5 Ways to See Art in Laguna Beach; Five for 5

Our Five for 5 blog series focuses on what to visit, see and do while in Laguna Beach. The second story in the series will explore "Five Ways to See Art in Laguna Beach."

Humpback Whale Spotted in Park!

A humpback whale has been spotted at Heisler Park above Laguna’s Main Beach! Not a whale happening by in the shoreline below – but a new breaching whale sculpture erected near Rockpile Beach.

The “Breaching Whale” sculpture was the recent addition to a five-year, $7.5 million park renovation, which officially reopened on June 10, 2011. Improvements to Heisler Park include two new restrooms, a terraced gathering area, improved landscaping, pathways, view areas, picnic benches and tables, new art installations and a better park infrastructure. Funding was provided through $3.6 million of grant funds from California State Water Board’s Clean Beaches Initiative, Integrated Regional Water Management program and grants to protect Areas of Special Biological Significance grant programs.

The sculpture was completed a year ago by sculptor Jon Seeman, but the installation of the stainless steel and COR-TEN steel "Breaching Whale" was delayed by renovations, which included the new amphitheater.

Originally recommended in 2009 by the City of Laguna Beach for installation in front of the Third Street Community and Senior Center in the downtown area as the fulfillment of the Arts in Public Places requirement, the city council voted to move the placement of the sculpture to oceanfront Heisler Park as a more suitable site for the 16-foot-tall public art piece. There will be a public art dedication for this piece on Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 5pm as a prelude to First Thursdays Art Walk. The cost of the commission and installation totaled $115,000.


“We are delighted that the breaching whale sculpture will be an ongoing focal point in Heisler Park for visitors and residents to enjoy for many years to come,” said Karyn Philippsen, President of the Board of Directors of the Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau. “It seems like a fitting home for a sculpture that recognizes the beauty of the whale migrations that grace our shores annually, as well as our commitment to keeping our beaches pristine, while providing countless ocean activities to discover,” said Judith Bijlani, LBVCB Executive Director.

About Laguna Beach Public Art An artists’ haven for more than 100 years, Laguna Beach has evolved into a renowned destination for world-class artists, festivals and galleries. Local and international artists have created more than 70 pieces of public art in Laguna Beach. Each is an original piece of work, made in an array of different media for a specific site.

These installations are facilitated and funded through or by the City of Laguna Beach and its Arts Commission. Each of these public art pieces reflects the importance of the arts in Laguna Beach. Visitors can view a public art documentary at http://www.lagunabeachinfo.com/, or pick up a self-guided tour map of the artworks at the Laguna Beach Visitors Center at 381 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach. The map delineates where public sculptures, art in public places and artist-designed benches are located throughout town, while identifying the artists and the history behind each piece.

California Art at Laguna Art Museum

The Laguna Art Museum has deep ties to the history and culture of Laguna Beach. It was in 1918, when a group of artists formed the Laguna Beach Art Association as a way to highlight some of the great artwork that was being produced in Laguna Beach. By 1929, they opened a gallery and in 1951 they expanded that gallery. In 1971 they had obtained non-profit status as a museum and had a healthy collection of artwork. It was in 1986 when the association formally changed their name to Laguna Art Museum. The focus of the Museum is American art with an emphasis on the art of California. In their mission statement they say, “Working within the tradition of the oldest cultural institution in Orange County, Laguna Art Museum documents regional art and places it in a national context. The Museum maintains its historic ties to the community and is responsive, accessible, and relevant to the area’s diverse population.” The Museum now, after 90 plus years, holds one of the most comprehensive collections of California art.

Currently at the Laguna Art Museum, are three exhibits that capture the historical, contemporary and pop culture of Californian and American art.

Extract: Developing Exhibitions from the Collection

OSKAR FISCHINGER ‘Criss-Cross’ 1939, Oil on canvasboard

“Over the years, Laguna Art Museum has been fortunate to take into its collection significant holdings by underrepresented individual artists who, though they have had little art historical attention thus far, have made significant contributions to regional and national art. These holdings have inspired a curatorial interest in the artists' work, enough of an interest to explore the possibility of future exhibitions.

Extract will consist of several small, one-person shows from the Collection by Florence Arnold, George Brandriff, Elanor Colburn, Laddie John Dill, Jules Engel, Oscar Fischinger, Tom Holland, Peter Krasnow, Ruth Peabody, David Simpson, Vic Joachim Smith, Jean St. Pierre, and Chris Wilder. The exhibition will include brief curatorial statements on the importance of each artist's work, and will aim to assess the potential for fully-formed monographic exhibitions.” (excerpt from Laguna Art Museum)

While walking through this exhibition, I was struck by the diversity of the works in front of me. Some used non-traditional multi-media mediums, others, modern and geometric in their expression, and even some, like Chris Wilder’s work, ‘White Monochrome Fur Painting,’ were humorous and thought provoking. In fact, On Sunday April 10^th at 1pm visit the Museum for a chance to hear Laddie John Dill and Chris Wilder speak about their work. Click HERE for more information. 

Landscape and Figuration from the Collection: Early to Mid-Twentieth Century 

ELSIE PALMER PAYNE, ‘A Decent Burial’ c. 1942, Watercolor on paper

“Feature exemplar twentieth century works from the Collection ranging from impressionism to modernism. Works from the early part of the century will include several of the Museum's popular impressionist paintings, among them The Old Post Office (c. 1922-23) by Joseph Kleitsch. The exhibition will also feature works by artists who aligned themselves with a more modernist approach in both landscape and figurative works. There will also be several paintings on view that have not been exhibited in many years, including signature works by McClelland Barclay, Conrad Buff, Leland Curtis, Phil Dike, Elsie Palmer Payne, Lee Randolph, Anna Katharine Skeele, and Elmer Wachtel.” (excerpt from Laguna Art Museum)

I thoroughly enjoyed this exhibition! Seeing some of the landscapes such as McClelland Barclay’s ‘Beach in Moonlight,’ drew me in and made me feel connected to the beauty of the ocean and the spectacular area in which we live.

When you visit the Laguna Art Museum, be sure to take note of the floors in the Museum’s lower level gallery, where the exhibition is located. You’ll notice that the large cement tiles have names stamped into them. The Museum discovered these by accident when they were stripping the floors of carpet to replace with wood. After a bit of research, they found out they were donor tiles from the 30s. No one had any idea that they were there! Some of the families and their stories were identified after the list of names were published in the local paper requesting information on their identity.

Brad Coleman: Reproductions

‘Sheep 1’ 1998, Charcoal on paper

“An attentive look at one series of drawings, Coleman's Sheep series. Upon first glance, the Museum's upper gallery will appear to be occupied by twelve identical drawings of one sheep image. However, with careful observation viewers will begin to see differences in each drawing and will eventually see a noticeable difference between the first and last drawing. The works are inspired by the sheep Dolly, the world's first cloned animal (1996). Coleman begins with a photograph of Dolly. He then makes a drawing based on that photograph. In the next drawing, he attempts to make a meticulous copy of the previous drawing. He continues the cycle with each drawing being a copy of the preceding drawing. Through this rigorous endeavor, slight unintentional variances occur, producing a series that begins with a drawing of a sheep and becomes a drawing of a drawing.” (excerpt from Laguna Art Museum)

This was a fascinating exhibition! It was so interesting to watch Coleman take one image and then replicate it once a year for 12 years and base it solely on the previous work. It was amazing to see the metamorphous. You can see subtle differences when looking at each image side by side. Then comparing the first one to the last, you see stark contrasts. Don’t miss this exhibition, you too will be fascinated!

All these wonderful and diverse exhibits are on display until May 15^th.

Visit on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Saturday at 2pm and get a chance to have a guided tour of the exhibits by a docent (FREE with paid admission.)

Have a smart phone? Use it to check-in at the museum and tag a friend and one of you will get in FREE!

The museum is open LATE on FIRST THURSDAYS ART WALK until 9pm. Be sure to drop in for a visit!

By Anne-Marie S.

 

Rock'n Fish, Laguna Beach

Perched above Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and overlooking Main Beach, Rock’n Fish  is nestled in the heart of downtown Laguna. Owners Jim Donegan and Michael Zislis opened this newest Laguna eatery in late December 2010. When first married, Jim and his wife lived just off the 133 highway near Laguna Canyon Road. Their weekends were filled with visiting Laguna Beach galleries, shops and beaches. In fact, Main Beach was the first beach that their children visited. So it was only fitting for them to have one of their restaurants located here.

Last week, I attended  First Thursday’s Art Walk and beforehand, one of my good college friends and I headed to Rock’n Fish for drinks and dinner. We were seated near the windows overlooking the gorgeous sunset of Main Beach. This particular night looked like a painting…deep reds brushed with bright orange, over calm, dark waters. To start off the night, we ordered two of Rock’n Fish’s signature drinks, The Navy Grog (Bacardi rum, fresh tropical juices, topped with a layer of sweet Hawaiian dark rum) and the Chambord Raspberry Swizzle (Chambord Raspberry Vodka, soda water and a Chambord liqueur sinker). We enjoyed these drinks while taking in the last moments of the sunset.

Next, it was time to decide on appetizers. Choices included beer-battered popcorn shrimp,  Sesame seared ahi tuna and crispy calamari. How to decide? Our server helped make up our decision when he told us about the signature oak grilled fresh artichoke that was cooked over an open flame. We decided to pair it with the popcorn shrimp.

For both of us, this artichoke was the most fantastic appetizer we had ever feasted on. The smoky oak taste saturated through to the heart, and the leaves were slightly charred, with a precision that didn’t dry out any part of the vegetable.

The hearty helping of popcorn shrimp was paired with a spicy remoulade sauce and cocktail sauce. It was fresh and savory.

After learning that most of the fish and meat is also cooked over the open flames of red oak, we could hardly bring ourselves to make a choice on an entree. We felt we couldn’t go wrong no matter which one we went with.  So…

Blackened Wild Alaskan Halibut

Blackened Wild Alaskan Halibut Seasoned with Cajun spice and served with avocado aioli. Sides: Spicy Mac’n cheese and fresh, seasonal vegetables grilled over the open flames.

My girlfriend explained her halibut as, “supremely moist and evenly cooked. Perfect balance of spices.” Her halibut was gone before I could even sneak a taste, so I will have to trust her on this one. The mac-n-cheese was creamy with a kick of cayenne pepper, but subtle enough to not overwhelm.

Signature Kapalua Rib-eye

Hand cut rib-eye marinated for 72 hours in a pineapple-soy marinade, served with Hibachi teriyaki sauce. Sides: Garlic mashed potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables grilled over the red oak flames.

After marinating for 72 hours, the marbling in the rib-eye steak thoroughly soaked up every flavor of the pineapple soy sauce. Each bite was a burst of flavor. Layered amongst the sweet pineapple and soy were the hints of the smoky oak flames it was cooked over. I have to say, the rib-eye paired with the garlic mashed potatoes and fresh grilled vegetables  was a choice I was going home happy about!

We finished our meal off with the house dessert special, something you will not find anywhere else; Sticky Toffee pudding. It’s another Rock’n Fish house special.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Warm, moist toffee-cake topped with a decadent sticky toffee sauce. This one we had á la mode.

By the end of our meal the sun was long gone and the beauty of the moon shone out over the Pacific. Below, PCH started to fill with patrons for the First Thursday’s Art Walk .  Inside, my friend and I smiled with the satisfaction and contentment that only a good meal can bring. 






By Anne-Marie S.

Dancing on the Streets

This week Laguna Beach is hosting the Laguna Dance Festival. Founded by Jodie Gates six years ago, this festival brings some of the most acclaimed dancers and choreographers to Laguna Beach. On Saturday we were treated to some of their talent on Main Beach.

Etude of UCI is a 17-member ensemble. Etude performed a colorful piece choreographed by the legendary Donald McKayle.

Classical Ballet from a new and up and coming company, Luminario Ballet of Los Angeles. This company combines classical ballet, modern ballet and aerial art.

CorbinDances of New York City also performed original pieces choreographed by Patrick Corbin.

Layla and the Lotus Dancers wowed the audience with their belly dancing. At the end of the day they offered free lessons in the art of Belly Dancing.

Entity, is a new company based right here in Orange County. They fuse hip-hop, ballet, and modern dance into a style that elicits deep emotion when you watch them perform.

Feel like you missed out? You still have a chance to experience the Laguna Dance Festival this week during First Thursday Art Walk. Click HERE for a list of FREE performances at art galleries throughout Laguna.

Mark your calendars on April 7-17, 2011. You can see performances at ‘First Thursday Art Walk’ and The Laguna Playhouse. Check the Laguna Dance Festival website for tickets.

By Anne-Marie S.