Laguna Painting Fest Gets $45,000 Gift

The third annual Plein Air Invitational in Laguna Beach has more muscle to flex this summer with a hefty donation from Irvine-based Lincoln Mercury.

The car maker will donate $45,000 to sponsor the outdoor painting competition, organized by the Laguna Art Museum and Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn.

The donation is one of the largest corporate gifts ever made to the museum, its officials said. The event, which costs about $100,000 to produce, runs from July 9 through July 15 with a public display of the artwork. Fifty artists from throughout the nation are invited to participate.