Laguna’s cultural future: ‘People want a sense of place’

Laguna Beach is the home of the arts venue, among them the Laguna Playhouse, Sawdust Art Festival and the Laguna Art Museum.

But many people believe that the city’s “artistic identity and reputation, while long-standing and valuable, would benefit from evolution,” according to the Laguna Beach Cultural Plan, and this could include a central location where artists could exhibit their work, share ideas and interact with the public; meetings and performances could be held; and the fragmented arts community could take on a more seamless character even as its separate venues continued to thrive.

At a meeting last week to discuss Laguna’s arts future, city planning and arts commission members generally agreed that a centralized facility would be a boon for the city.

“People want a sense of place. They desperately want a sense of place,” Arts Commissioner Suzi Chauvel said.

For the past year, as part of the creation of the cultural plan, the Cultural Planning Group, a city-hired consultant, has surveyed and interviewed more than 700 residents and tourists to obtain a sense of what the Laguna’s arts community should stand for going forward.

The Feb. 4 meeting was the first opportunity for city officials to review survey results and also discuss possible locations for a central arts facility.

The Cultural Planning Group sought to answer two primary questions: What does the arts community aspire to be, and what would success look like for Laguna Beach in 10 years?

In addition to a cultural arts facility, survey respondents indicated they would like:

• More working artists, who are often priced out of Laguna real estate, to be able to live in the city;
• A centralized arts information source to more easily find out about events;
• Increased budgets for public art pieces but fewer overall projects;
• A renewed push for residents to funnel their donation dollars to arts organizations in town.

One possible location for the facility, according to the plan, would be a parcel on land earmarked for the Village Entrance Project, which will include a landscaped pedestrian area where the Forest/Laguna Canyon parking lot exists.

Commissioners at the meeting, though, inquired about the shuttered Laguna South Coast Cinemas building, across South Coast Highway from Main Beach, as a possible cultural meeting place.

“We think South Coast Cinemas has an incredible heritage and it’s intriguing, but it’s not available now,” Paul Plettner-Saunders, a Cultural Planning Group partner, told commissioners.

The theater, built in 1921, has been empty since late August, when the former tenant, Regency Theatres, and building owner Leslie Blumberg could not agree on a lease extension. Regency officials wanted to update the space for digital production and install new seats, drapes and carpeting.

Blumberg did not return an email seeking an update on the building’s status.

In September, Blumberg told the Coastline Pilot, “This is not the end by any means but rather an opportunity to find a new tenant or buyer who can create a successful enough business to restore the building to its former glory and take it into the future as a sustainable and superb entertainment venue.”

The arts plan did not delve into possible costs for a cultural arts facility. Plettner-Saunders said a separate study may be needed to assess the costs associated with various options.

Commissioners also debated whether Laguna would benefit from more high-profile events designed to promote the city’s creative culture. Survey respondents affirmed a desire for events such as a visual art fair that would attract international artists and collectors.

Planning Commissioner Roger McErlane suggested time and energy should be spent on the artists and programs already in the city.

“Focus on the community so residents benefit,” McErlane said. “If you bring in another high-end festival to Laguna, it wouldn’t be successful. There would be traffic, congestion.”

Arts Commissioner Pat Kollenda had a different take, citing the Fête de La Musique music festival, which is held in Laguna every June.

“There are 35 to 40 musicians over town and it works well,” Kollenda said. “People enjoy it. You’ve got every kind of musician, and it’s done in three hours. In Paris, they do it for 24 hours. It’s a worldwide thing that could be expanded upon.”

The cultural plan, along with a section for public feedback, can be found at lagunabeachcity.net.