In The Arts

ZeroTrash illustrates litter impact on oceans

ZeroTrash was recently asked by the Miocean Foundation, an Orange County nonprofit that focuses on pollution removal at local beaches, to highlight its “1st Saturday” community clean-up efforts in O.C. with an art project for the Foundation’s Blue 42 event at the St. Regis Hotel.

ZT founder Chip McDermott collaborated with his wife and local artist, Danis, and Miocean board member and Laguna resident Mark Draper, to create a 14-foot whale named Humphrey.

“We made him out of chicken wire and paper mache and ‘skinned’ him with environmental articles, illustrating the effect of urban runoff and trash in our oceans,” Chip said. “The whale’s chicken wire belly was left uncovered to show trash in its stomach.”

The inspiration for the project, he said, was an article he read recently about the dead whale found with more than 20 pounds of trash in its stomach in Puget Sound, Wash.

The backdrop was the Blue 42 event invite itself, blown up to show the 42 miles of county coastline and the three current ZeroTrash communities within it: Laguna, Newport Beach and Dana Point.

More than 200 pounds of trash, recyclables and cigarette butts collected from ZeroTrash’s May clean-up were laid beneath the whale, as it “streamed” from O.C. rivers into the ocean.

‘Tuscan’ exhibit opens in Laguna

La Bottega Dell’Acquaforte held an opening reception for international artist Carla Carli Mazzucato on June 19.

Numerous collectors and local luminaries attended, including Paolo Miliozzi, president of the Fondazione Italia, and Carlo Rocco, former president of the Orange County Italian Cultural Assn. The reception gave art patrons the opportunity to meet the Italian-born artist and view her collection of original “Tuscany-inspired” oil paintings.

Mazzucato first exhibited in the United States in 1969. By 1982, her work began appearing regularly in New York City, and shows in Toronto, Dallas, Chicago and Palm Springs soon followed. Described as a “modern expressionist,” Mazzucato’s work hangs in the permanent collection of the Detroit Opera House as well as the Roman Catholic Archdiocese Church of Corpus Domini in Bolzano, Italy.

The “Tuscan Sun” exhibit will run through July 25, at the gallery, 1590 S. Coast Hwy., Suite No. 4. For more information, call (949) 497-6690 or visit https://www.mazzucato.org.

Plein air painters announce scholarships

The Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn. has granted workshop scholarships to four artist members: Michael Alten, Jose DeJuan, Ying Liu and Georgia Mansur.

The scholarships were based on the artists’ talent as demonstrated by their submitted artwork, potential for continued professional growth and their compelling reasons to improve their talent, according to the association.

Grant monies may be applied towards any association-approved workshop within the upcoming year. The grants and workshops, along with the free mentor-led paint-outs, are among the benefits of association membership.

For more information, call (949) 376-3635 or visit https://www.lpapa.org.

LCAD summer workshops

Laguna College of Art and Design will offer a Color Theory workshop from Saturday to July 31, as part of the college’s summer program.

Artist and teacher Jason Dowd will deal with color as it relates to value and light. An extensive color/value wheel will be the first project.

This will be an advanced version of earlier workshops, adding the effects of glazing and its influences on color enhancement, and applications to painting. Additional exercises in color harmony ranging from neutral to vibrant, and a master copy will be used to incorporate techniques learned.

Cost is $325 for a five-week session, which runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

For more information, call (949) 376-6000, ext. 240 or e-mail kredeker@lagunacollege.edu.

Charbonneau and French exhibit at Demossa

Los Angeles-based photographers Jeff Charbonneau and Eliza French will showcase their work Thursday through July 30 at Demossa Gallery, 1294-D, S. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach.

The artists use large-format film and traditional darkroom techniques to create narrative photographs to engage viewers in a discourse about feminine archetypes and myth, creating images that draw from personal history, memory and dream states.

The duo, who began exhibiting their collaborations in 2006, have been featured in Photograph Magazine, American Photo Magazine and the catalogue for the exhibition “The Art of Caring: A Look at Life Through Photography,” which opened at the New Orleans Museum of Art in 2009 and is currently traveling throughout the United States.

For more information, visit https://www.demossagallery.com.

Tee time for youth theater

The Laguna Playhouse Parents Assn. will host its 10th annual Youth Theatre Charity Golf Tournament, Auction & Dinner on July 2 at the Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita.

The tournament will benefit the Playhouse’s Youth Theatre programs.

Shotgun start for the four person scramble/best ball will be at 1 p.m. Prizes and awards will be announced at the event, and will include a Hole-in-One Contest at all four Par 3 holes, Longest Drive, Closest to the Pin, Putting Contest and Helicopter Ball Drop.

Once the rounds of golf are completed, participants will enjoy dinner and a silent auction, with entertainment from members of the Youth Theatre program.

Registration is $175 per player, or $600 for a team of four. Non-golfing guests may attend the dinner and performance for $40 per person. Sponsorship opportunities are available starting at $250.

To attend, contact Bill Parker at (949) 233-1960 or at bcparker@cox.net. For more