Art Walk offers live theater, music, comedy

The November First Thursdays Art Walk, to be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday, will have more than art hanging on walls for visitors to enjoy.

Some galleries feature comedians; others, musical performances.

Many offer refreshments to visitors and the chance to meet with their featured artists.

A special theater show is planned at Studio Art Gallery, 1200 S. Coast Hwy. The event, to be held at 8 p.m. at John and Rebecca Barber’s new gallery located in the Old Pottery Place, will feature Gallimaufry Performing Arts singers reenacting classic excerpts from the best of Broadway.

“One of our vision statements is to make art accessible and to present different types of cultural experiences — and, of course, Gallimaufry is a wonderful addition to that,” said Art Walk coordinator Marion Meyer, of Marion Meyer Contemporary Art.

Rebecca Barber had been talking with Steve Josephson of the Gallimaufry since before the gallery opened, and he arranged to have singers from his troupe perform on the patio.

“We’re trying to connect all forms of art here, as often as possible,” she said.

“We are so excited to have multicultural venues that tie together events that are not just visual art on First Thursdays,” said Meyer.

In South Laguna, Contemporary Chinese Fine Art, 1099 S. Coast Highway, will feature stand-up comedian Lynn Epstein and other comics in tandem with paintings by native Chinese artists.

Estimated showtimes are 6:30 p.m., 7:15 p.m., 8 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.

Visitors at the Esther Wells Collection, 1390 S. Coast Highway, will enjoy a live painting demonstration by Cynthia Britain.

At Watercolor Gallery, 1492 S. Coast Highway, Richard Van Genderen will be in attendance showing his new sea life-inspired work.

DeRu’s Fine Arts, at 1590 S. Coast Highway, will feature early California impressionist pieces with live music and refreshments.

Downtown, the Trey Fleming Experience at 303 Broadway St. will feature “Hollow Christmas,” a “nightmarishly festive blend of Halloween and Christmas.”

In North Laguna at 330 N. Coast Highway, Sue Greenwood Fine Art will host artists Paul Brigham, Joseph Maruska and Logan Wood.

Meyer, whose gallery is just down the street at 354 N. Coast Highway, will host artist Candice Eisenfeld, whose landscape portraits will be the month’s focus at the gallery.

At Lu Martin Galleries, 372 N. Coast Highway, jazz guitarist Ken Rokicki will perform while abstract artist Greg Martin meets visitors at a reception.

Next door at 374 N. Coast Highway, Douglas Miller, artist and 10-year member of Quorum Art Gallery, will serenade visitors with his violin.

Studio 7 Gallery, at 384B N. Coast Highway, will feature oil painting demonstrations by artists in residence and live music by guitarist Ed Krajec.

Dozens of member galleries participate in Art Walk, held on the first Thursday of every month.

A full list of participating galleries can be found in this publication’s Artcetera section.

Free shuttle services are available to participating gallery locations, starting at 6:15 p.m. and ending at 8:45 p.m.

The shuttle circuit departs from the Laguna Art Museum, at the corner of N. Coast Highway and Cliff Drive, and the Bluebird Center, located at 1590 S. Coast Highway.

For more information on Art Walk, call (949) 683-6871 or visit www.firstthursdaysartwalk.com.