Artists Seek Recall of Most of Laguna Festival Board

Angered over efforts to move Laguna Beach’s Festival of the Arts to San Clemente, about 50 regular exhibitors are demanding the recall of seven of the 68-year-old festival’s eight elected board members.

Exhibitors must gather 110 signatures, or 5% of the festival’s 2,200 voting members, to require the festival board to hold a recall election meeting, said Bruce Rasner, an exhibitor and an attorney.

But rather than go through a recall effort, board members should just step down, the artists said.

“Resignations would spare the entire festival and pageant community an unnecessary strife that no one is going to benefit from,” Rasner said. “Second, it will send a convincing message to San Clemente that they better have some caution when continuing with this.”

Festival board president Sherri M. Butterfield said she would not resign, adding that exhibitors, in her view, have yet to voice their concerns to the board.

The outcry comes after festival board members entered into exclusive lease negotiations last week with San Clemente for a period of 90 days. Its lease with Laguna Beach expires in September 2001.

On Tuesday night, some 75 exhibitors complained that the festival board is ignoring their desire to remain in Laguna Beach. They said many recent board meetings have been held in closed session and notes of those meetings kept private.

David Young, the only festival board member not on the recall list, told exhibitors, “The board is very sincere in what they’re trying to do, but they’re on the wrong track. They’re trying to save the festival, but it doesn’t need to be saved.”

Lance Heck, the other board member to attend the meeting Tuesday, said he doesn’t favor leaving Laguna Beach but encouraged exhibitors to keep an open mind. “Look at San Clemente’s offer and see what is presented to us.”

The festival board, which serves as a decision-making body for the nonprofit organization and its 7,000 constituents worldwide, is elected by festival members who live in Orange County. Elected officials serve three-year terms on a volunteer basis.

State law mandates that the board set an election date within 20 days of receiving a recall petition. However, that date can be set up to 90 days after that, which opponents of the move say may allow enough time for the board to enter into an agreement with San Clemente.

Meanwhile, San Clemente Mayor Susan Ritschel said she hopes exhibitors would listen to the proposal. “I think the board is exploring San Clemente for the long-term benefit of the festival,” she said.

Exhibitors plan to present the signatures to the board at a Feb. 17 meeting, Rasner said.