Charles Desmarais, director of the Laguna Art...

Charles Desmarais, director of the Laguna Art Museum, has accepted an invitation to join the Assn. of Art Museum Directors, a prestigious New York-based professional organization with about 150 members in the United States and Canada. Membership in the association is determined by the quality of museums’ collections and programs as well as directors’ achievements. Desmarais appears to be the only member from Orange County. Kevin E. Consey, former Newport Harbor Art Museum director, transferred his membership when he was named director of the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art last year.

Eleven Orange County artists have applied for Artists-in-Residence grants from the California Arts Council, nine more than applied last year. A council official largely credited Orange County artist Mary-Linn Hughes with the increase. Hughes, last year’s sole artists-in-residence grant recipient from the county, waged a grant awareness campaign of sorts and helped organize a recent workshop on how to apply for the grants, which pay artists to work in schools and other community agencies. They are awarded in June.