Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters

Today is the last day of March and we couldn't send off #WomensHistoryMonth without featuring our very own Pageant of the Masters Director, Diane Challis Davy. As the first female director, Diane has brought much renown to the Pageant through her passion for living pictures and her devotion to the team of volunteers and crew who have helped bring art to life for over 20 years. Let's also recognize all the women who make both the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters possible year after year. To the many dedicated, hardworking, and fiercely talented female artists, volunteers, managers, staff, technicians, educators, board directors, members, donors, sponsors and patrons- we salute you! Not only today, not only this month, but every day of the year.

We're continuing our celebration of #WomensHistoryMonth, shining the spotlight on artists Monica Dunham, Anne England, and Mada Leach. These three women created countless opportunities for creativity and inspiration through their passion for the arts. They helped to expand arts education at the Festival of Arts and beyond through teaching classes, establishing exhibit tours, and creating programs to support local artists. Their contributions to the art community are as numerous as the artists lives they've touched. A big heartfelt thank you to Monica, Anne and Mada!

Pageant Director Diane Challis Davy is helping us out this week as we celebrate #WomensHistoryMonth and put the spotlight on one of the behind-the-scenes female artists that literally shaped many showstopping Pageant pieces. "In the world of ART-the most challenging and physically demanding work is SCULPTURE. Whether the medium is stone, clay, wood or metal it takes grit and persistence to create a 3d masterpiece. I can think of several notable and accomplished American women... sculptors; Edmonia Lewis, Malvina Hoffman, Harriet Hosmer, Emma Stebbins and Laguna's own Julia Bracken Wendt. Here at the Pageant of the Masters I am still in awe of our own woman sculptor. Judith Parker was our Pageant Sculptor for over 25 years, retiring in 2016. During her tenure she re-created countless famous works of art for the Irvine Bowl stage. In her workshop Judy wielded rasps, grinders, knives and occasionally a chain-saw to carve from polystyrene. Even though her medium was a lot more forgiving than marble, her work (and its likeness to the original) was no less impressive. Many of her best loved Pageant works remain in storage, awaiting another chance to delight and amaze pageant audiences." - Diane Challis Davy

The Pageant of the Masters would look a lot different from what it is today if it weren't for the extraordinary efforts and ambitions of the Ropp family. For #WomensHistoryMonth, we're celebrating the contributions of Marie Ropp, one of the first Festival of Arts board members and co-creator of the Pageant of the Masters. In the mid 1930's, Marie and her husband Roy took the Pageant from a sideshow attraction to a full theatrical production. Marie researched and wrote the narration, selected music, created costumes and oversaw many production details for the early Pageant performances. Thanks to her efforts, the Pageant became a theatrical phenomenon attracting audiences from around the world to see what Marie Ropp would later describe as Art That Lives and Breathes.

In honoring #BlackHistoryMonth, we celebrate the groundbreaking career of Jean-Michel Basquiat. Rising to popularity during the 1980s, Basquiat’s paintings are largely responsible for elevating graffiti artists into the realm of the New York gallery scene. His spray-painted crowns and scribbled words referenced everything from his Haitian and Puerto Rican heritage, to political issues, pop-culture icons, and Biblical verse. He died of a drug overdose on August 12, 1988, ending a brief but highly influential life at the age of 27. As a testament to his lasting importance to the history of art, in 2016 his large canvas Untitled (1982) broke auction records with a final price of $57.3 million. Read more at www.artnet.com/artists/jean-michel-basquiat/biography

Calling all hep cats and cool chicks! Join us for this month's Concerts on the Screen with Buzz Campbell! In this pre-recorded concert presented in partnership with Yamaha, rockabilly guitarist and vocalist Buzz Campbell performs a blend of rock, blues and country that’s sure to get you dancing along at home. $25 per household, free for FOA members. Register for your ticket today at www.foapom.com/event/virtual-concert-campbell

This weekend is your LAST CHANCE to view foaVIRTUAL and over 500 works of art by over 120 Festival of Arts artists at www.foapom.com/foavirtual All artwork is for sale, contact the artist for more information or [email protected] for assistance. The exhibit closes on Monday, January 18th - don’t miss it! Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with your friends!

We're continuing our celebration of #BlackHistoryMonth by featuring Jack Whitten, an African-American artist best known for his rigorous experimentation with the materiality of painting. Using eggshells, acrylic paint, copper, and Styrofoam, Jack created unique textures and photographic light effects. He used the small cubes of acrylic paint adhered to canvas as a vehicle to further explore his passion for science and technology and thought of the cubes as individual bytes of information. One of the most influential abstract and conceptual painters of his generation, Jack lived in New York City, where he passed away in January 2018. Watch a fascinating interview with the artist at www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFVsd450nCU

Cheers to the new year! Happy 2021 from all of us at the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters!

2020 is quickly coming to a close and so is your chance to enjoy "The Christmas Carol" performed by Pageant of the Masters Narrator Richard Doyle. South Coast Repertory is offering this audio recording for free through December 31. Take a listen at www.scr.org/christmascarol

From all of us at the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters, happy Valentine's Day! Don't forget to send a free Valentine's e-card to your sweetheart at https://www.jotform.com/festivalpageant/ecard

Happy Lunar New Year! Festival artists Scott and Naomi Schoenherr's newest City of Laguna Beach public art piece "Lunar Tide" in Heisler Park was completed just in time to welcome the Year of the Ox. Be sure to check it out next time you're in town! #MeetTheArtist Scott and Naomi Schoenherr are both graduates of Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design (now Otis College of Art and Design) in Los Angeles, CA. They have been working together for the past 30 years a...nd have created a strong team with a multi-influenced sense of design. Scott and Naomi believe strongly in the importance of well-executed artworks that connect with audiences at many levels. They have also worked together on public art projects as well as individually on their own art, which they find necessary to keep the idea fresh and exciting. Studio photo by artist, installation photo by Mary Hurlbut - Laguna Beach Photographer

This weekend is Art Along the Coast- Winter Edition with over 30 Festival artists participating. You can help support your local artists by giving the gift of art to your loved ones - or yourself! (We won't judge!) Each stop on this free self-guided tour will be practicing social distancing, wearing masks and either outdoors or operating at 20% capacity to meet current retail COVID-19 guidelines. To find out more, visit artalongthecoast.org

From all of us here at the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters, we wish you and your loved ones a very Merry Christmas!

The new holiday palette by Festival of Arts artist Carol Heiman-Greene is up on one of Laguna Beach's light posts. Have you spotted it around town? Let's see if any of our local sleuths can figure out where it is...

Add a little whimsey to your Thursday with today's #MeetTheArtist featuring woodworker Larry Marley! Larry combines his love of wood with his love of the lathe and the freedom of form it provides. His work is frequently whimsical, wanting to remind people to let go a little and smile. He loves to watch people take in his work, especially the kinetic art as the expressions and interactions of the viewers remind him of a Norman Rockwell painting. Ideas for his pieces come from ...everywhere in daily life. When he imagines a piece, he writes a brief description on a list of ideas that he always carries for reference. When it is time to begin a new piece, his list is there to inspire. See more of Larry’s artwork at www.larrymarley.com Fun fact: Larry collects antique hand tools that he restores and uses in his daily work. He also has a background in tech and programs micro controllers, one that he uses to automate his dust collector in his workshop. If you see something you like, please contact the artist to purchase a piece. And when you like, comment, and share these posts it helps our artists work get seen by more people. Want more? Visit our digital exhibit for a look at all the Festival artists at foapom.com/foavirtual

Looking for a meaningful last minute gift for a loved one? Dedicate a seat to them in the historic Irvine Bowl! Through our Pageant Legacy Society, we'll engrave their name on a plaque and permanently affix it to one of the iconic red seats. You can even request a certificate to give to the lucky recipient as a gift! Find out more at www.foapom.com/legacy-society

Don't let winter gloom get you down- be transported back to summer days at the Festival of Arts with this month's virtual concert! On Friday night, enjoy a concert with the talented Darryl F Walker Music LLC as he sings memorable hits by the legendary jazz singer Al Jarreau on the Festival concert stage. Tickets are $25 and free for Festival members. For more information and to reserve your ticket, visit http://www.foapom.com/event/virtual-concert-walker/

Thank you to everyone who tuned in, donated, and celebrated the Festival and Pageant on Saturday during our first-ever Simply ARTrageous: Live the Legacy Virtual Gala! In case you missed it, you may watch a recording of the event below. We are very close to raising $300,000- please help us reach our goal! Watch now at http://www.foapom.com/virtual-gala

Our virtual gala is about to start! Watch it online at http://www.foapom.com/virtual-gala to join in on the fun! Live stream begins at 6:30pm PST. Don't miss the most ARTrageous celebration of the year! #ArtrageousGala

Donate $100 or more at tonight's Simply ARTrageous: Live the Legacy Virtual Gala and be entered into a drawing for a chance to win one of six fantastic prizes! Winners will be selected at the end of tonight’s show. For more information and to tune into tonight’s gala, go to www.foapom.com/virtual-gala #ARTrageousgala Our sincere thanks and gratitude to those who donated tonight's prizes!