In The Arts

Film Society double feature Thursday

The Laguna Beach Film Society will screen two new films with local interest at 7 p.m. Thursday at South Coast Cinemas in Laguna Beach.

John Keitel’s documentary, “Saving the Boom,” documents the fight to save the legendary Boom Boom Room. “Napoleon’s Funeral,” starring Laguna resident Elaine Barnard, traces the story of a woman whose dream of her death acts as a catalyst to get her life in order.

The audience will also learn about 50 years of film-making from local director, Jeff Coffman.

Cost is $15 at the door. Appetizers, wine and film talk at 6 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Bank Community Room is $20. Free for Film Society members.

Rohrer focuses on Latin American art

Rohrer Fine Art will host a reception for “Highlights,” a summer exhibit featuring recent acquisitions as well as Latin American Masters, from 6 to 8 p.m. July 18 at the gallery, 346 N. Coast Hwy.

The recent acquisitions span a breadth of genres, pairing French Impressionist Claude Monet’s “Water Lily” alongside “Ambiguous Ambassador” by Tseng Kwong Chi, whose self-portrait photographs amid landscapes and geographical monuments evoke man in the scope of the world.

The Latin American Masters portion of the exhibition will highlight artists including Osvaldo Budet, Robert Matta, Rufino Tamayo and Diego Rivera. To attend the reception, RSVP to carey@rohrerfineart.com. For more information, visit www.rohrerfineart.com.

Work sought for figurative show

The Southern California Artists Assn. has opened its online submittal period for the group’s annual juried figurative art exhibition, “Go Figure “” High Impact.”

Entry to this exhibition is available to all U.S.-based artists, 18 or older, working in two-dimensional mediums and utilizing the human figure as the primary source of inspiration.

The “High Impact” theme is designed to stimulate submitting artists to a high level of creativity, resulting in a diverse show, rich in variety and showcasing fresh approaches to a timeless subject, according to the Assn.

Digitally prepared images of original artwork may be uploaded through the association’s website starting Tuesday, with a deadline for the receipt of all work by midnight Aug. 4.

For details on the entry requirements, specifications, fees and the exhibition schedule, visit www.socalartists.org.

Kruger launches ‘Art of Cooking’

The Festival of Arts will launch its fifth annual weekly event series, “Art of Cooking” from 1 to 2 p.m. Sunday with caterer and event planner Molly Kruger.

Kruger is the corporate consulting chef for a premium gelato company with locations throughout California. She is a member of the Assn. of Bridal Consultants, the International Caterers Assn., a board member of the International Special Events Society, and a director at large for the Wedding Industry Professionals Assn.

In addition to her work in the kitchen, “Chef Molly” gives lectures and demonstrations on cooking and entertaining. She is a regular contributor to food and event industry magazines and has written many Internet articles.

Kruger will share recipes, as well as tips on presentation garnered during her catering and event planning experiences.

The cooking series is free with $7 admission to the Festival of Arts, 650 Laguna Canyon Road.

For more information, visit www.foapom.com.

Hot jazz Wednesday at Hotel Laguna

Laguna Beach Live! will present the Latin Jazz Syndicate from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Hotel Laguna Rose Garden. Admission is $10.

Exploring the fusion of Latin and world rhythms with American jazz standards, the Syndicate is an all-star group of musicians that have performed, recorded and toured with artists including Poncho Sanchez, Jose Rizo’s Jazz On The Latin Side All-Stars, Luis Miguel and Dave Valentin.

The driving force behind the Latin Jazz Syndicate is trumpeter Bijon Watson, whose wide-ranging musical influences include extensive recording, touring and performing experience with artists such as the Temptations, Natalie Cole and Prince.

Bijon played lead trumpet on two of the most recent albums by Jose Rizo’s Jazz On The Latin Side All-Stars and Luis Miguel’s holiday album, “Navidad.”

For more information, call (949) 715-9713 or visit www.lagunabeachlive.org.

WoW Workshop and performance Sat.

Berlin-based artist Aram Bartholl will lead a WoW [World of Warcraft] workshop from 1 to 3 p.m. at Laguna Art Museum, and then take workshop participants onto the streets of downtown Laguna Beach from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday.

Participants will enjoy an afternoon of art making and will have the opportunity to be involved in a collaborative performance.

The workshop will have followers walking behind leaders carrying a mechanism that floats the leader’s name over his/her head in green, transparent plastic letters, like the character names that follow World of Warcraft avatars.

The workshop and performance will be documented on video, and the edited version will be shown in Laguna Art Museum’s current “WoW” exhibition.

The Saturday events will be followed up with a lecture by Bartholl at 1 p.m. Sunday at the museum.

Bartholl said he is interested in creating humorous public interventions that “bleed” into real life. His workshops “add the elements of fantasy into the physical world and create a serendipitous moment for strangers familiar with World of Warcraft,” according to Laguna Art Museum officials.