In The Arts

Art Stars gala is Wednesday

The Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts will hold its fourth annual Art Star Awards at 6 p.m. Wednesday at [seven-degrees]. Winners in each category will be announced and presented with a bronze sculpture created by Louis Longi.

The categories and nominees are:

?Best New Arts Program: Festival of Arts’ Postcards from Laguna and Coffee and Conversation with the Artists, Laguna Art Museum’s World of Warcraft, Sister City’s Fete de la Musique.

?Arts Patron of the Year: Bank of America, Mark Porterfield, Terry Smith.

?Outstanding Arts Collaboration: Laguna Beach Music Festival and the Artful Violin Auction, Passport to the Arts (Sawdust art Festival, Festival of Arts, Art-A-Fair, Visitors Bureau and City of Laguna Beach), Wells Fargo Bank.

?Innovation and Arts Leadership: Pat Kollenda, Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna Community Concert Band.

?Laguna Beach Artist of the Year: Marlo Bartels, Donavon Frankenreiter, Marsh Scott.

A special Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to sculptor Ralph Tarzian.

For ticket information, e-mail information@lagunabeacharts.com

Kramer to perform in Laguna Hills

Isaac Kramer, who grew up in Laguna Beach, will conduct South Coast Symphony at 7:30 tonight at Crossline Church, 2331 Moulton Parkway, Laguna Hills.

Kramer won the symphony’s Young Stars of the Future conducting competition and will lead the symphony in a performance of Jean Sibelius’ “Finandlia.” Other works on the roster include pieces by Ortiz, Dvorak, Rimsky-Korsakov and Webber.

Kramer began studying music at the age of 6, beginning with the piano and switching at age 8 to his primary instrument, the trombone. At age 12 he auditioned and was accepted into the Orange County High School of the Arts.

During his studies there, he began an apprenticeship with conductor Barry Silverman which continues to this day.

His parents are Jay and Leonie Kramer.

In partnership with conductor and composer Kris Najarian, Kramer put together the Young Artists Philharmonic, where he now presides as a resident conductor and music director.

Kramer attends the New England Conservatory of Music where he studies trombone with Norman Bolter.

For tickets, call (714) 731-8079.

Ceramics students’ work exhibited

Works by three ceramics students from the Festival of Arts winter raku ceramics class, taught by Monica Dunham, will be exhibited at the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts Conference this week.

The conference is Wednesday through April 2 in Philadelphia.

Fifth-grader Sara Hill’s “Smoke House,” fourth-grader Mikey Tanaka’s “Dad’s Toolbox” and fourth-grader Jeremiah Sorriano’s “Colorful Box” will be on display.

The students are among 162 selected for the exhibit out of a record number of 1,161 entries from kindergarten through 12th grade, according to the Festival of Arts.

“My students should be very proud for having attained this level of achievement,” Dunham said. “They work so hard and definitely deserve this recognition.”

First Sundays sets guitar trio

Laguna Beach Live! will present the Triada Guitar Trio in a free chamber music concert from 3 to 4:30 p.m. April 4 at LCAD.

The trio consists of brothers Nikola, Vasil and Petar Chekardzhikovi from Bulgaria, who will perform classical and contemporary guitar works.

The three brothers studied guitar since early childhood with professor Ljuben Haralambiev in Varna, Bulgaria, and have studied at the graduate level with David Grimes at Cal State Fullerton.

LCAD is at 2222 Laguna Canyon Road. For more information visit www.lagunabeachlive.org or call (949) 715-9713.

Stone carving workshop offered

A 10-week class in stone carving, taught by master stone carvers, Marvin Johnson and Joseph Sovella, will start April 10 and run through June 12 at LCAD, 2222 Laguna Canyon Road. The outdoor classes are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost is $350 and includes basic tools and a practice stone. Additional resources to buy specialty stone are available. Visit www.lagunacollege.edu.

This class is open to all skill levels ranging from beginners to advanced. Sovella has taught at LCAD since 1986 and Johnson has taught there since 1992.

Sawdust holds art workshops

Sawdust Art Festival’s Spring Into Art workshops are continuing to the last weekend in March. The two-day weekend workshops offer glass-blowing classes and a wide variety of media including painting in acrylics and oils, fabric collage, mixed media collage, watercolor painting, ceramics, flower arranging and more.

Workshops include one-on-one instruction with local artists and fees include all materials and supplies needed.

Classes are $165 and $265. Visit sawdustartfestival.org or call (949) 494-3030. The Sawdust Art Festival is at 935 Laguna Canyon Road.