Laguna’s art festival season arrives Friday with Sawdust and Art-A-Fair
The Sawdust Art & Craft Festival and Laguna Art-A-Fair will return Friday to usher in the Laguna Beach festival season.
They’ll be followed by the opening of the Festival of Arts on July 5 and the Pageant of the Masters on July 7.
The 52nd annual Sawdust Festival — featuring the works of 200 artists — will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily until Sept. 2 at 935 Laguna Canyon Road.
The popular program is expected to bring in about 250,000 guests, said Jay Grant, a former Sawdust president who now helps organize the festival.
Founded by artists decades ago, Sawdust has become known in the community for its grassroots appeal. Though the festival has changed in some ways, much remains the same.
Visitors can peruse the uniquely constructed booths featuring the artists, many of whom have been at the festival for years.
Sawdust President Kelly Akins, who has participated for 42 years, said no other show places such emphasis on artists’ free expression and creative control.
“We have gotten better in a lot of ways,” said Akins, 62, of Lake Elsinore. “But we’ve always kept that free-spirited vibe since the beginning.”
As in years past, the craft element will be integral to the experience, with guests given the chance to create ceramics or paint a picture.
Lance Stewart, 55, of Laguna Beach will have an art booth at the festival. He transitioned years ago from sports-related paintings to a more abstract form. The former UC Berkeley football player and fine-arts major said his newer style is more cathartic.
A painting he started in 1991 was recently finished in time for the festival.
This season’s Sawdust lineup will feature 20 newcomers. One of the most notable is 20-year-old Jwan Perez Ramos from Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
Grant said festival organizers discussed in February the possibility of finding an artist who had been involved in one of the natural catastrophes of 2017, whether it be a flood, a hurricane or the California fires.
Grant learned about Perez Ramos from a Los Angeles Times article that recounted his artistic efforts in the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. Perez Ramos and his father, Billy Joe Perez, painted murals depicting Aguadilla before the hurricane to help inspire the reeling community.
Grant said he contacted Perez Ramos and invited him to the Sawdust Festival, where he will have his own booth and be able to sell his artwork. Perez Ramos arrived in Laguna Beach on Wednesday and will stay in a home arranged by festival organizers.
“Our goal with this is to help somebody in distress,” Grant said. “We want to encourage him, his family and community. We will do everything we can to let him know there are people who care.”
Also new this year is a booth where visitors can learn about the festival’s history and some of its most popular booths.
Tickets for the Sawdust Festival are $9 for adults, $7 for senior citizens, $4 for children and free for kids 5 and younger.
For more information, visit sawdustartfestival.org.
Here is information on the other Laguna art festivals and the Pageant of the Masters:
Laguna Art-A-Fair
What: Festival featuring works by 125 artists in oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, photography, jewelry, ceramics, wood sculpture, printmaking and more. This season’s exhibits will include a luxury home display featuring top design brands.
When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays June 29 through Sept. 2
Where: 777 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
Cost: $9 general admission, $7 for senior citizens, military personnel and students, free for children 12 and younger
Highlights: Art available for purchase, live music and daily workshops
Information: art-a-fair.com, (949) 494-4514
Festival of Arts
What: 86th annual festival featuring 140 artists in ceramics, glass, painting, jewelry, fiber, mixed media, photography, printmaking, sculpture, wood and more
When: Noon to 11:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. weekends July 5 through Sept. 1
Where: 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
Cost: Weekdays: $10 general admission, $7 for students and senior citizens, $5 for children ages 6-12. Weekends: $15 general, $11 students and seniors, $5 children 6-12. Admission is free for Laguna Beach residents, children 5 and younger, military personnel and Festival of Arts members.
Highlights: Pageant of the Masters (see below), concerts, wine and chocolate pairings, guided art tours and workshops and one-day events such as Family Art Day on July 8 and the Festival Runway Fashion Show on Aug. 19
Information: foapom.com, (949) 494-1145
Pageant of the Masters
What: 90-minute show, part of the Festival of Arts, in which performers re-create pieces of art by posing to look like the subjects in the original works. It all takes place in an outdoor amphitheater with an orchestra. The theme of this year’s 85th edition, “Under the Sun,” honors local and international artists who “left their studios in search of new inspiration.” The pageant also will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Laguna Art Museum.
When: 8:30 p.m. daily July 7 through Sept. 1
Where: Irvine Bowl at Festival of Arts grounds, 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach
Cost: Advance tickets are $15 to $240.
Highlights: Works by Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Leonardo da Vinci, Paul Gauguin, Roger Kuntz, Joseph Kleitsch and Edgar Payne, among others
Information: foapom.com/pageant-of-the-masters, (800) 487-3378
Twitter:@benbrazilpilot
All the latest on Orange County from Orange County.
Get our free TimesOC newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Daily Pilot.
