South county art center needs donations

Two women working to create a community arts center in South Orange County have launched a fundraising drive through https://www.kickstarter.com.

Laguna Beach native Gaylen Corbett and her business partner Virginia Repasky founded the OC Arts Center in 2010, according to a news release.

“There are hundreds of artists living in this area, yet there’s no one central location where they can come together to work, collaborate with other artists, and share their talents with the community,” Corbett said in a prepared statement.

Corbett and Repasky hope to build a 10,000-square-foot facility with enough space for art studios and classes, and community art events.

According to the release, a number of Laguna Beach artists have come aboard, including plein air painter Cynthia Brittain, who is scheduled to teach a workshop through the OC Arts Center in March, and former Festival of Arts ceramicist Monica Dunham, who will lead the ceramics department.

Corbett owns Gaylen Corbett Design, a firm that specializes in website design. Repasky is the owner of Art Management, a firm that represents artists on a national level.

The OC Arts Center is considering several locations in San Juan Capistrano for the facility, Corbett said. The group is seeking to raise $5,000 in startup funds by March 8. For more information, visit https://www.ocartstudio.org or call Corbett at (949) 248-5263.