Laguna Greets Summer With Arts-by-the-Sea

“Suffering for art’s sake” takes on a whole new meaning when you think of what 9-year-old Kelle O’Donnell has to go through for her role in the 1989 Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach, Friday to Aug. 27.

“I have a special safety belt because I’m the highest,” says Kelle, whose perch is 20 feet above the stage on a cushion atop a narrow board. “You have to kneel down and kind of push your stomach forward and you’ve got to squeeze your arm in and then put your other arm out and look to the side. It’s not that hard, but it’s uncomfortable.”

What Kelle is doing is inserting the top half of her body through a huge re-creation of “Matsukaze,” a Japanese print, as she becomes part of a living tableau. Heavy makeup, a headpiece and the top half of a costume will transform Kelle, who lives in Mission Viejo, into an elegant Japanese woman.

The Pageant of the Masters is one of four major summer art events in Laguna Beach. The others are Festival of Arts, the Sawdust Festival and Art-A-Fair.

The most widely known is the pageant, which for more than 50 years has used actors, elaborate sets, special lighting, gallons of makeup and hundreds of yards of fabric to create life-size versions of actual works of art.

The pageant often is a family activity. Kelle’s sister Meghan, 8, appears in “Egyptian Necklace” and brother Ryan, 10, is in Currier & Ives’ “Winter Wonderland.” The O’Donnells are one of 13 families devoting their summer to the presentation of 60 living works of art in the pageant, which uses alternating casts of more than 100 each.

Children are in demand because they fit more easily into some of the sets. In fact, sets are built and then people are cast to fit the sets.

Tickets are $9 to $35. Veterans of this event will appreciate the new individual seats in the Irvine Bowl, at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, where the pageant is presented each evening.

The annual Festival of Arts runs concurrently on the six acres surrounding the bowl. Hours are 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily. This juried show features 160 exhibitors of paintings, drawings, serigraphs, sculpture, ceramics, photographs, etched and stained glass, leather work, furniture, jewelry and even model ships. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for ages 65 and older, free to children 12 and under. For information on the festival or pageant, call (714) 494-1145.

Colorful Booths Inside

Art-A-Fair at 777 Laguna Canyon Road, today to Aug. 27, sports a new stucco facade with a contemporary flair; inside, zigzagged rows of colorful booths showcase oil paintings, stone sculptures, bronzes, ceramics, porcelains, Chinese brush painting, photography, embossed prints and etchings. Entertainment and special demonstrations are also scheduled.

The show is juried, which means artists have to attain a certain level of achievement to be included.

Red Skelton’s clown oil paintings and limited-edition prints will be among the work of the more than 160 artists in Art-A-Fair.

A 25-foot kaleidoscope with two stained-glass wheels measuring 14 feet in diameter is a new attraction. This ambitious undertaking is the creation of Kathleen Marvin and Anita Livingston of Fantasia Stained Glass in Laguna Hills.

“Each (stained-glass) wheel will weigh about 800 pounds,” Marvin says, “so we had a lot of engineering problems to solve. I’ve learned more about bearings than I ever wanted to know.”

The giant kaleidoscope is a triangular tunnel lined with mirrors that reflect swirling stained-glass patterns created when a motor turns the wheels. Marvin also hopes to add a laser to the installation to create additional special effects.

Art-A-Fair also offers an opportunity to purchase and glaze a piece of ceramic that will then be fired to a glossy texture in a kiln.

Another booth features the Rocky Mountain Foundry--on July 22-23 and 28-30 only--and people can purchase blocks of wax, sculpt them and have them cast in bronze.

Admission to Art-A-Fair is $3.50 for adults, $2.50 for people 62 and older. Children under 12 are free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Information: (714) 494-4514.

The Sawdust Festival, 935 Laguna Canyon Road, is a non-juried show (today to Aug. 27) featuring only Laguna artists, and is known for its whimsical nature. The biggest change this year is the new permanent facade, which is as eclectic as the festival itself.

California Bungalow Style

Rough shingles cover most of the exterior, which is accented with glass bricks and a bay window.

“It’s patterned after the Greene and Greene architectural style, which has also been described as California bungalow,” says Tina Arana, director of marketing.

Inside, more than 200 artists have built their booths to themes of their own choosing, which is part of the festival’s charm. Discovery is part of the adventure too.

“Our grounds are laid out in a maze or a puzzle,” Arana says, and finding your way is “part of the fun.”

Arts and crafts on display include: glass, portraits, homemade paper art, painting, clay art, jewelry, glass blowing, clothing, watercolor portraits, ceramics, silk screens, toys, games, quilts, masks, neon, baskets, musical instruments and more.

Strolling minstrels will play bluegrass, country, jazz, Mexican and Caribbean music. Mimes, jugglers and magicians also will perform. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 10 a.m to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $4; $3 for people 62 and older; free to children 12 and younger. Call (714) 494-3030 for information.

The Toughest Part

The biggest challenge, however, is parking. Everyone acknowledges parking is a problem in Laguna, but there are a few ways to beat the hassles.

Parking is available north of the festivals in the Act V parking lot on Laguna Canyon Road and at Laguna Beach High School. A shuttle bus is $2.50 for an unlimited pass or 75 cents one way.

Try arriving before 10:30 a.m weekdays and before 10 a.m. on weekends, strolling to the festival area after a nice breakfast in town or attending on a weekday evening.

People who plan to use the parking meters along Laguna Canyon Road and downtown should come armed with fists full of quarters, because one quarter buys only 15 minutes of parking.