Laguna Museum Starts Fund Drive : ‘Homecoming Campaign’ Hopes to Raise $550,000

The home of Thomas and Elizabeth Tierney was transformed into an art museum Tuesday night for 200 guests attending the kick-off party for the Laguna Art Museum’s Homecoming Campaign.

Paintings from the museum’s permanent collection were hung and lit by the Laguna facility’s installation crew for the event at the Tierneys’ spectacular home overlooking Newport’s Upper Bay.

As a string trio provided background music, guests sampled hors d’oeuvres and wandered through the house, viewing the paintings as well as a display of architectural drawings of the museum renovations now under way. (The museum, closed since April, 1985, is scheduled to reopen on Sept. 23. Meanwhile, exhibits are continuing at a satellite museum at South Coast Plaza.)

As guests gathered in the living room for speeches given by Thomas Tierney, president of the museum’s board of trustees, and museum director Bill Otton, it was difficult not to notice a prominent stuffed Siberian tiger sitting atop a side table. While mingling before his talk, Tierney explained that the tiger was purchased from one of President Reagan’s advisers.

Tierney told guests that the goal of the Homecoming Campaign is to raise $550,000 by July 1 to help pay for exhibits and educational programs, purchase works for the permanent collection and put finishing touches on the museum facility.

“As of tonight,” Tierney said, “you’ve already contributed $150,000 in pledges towards that goal, leaving $400,000 to raise in a short time.”

Jack Boyle, introduced as chairman of the capital campaign that raised the $1.5 million needed for museum reconstruction, was acknowledged by applause.

Otton spoke to the museum supporters about the national and regional attention being focused on Orange County’s growth in the arts.

“The rest of the country is looking at us and saying, ‘How are they doing it? What is happening?’

“It’s happening because of the commitment of the people in this region--those who are in leadership positions in government and business as well as major patrons,” Otton said. “They are the people who have a dear love for the county and say, ‘Wait a minute, we are not the outback or the back part of Los Angeles County. We are where the action is happening.’ ”

He said the Orange County Performing Arts Center (set to open Sept. 29), the Newport Harbor Art Museum, Bowers Museum and Laguna Art Museum “all form a cultural identity for the county.” Otton added that the Laguna Art Museum is becoming known “as a repository for major California artists, historical and contemporary.” He cited three telephone calls earlier Tuesday that resulted in art acquisitions for the museum.

The first was from Lorna Mills, president of Great American Federal Savings Bank in Laguna Beach who told Otton of “someone wishing to donate three well-conserved California impressionist paintings” to the permanent collection. The next call was from a Santa Ana Heights resident who was moving to San Francisco and wanted to donate her Nathan Olivera painting to the museum. And the third call was from the Tierneys, who told Otton they would purchase an Edgar Payne painting for the museum’s collection.

“California impressionist art is going for up to $50,000 and $60,000 these days in the New York auctions,” Otton said.

Those who have made major contributions to the Homecoming Campaign are the Tierneys, Charlie and Nora Hester, Don and Claudette Shaw, Robert and Nadine Hall, Teri and John Kennady, Virginia and Ed Tomaso, Rosalyn and Jack Pike, Richard and Jo Steinbach and the Van Camp Foundation.

Jim Henwood, general manager of South Coast Plaza, and Maura Eggan, director of marketing for the plaza, both expressed a desire to keep the museum satellite operating in the mall after the museum reopens in Laguna. “It’s worked,” said Henwood. “The invitation (to stay) is open, but it’s up to the directors of the museum.”

“We think they’re pleased with the attendance there,” Eggan added. “Besides, there’s a lot to be said for having a site at the beach and in town, as it were.”

Attending a Laguna Art Museum event for the first time was Beverly Thompson-Coil, with husband Horace. Thompson-Coil, who has been chairman of many major benefits in Newport Beach, may soon be devoting some of her time to museum fund raising. “I’m sure they have something planned for me,” she said.