include a fully stocked kitchen with a vast array of foods and spices as well as a complete line of cooking equipment. Eminent guest chefs from “The O.C.” will be given a food challenge with the task of incorporating a “surprise” ingredient that must be used in each dish. At this point, it is up to the creativity and culinary skills of the chefs to prepare the best dishes in the time allotted.
Food Fight will be hosted by Chef Laurant, of Laguna Culinary Arts, who will give play-by-play accounts of each chef’s progress throughout the duration of the event. Event judges include celebrity chef Marcel Vigneron, fan favorite and runner-up on season two of Bravo TV’s TOP CHEF. He’ll be joined by Zov Karamardian of “Zov’s” Restaurant and author of the celebrated cookbook “Recipes and Memories from the Heart.” This group of judges will evaluate each team’s final dishes and choose the winning chef.
Food Fight is free with Festival of Arts general admission.
GET THE LATEST DIRT! CHECK OUT MUDSLINGERS DAY AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS IN LAGUNA BEACH
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Bring the family and join the fun as the Festival of Arts presents Mudslingers Day – A Celebration of Ceramics sponsored in part by AMOCA, Laguna Clay Company and Aardvark Clay & Supplies on Saturday, August 4, 2007, from 11am to 4pm. The day will be filled with ceramic competitions, lessons and professional demonstrations led by Festival of Arts ceramicists Monica Dunham and Scott Young.
Events will include a competition entitled “All Day Aesthetic” where three professional competitors will spend the day each producing a special piece. Enter the Adult “Largest Thrown Pot” competition for amateurs and try out your pot-making skills on one of the many pottery wheels. Or, take a break from the activities and learn about the art of ceramics in contemporary life with special guest lectures from the American Museum of Ceramic Art.
While parents are enjoying these ceramic competitions and demonstrations, the kids will be having their own fun down “Alligator Alley.” On the Festival grounds, a six-foot clay alligator will be stationed for kids to decorate with clay pieces and paint. In addition, anyone can enjoy the paint-a-pot Raku experience that will also be available. Whether you’re an adult or child, a novice at ceramics or a professional artist, Mudslingers Day will be a great event that the whole family can enjoy!
Mudslingers Day is free with Festival of Arts admission.
for more information / schedule.Experience Art Outside the Lines at the Festival of Arts
Presented with Fine Faucets, Kitchens & Bath Showcase
Saturday, August 18, 2007
What is art? When we walk through a museum we know that what we are viewing is fine art—but what about outside the museum, galleries, and exhibitions? How do we define art that is, in a sense, less defined?
In many ways, art can be considered a reflection of one’s culture and the world around them. It is experienced in the everyday, not just during trips to formal art institutions.
On Saturday, August 18, 2007 come and experience the Festival of Art’s interpretation of art “Outside the Lines,” presented with Fine Faucets, Kitchens & Bath Showcase. This special event will challenge your expectations of what is typically considered fine art. Encounter non-traditional art forms including the prominent street artist (also known as graffiti artist) El Mac in action as he produces an artwork on an 8’ x 20’ wall. Mark Mahoney, owner of the celebrity “hot spot” and tattoo parlor, The Shamrock Social Club, will be on hand to talk about the history of tattooing along with tales of fun and celebrity. Also, check out an extraordinary performance by singer/songwriter/performer Woodrow j. Williamson that is not to be missed, and many more surprises!
Outside the Lines is free with Festival of Arts admission.
JAM OUT TO THE BLUES AT THIS YEAR’S SUNDAY BLUES FEST AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS IN LAGUNA BEACH
Sundays, July 8 – August 26, 2007
The blues is one of America’s greatest musical traditions and the Festival of Arts salutes its soulful sounds with its annual Sunday Blues Fest, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. At the Sunday Blues Fest, an array of top-flight performers will dig deep and tap into our rich blues heritage. Designed as one of this year's family entertainment events, the Blues Fest will be held every Sunday from July 8 through August 26.
Patrons arriving earlier between 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm will also enjoy a cooking demonstration by chefs from throughout “The O.C.” They will share some of their favorite recipes for the summer.
Admission is free to the Blues Fest with the purchase of The Festival of Arts ticket. Patrons are invited to bring a picnic and enjoy the blues and fabulous art on The Festival of Arts grounds.
WEDNESDAYS ARE YOUTH ARTS EDUCATION DAYS
AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS KIDS TO ENJOY PUPPET SHOWS
Every Wednesday, July 11 – August 22, 2007
Youth Arts Education Workshops, hosted by the Festival of Arts each Wednesday, from July 11th - August 22nd, encourage budding artists to learn at the feet of the masters. Classes are open to children from 6 – 12, start at 12:00 noon and end at 2:00 p.m. Registration is limited to 20 children at each session, with a small materials fee of $10 per child required. Reservations are required. To register your child, call (949) 494-1145, and speak with Reception.
Plus, enjoy a return engagement for a classic Festival activity that was a mainstay for over fifty years: an all-new puppet show by Bob Baker Marionettes, one of the great puppeteers who performed on the Festival grounds years ago! Puppet shows will take place from 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. during each Youth Arts Education Day.
for more information / schedule.ART OF COOKING SERIES AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Sundays, July 15 – August 26
Here’s your passport to a culinary adventure at the Festival of Arts!
The Art of Cooking series, back by popular demand, will take place every Sunday afternoon, July 15 through August 26, 2007 from 1 pm to 2 pm. Chefs from throughout “The O.C.” will be demonstrating the joy of cooking and the simplicity of grilling and how to entertain in your back yard. Open your eyes to the world of fresh and flavorful cooking!
Attendees will be invited to sample the finished culinary creations and to take away copies of the recipes.
Susan Davis, Director of Special Events, notes, “We’ll have professional chefs on-hand that represent the world of restaurants, catering and culinary institutions. This is the perfect opportunity to learn easy and delicious cooking and entertaining techniques that the whole family can participate in. This event promises to peak your culinary interests!”
The cooking demonstration series is free with Festival of Arts admission.
THURSDAY JAZZ & WINE TASTING SERIES AT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS, PRESENTED WITH KENDALL-JACKSON
Thursdays, July 12 – August 30, 2007
Where will you be on Thursday evenings this summer? Head down to the Festival of Arts in scenic Laguna Beach for the Thursday Night Jazz & Wine Tasting Series presented with Kendall-Jackson. Chill out to the smooth sounds of jazz every Thursday night, July 12th through August 30th, from 5pm - 8pm, on the Festival of Arts grounds. Live performances will take jazz from sultry to soulful, as Festival guests enjoy fine art and wine tasting. Whether you’re a wine connoisseur or novice the Thursday Jazz & Wine Tasting events will appeal to all.
"The Festival’s casual outdoor setting, together with the sensuous sounds of jazz combines with wine, good friends and art, to create an ideal evening. This music series covers a broad spectrum of jazz styles and genres. Plan on spending your Thursday evenings with us at the Festival.” says Susan Davis, Festival of Arts Special Events Director.
A $7.00 fee is required to participate in wine tasting, plus Festival of Arts admission. Participants must be 21 years of age or older.
Arts Education .:. Hands-On Demonstration Calendars
Please note that General Art Workshop and Printmaking activities are free with Festival of Arts paid admission.
©2002-2007 FESTIVAL OF ARTS | FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 1-800-487-3378
Mission Statement
Our mission is to promote, produce, and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.
Festival History
Since the first painting was created here in 1878, the exquisite natural beauty of Laguna Beach has been a magnet for artists. Artists flourished in the small village, supporting themselves through sales to tourists who flocked to the beach for vacation. By the early 1900s, the village had gained a reputation as an art colony, and in 1918, with the entire population numbering only 300 residents, the community established the Laguna Art Association to promote and support the fine arts.
In the mid-1920s, the Art Association turned the town's old community center into a small one-room gallery. The gallery’s popularity led to the artists’ raising money for a larger permanent home, which they eventually secured at the corner of North Coast Boulevard and Cliff Drive, the present-day site of the Laguna Art Museum.
The small seaside village took great pride in its cultural establishment, which attracted visitors from all around. However, when the Great Depression swept the land, tourists had little money to spend and Laguna's residents struggled. As a means to draw much-needed business back to the art colony, the Art Association struck on the idea of a summer art festival, to be held the week following the1932 Los Angeles Olympics in hopes that visitors would travel south to Laguna Beach before journeying home.
The whole town pitched in to make the 1932 festival a resounding success, in effect transforming Laguna Beach into one enormous art gallery for the week. The festival featured art exhibitions, community plays, outdoor pageants, a parade, street market, spectacle of lights, costume ball, and tours of artists’ studios and local residents’ gardens. Artists set up booths sponsored by individual society matrons, and downtown stores displayed the artists’ work in their front windows. It was the birth of the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, where artists could showcase their talent and make a profit.
A smash hit at the festival was the Living Pictures show created by artist and vaudevillian Lolita Perine. She dressed local residents in costume and seated them behind a makeshift frame. These paintings that came to life fascinated viewers of all ages.
In 1935 Roy Ropp, a local construction worker, realtor and amateur artist, expanded Perine’s concept and developed the performance into its present-day format. Ropp renamed the new and improved event "The Spirit of the Masters," and continued to design and produce it with resounding success until 1941. In 1936, the production was renamed yet again, for the last time, the "Pageant of the Masters."
Between 1933 and 1940, the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters moved from one location to another each summer. In 1938, 70 community groups formed a committee to establish a permanent home, and selected the present site of the Festival and Pageant for a future community central park.
On July 30, 1941, the first Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters held on the site marked the park’s opening to the public. News stories claimed the spectacle was a magical creation and word traveled fast that it was a "must see." The show closed on August 8, 1941, a great success for the artists and residents.
The site served as Laguna Beach's community park for many years. From the 1940s to the 1960s the park was used year-round for a variety of events, including the community Easter Egg Hunt, carnivals, the Goat Show, and the Scottish Festival. In the ’60s, with the Festival’s continuing success and popularity, the event was expanded to six weeks, and the temporary wooden artist booths that were installed each summer were replaced with permanent structures.
From its humble beginnings as a means of promoting and sustaining the fine arts in Laguna Beach, the Festival of Arts has matured into a world-renowned cultural institution drawing visitors from far and wide. The Festival - with its premier attraction, the Pageant of the Masters - has shared its success, awarding millions of dollars over the years in the form of scholarships to art students and grants to art and cultural organizations, and hosting cultural events on the grounds throughout the year. The Festival of Arts and the City of Laguna Beach have grown up together, becoming inseparable in the eyes of residents and of the many patrons who return year after year to enjoy the world-class art of the Festival and unique tableaux vivants of the Pageant.
An attempt in 2000 to move the Festival and Pageant away from Laguna Beach was met with swift and widespread resistance. Happily the will of the membership, artists and patrons prevailed, and the 70-year old tradition shall remain squarely where it belongs - nestled in the seaside hills of Laguna Beach - for the enjoyment of generations to come.
The Festival of Arts gratefully acknowledges the extensive input of lifelong Laguna Beach resident Belinda Blacketer, of the Laguna Beach Historical Society, in the preparation of this article
As a Pageant patron, you'll be admitted to The Festival of Arts – California's Premier Fine Art Exhibition, absolutely free all summer long! Simply show your Pageant ticket at the Festival's front gate. You'll enjoy stunning artwork, hands-on demonstrations, wine tasting, and much more. Come back again and again.
Pageant of the Masters – Where Art Comes To Life.
July 7th - August 31st, 2007
"It takes a long time to become young," observed the modern master Pablo Picasso.
In keeping with the Diamond Jubilee commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Festival of Arts, the theme of the 2007 Pageant of the Masters is Young at Heart. From the carefree games and richly-illustrated fantasies of childhood to the wistful nostalgia of middle age and the imaginative reinventions of our "golden years," this summer’s celebration of "art that lives and breathes" pays tribute to the many ways in which artists in every era and culture have encouraged us to never lose sight of our universal love of creative play. Whatever your age, you and your family will find plenty of fun-filled theatrical magic and inspirational artistry on display in Young at Heart.Gala Benefit
Saturday, August 25th, 2007
Join us on Saturday, August 25th, 2007, for the Pageant's ninth annual Gala Benefit. During this exclusive one-night celebrity-attended event, enjoy a Pageant performance of Young at Heart, hors d'oeuvres, music, living tableaux up-close and more. Loge center tickets also include an elegant dinner at Tivoli Terrace. For more information or to order Gala Benefit tickets, please call
1-800-487-3378 or click the "Order Now" button on this page.
Tips For Ordering Pageant Tickets
Be flexible - go on a weekday! Ticket prices are lower, parking is easier, restaurants and hotels less crowded and better seats are available.
If you require an immediate confirmation of your order and/or the location of your seats, we suggest you purchase tickets by telephone or at our window.
Excellence in Art, Entertainment and Community Support since 1932.
Call 949-497-6582 or 1-800-487-3378
2007 PAGEANT DETERMINED TO STAY “YOUNG AT HEART”
1/25/2007
Laguna Beach, California – At the Pageant of the Masters, the 74-year-old celebration of art in “living pictures” – tableaux vivants – there’s no time to rest on one’s laurels. Long before the final curtain on last summer’s sold-out program, A Passion For Art, Pageant director Diane Challis Davy was busily selecting possible artworks for inclusion in Young at Heart, slated for summer of 2007. Intent on creating a fresh, high-contrast program certain to satisfy both newcomers to the Pageant and returning audiences, Challis Davy found inspiration all around her. But it all started with a song.
Frank Sinatra’s classic fifties recording of Young at Heart, to be exact, with its memorable lyrics including, “Fairy tales can come true, it can happen to you if you’re young at heart.” It’s a perfect theme song for the boomer generation who are turning 60 this year, she noted, adding that another song, “You Make Me Feel So Young” also captures the kind of retro nostalgia that complemented preparations for the Diamond Jubilee honoring the 75th anniversary of the first Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach.
Rallying her veteran staff and volunteer research committee members, Challis Davy has come up with a collection of artworks for Young at Heart that will travel the globe to reveal some of the ways in which artists, through the ages, have found ways to achieve immortality through their art. “No one will ever find a fountain of youth,”
Challis Davy acknowledged, “but art has the ability to capture and preserve childhood’s sense of innocence and wonderment, and that can continue to spark our own creativity.”
Among the masters whose works appear in Young at Heart are three of France’s legendary artists, Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Edgar Degas, all of whom continued to paint with great gusto well into their later years. Swedish painter Carl Larsson, whose endearing portraits of his family still glow with life, will also be featured.
A tribute to some of the great illustrators of classic children’s literature such as N.C. Wyeth and Edmund Dulac will provide Young at Heart with a collection of fairy tale tableaux. And evocations of the boomer generation’s “good old days” will be offered courtesy of a selection of artists whose works graced the covers of the Saturday Evening Post.
There will also be a place in this light-hearted meditation on the pastimes and lessons of youth to glimpse some of the treasures from the tomb of Egypt’s “boy king,” Tutankhamun, and a grouping of artworks inspired by celebrations of Chinese New Year. Throughout, Challis Davy and her staff of theatrical wizards will be looking for opportunities to appeal to youngsters of all ages in the audience.
“Working with so many wonderful volunteers, a sense of family has always been important here at the Pageant,” Challis Davy stated. “We hope Young at Heart will be fun for the whole family, not just in the audience but backstage as well.”
The Pageant of the Masters will be performed nightly from July 7 through August 31, with the Celebrity Gala Benefit Performance to be held on Saturday, August 25. Tickets for Young at Heart, the 2007 Pageant of the Masters, go on sale to the general public on December 1st. For further information, call 949-497-6582, or toll free 800-487-3378.
The Festival of Arts is a nonprofit organization that produces The Festival of Arts – California’s Premier Fine Art Exhibition and the Pageant of the Masters. For general information, call 949-494-1145 or visit the website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.com. The event is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California. Proceeds support the arts and art education in and about Laguna Beach.
