Laguna Beach Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters Kicked-Off Summer with A Successful Opening Week

The Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach has opened and welcomed locals and tourists alike to the opening week of the 2022 Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the iconic Pageant of the Masters.

On Tuesday July 5th, 2022, the world-renowned Festival of Arts Fine Art Show opened its doors to celebrate its 90-year anniversary. Opening week attracted patrons from all over who browsed the galleries and purchased artwork from 120 of Orange County's top fine artists. The 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.

Following the opening of the Fine Art Show was the debut of the 2022 Pageant of the Masters on July 7th. Receiving rave reviews from audiences, the one-of-a-kind production has already been featured on CBS Los Angeles, KABC, Spectrum News One, NBC LA's Worth the Drive and in the OC Register and Los Angeles Times. Combining theater, performance art, and art history, the Pageant is one of the most unique productions in the world. This year's show, Wonderful World, is a love letter to the joys of travel and the wondrous art to be found in every corner of the globe. Each night in the Irvine Bowl amphitheater, audiences will be transported around the world to 17 countries during the 90-minute performance. Now in its 89th season, the Pageant is filled with more surprises and special effects than ever before.

The production of "Wonderful World" includes recreations of artwork by Swedish painter Carl Larsson, Mexican artist Diego Rivera, French painter Jean Béraud, Edvard Eriksen from Denmark, Japanese woodblock artist Toyohara Chikanobu, and many more. Tickets start at $30 and are on sale now at PageantTickets.com or by calling (800) 487-3378.

"A world-renowned art destination, visitors may take a guided-tour of the exhibit, catch an art demonstration, create their own masterpiece, or simply sit back and enjoy the creative atmosphere," says Marketing and Public Relations Director Sharbie Higuchi. "Patrons also have the opportunity to purchase directly from our exhibitors and take home stunning, original fine art to be enjoyed for a lifetime."

The Festival's special event calendar kicked off with a memorable concert with American Traditional Pop/Vocal Jazz group from Los Angeles, The Black Market Trust. The five world class musicians brought the Laguna Beach crowd to their feet for the first of the season. Upcoming not-to-be-missed concerts include performances by Gregg Karukas, Mindi Abair, Down to the Bone and Melissa Manchester. For details and to purchase reserved seating, visit www.foapom.com/summer-art-show/special-events/.

On Sunday, July 10, the Festival of Arts invited families for a fun-filled afternoon of art activities and a show by the award-winning all kids Orange County Aerial Arts. Nearly 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 2022 Junior Art Exhibit (sponsored in part by California First National Bank, FOA Foundation, and Mark Porterfield of Laguna Beach). A jury made up of Steve Chadima, Mark Porterfield, Gayleen Beyers from California First Leasing Corporation and FOA Foundation board member Kirsten Whalen selected 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners from the more than 400 Orange County students' work of art on display in the exhibit. An award ceremony is scheduled with the winners for Sunday, August 14.

In addition to the variety of artwork, the Festival of Arts offers a wide range of daily activities that the whole family can enjoy. The calendar includes nightly live music, guided art tours sponsored by PBS SoCal, art workshops and a variety of weekly series including That Girl Can Sing! Music Series featuring female singers every Tuesday; Laguna's Finest Music Series on Wednesdays; and Art, Jazz, Wine, and Chocolate (sponsored by Charles Schwab and Cambria Estate Winery) each Thursday. Every Friday night will include Tremendous Tributes Music Series; while Concerts on the Green will return to select Saturdays, and each Sunday the Festival is putting the spotlight on the grand piano with Spotlight on the Grand Piano Music Series. Several special one-day events will return this year, including the very popular Festival Runway Fashion Show. On August 13th, the Festival of Arts will celebrate with a 90th Birthday Bash celebrating 90 years of art with a special performance by Stray Cat Lee Rocker, presented in partnership with the City of Laguna Beach.

For those inspired by the artwork and creative atmosphere, classes are available Friday thru Sunday at the Festival Art Center, presented by Bank of America. All ages and skill levels are welcome! Looking for a summer date night idea? Create a beautiful one-of-a-kind masterpiece and sip on complimentary wine or beverages at Wine and Painting Nights on Fridays and Pints, Pinots and Prints on select Saturdays.

The 90th Annual Festival of Arts Fine Art Show is open daily with nightly performances of the Pageant of the Masters now through September 2, 2022 . A Pageant ticket is also a season pass to the Fine Art Show. Weekday general admission tickets to the Festival's Fine Art Show are $10 per person, and $15 per person the weekends. Senior and student discounts are available. Class registration and seating reservations vary by event, please see the website for details.

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