In the Arts

Summer treats at the Laguna Art Museum include three new exhibitions: “Faux Real,” “Sea Change: Tanya Aguiñiga’s Bluebelt Forest” and “ex•pose: beatriz da costa.”

The season begins with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. June 1 at 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach.

Curated by Grace Kook-Anderson, the museum’s curator of contemporary art, “Faux Real” features artists Michael Arcega, Sandow Birk, Libby Black, Julie Bozzi, Amy Caterina and others from June 2 till Sept. 29. Infusing daily household items with a twist, this display is a commentary on culture and consumerism.

The venue’s upper level will be decked out with kelp, corals, barnacles and other underwater finds. From June 2 till May 18, 2014, Los Angeles-based Tanya Aguiñiga offers viewers an interactive experience where they can touch the materials and objects employed.

The museum’s ex•pose series will showcase “Dying for the Other,” a triptych video installation constructed by the late Beatriz da Costa, from June 2 to Sept. 29. Having been diagnosed with cancer when she was only 14, da Costa succumbed to the disease last December at age 38. The treatment she underwent sparked the idea for this display, which also consists of an “Anti-Cancer Survival Kit.”

The museum’s current exhibition, “John Mason: Blue Wall,” will run through Oct. 13.

For more information, visit https://www.LagunaArtMuseum.org.

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The Laguna Playhouse hosted about 400 guests at the opening-night gala of its most recent production, “Steel Magnolias.”

The Southern-themed event featured Cajun chicken and fried green tomatoes provided by Remark’s Restaurant of Laguna Beach as well as Doug Miller on the fiddle. Mothers and daughters of the National Charity League volunteered.

“We’re having a great time dovetailing with the themes of our plays at our opening nights,” said Executive Director Karen Wood in a release. “It’s all about a fun and participatory night out — and that’s what we’re having.”

Attendees included Playhouse board members Jim Mellor and his wife, Suzanne, Laguna Beach City Council members Steve Dicterow and Elizabeth Pearson, Irvine Chamber of Commerce executives Talia Hart and Kim Sherman and many more.

“Steel Magnolias” will be onstage till May 26.

For more information, visit https://www.lagunaplayhouse.com or call the box office at (949) 497-2787.

—Rhea Mahbubani