ARTS COMMISSION WRAP-UP

The following is from the Sept. 17 meeting of the Laguna Beach Arts Commission.

City Hall exhibit garners 114 entries for jurying

The commission received 114 works from 57 Orange County artists for its upcoming Juried Fine Art exhibit at City Hall. Gallery owner Peter Blake will review the submittals and select which pieces will be included in the show, which will run from Oct. 15 to Nov. 26. An artist reception will be Nov. 1.

Prizes totaling $1,750 have been announced; the commission raised $1,140 in entry fees.

Artist-designed benches reduced to two

The commission approved guidelines for its upcoming artist-designed bench competition after reducing the number of benches from three to two, keeping the same honorarium amount.

Commissioners had planned a competition for an artist or artist team to design three benches, each to be placed in front of one of the city’s three summer art festivals.

Sites for the Art-a-Fair and Sawdust Art Festival have been selected, but the Festival of Arts has requested that an artist-designed bench not be put in front of its grounds until it has finished its planned site improvements.

Bluebird Park gate competition approved

The commission discussed and approved the guidelines for an upcoming competition to design a gate for the entry to Bluebird Park, following a discussion about what to do about the stone pillars to either side of the proposed gate location. Commissioners recommended they be embellished by the selected artist as part of the project.

— Candice Baker