Made In Laguna Beach: Festival Of Arts Hosts Celebrity Benefit

Laguna Beach CA

01 September, 2021

3:59 PM

Description

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The models are ready on the darkened stage of the Irvine Bowl, secured in their positions as a team of volunteers work around them to push painted backdrops and foregrounds in place. Once the elements are set, the models strike their pose — the gilded frame surrounding the stage lengthens or narrows depending on the dimensions of the scene — and the lights brighten. Onstage, a live work of art is recreated — this is Laguna Beach's Pageant of the Masters, one of the city's longest-standing traditions and a noteworthy event unlike any other. Last year, Laguna Beach's premier Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, event organizers and Laguna Beach residents are making up for lost time. Before the Pageant of the Masters performance, event-goers made merry and enjoyed live music by Grammy-winning artist Poncho Sanchez (Miranda Ceja/Patch) On Saturday, the Festival of Arts held a celebrity benefit night and red carpet event with star-studded names, such as actor Joe Mantegna, Grammy-winning artist Poncho Sanchez, actress Blanca Blanco and artist Matthew Rolston. The nighttime pageant performance was hosted by writer Dave Foley and music artist Tony Guerrero. This year's pageant theme was "Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories" and saw recreations of work from impactful American artists throughout history, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and the pageant's Director Diane Challis Davy. "I was inspired to make a show of American Art by previous pageant director and architect Don Williamson... He's not with us anymore, but he was a great innovator and a good friend. His bicentennial show in 1976 was the very first themed pageant," Challis Davy said. "'Made in America' was a theme I chose for 2020, wanting to focus on the goodness and joy reflected in American art. It turns out it was an even better choice for 2021!" Orange County, fine art photographer Ron Azevedo, speaks to spectators at the Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach Saturday (Miranda Ceja/Patch) The performance featured artists such as George Caleb Bingham, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Norman Rockwell, Edmonia Jones and more. Each living work of art was accompanied by a story spoken from the artist's perspective, detailing the concepts of their work and the struggles they faced in their lives. The Irvine Bowl was buzzing throughout the day as guests strolled through art-decked galleries and enjoyed the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show, with live music played by Sanchez and plenty of food, drink and conversation. At the event held before the pageant performance, visitors could appreciate the work of top artists based in Southern California and around the country and speak to the artists one-on-one. Mixed media artist Bruce Burr speaks about his art to festival attendees Saturday (Miranda Ceja/Patch) Elaine Twiss was one of the artists featured at the Festival of Arts. Twiss has been showing her acrylic paintings for 18 years at this particular event. "I love this show... this show means everything to me. It was really hard not to have it last year," Twiss said. Acrylic artist Elaine Twiss has been showcasing her work at the Festival of Arts for 18 years (Miranda Ceja/Patch) While the cancelation of last year's Festival of Arts was disappointing for Twiss, she used that time to focus more on her craft. Twiss is a self-taught artist and California native who creates still-life works using objects such as crayons, marbles, vintage toys and other everyday items. At least one hundred local artists showcased their art at the event, drawing in crowds of spectators interested in learning about the artist and their process when it comes to their craft. This year's Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters runs until Sept. 3. Tickets are still available through the pageant's website as its final day approaches.