In The Arts

Historical Society to highlight FOA’s 80th anniversary

To mark Heritage Month and the 80th anniversary of the Festival of Arts, the Laguna Beach Historical Society on Tuesday night will put on a panel discussion and multimedia presentation at City Hall with festival leaders.

According to a news release from the festival, the presentation will feature the screening of a 1950s-era video promoting the annual summer festival and milestones in the history of the Laguna art institution. Festival officials taking part in the presentation will include Diane Challis Davy, director of the Pageant of the Masters, Pageant scriptwriter Dan Duling and Martin Betz, the festival’s director of exhibits.

The event will start at 7:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 505 Forest Ave., Laguna Beach.

*

LPAPA artists to paint at Newport fair

Artists affiliated with the Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn. on Saturday will be painting live at the annual Spring Faire, presented by the Environmental Nature Center (ENC) in Newport Beach.

According to a news release from the ENC, the painters include Concetta Antico, John Eagle, Carol Nordman, Judith Redner, Rodolfo Rivademar, Cydette Vikander and Sandra Wolfson.

The Spring Faire, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will also be highlighted by ENC’s annual opening of its Butterfly House, the release said.

The ENC is at 1601 16th St., Newport Beach. More information is available by calling (949) 645-8489 or visiting https://www.encenter.org.

*

LCAD reaches out to L.A. County high school

The Laguna College of Art & Design announced this week that it has launched a program to reach out to and collaborate with Warren High School in Downey.

According to a news release from LCAD, 50 students from the Los Angeles County school have already visited the college. LCAD has also hosted 10 Warren students, who apprenticed seniors in LCAD’s animation stream by helping them with their year-end projects and portfolios.

On May 12, the Downey students will be able to see the films they helped to create, when the Laguna Animation Film Festival screens at South Coast Cinema, 162 S. Coast Hwy.

*

Lagunans collaborate on children’s book

Laguna Beach resident and author Tom de Paolo has written a book for kids with illustrations by the noted local painter Tom Swimm.

The De Paolo-Swimm creation, titled “The Amazing Adventure of Paddy Platypus,” is selling online for $15.99 at Amazon.com.

De Paolo, 88, has also penned four cookbooks including “Laguna Cooks!!: A Book of Recipes from Laguna Beach.”

*

In LOCA news...

From 9 to 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, the Laguna Outreach for Community Arts will offer the Art and Seal Lions class at the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, 20612 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach.

Then from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on May 13, there will be the Watercolors on the Beach class at Treasure Island Beach.

For ticket information and to sign up for either class, visit https://www.LOCAarts.org or call (949) 363-4700.

—Imran Vittachi

.*

Philharmonic Society names new official

The Philharmonic Society of Orange County this week announced that Bonnie Hall will be its vice president of development.

The Irvine-based nonprofit primarily acts as the county’s presenter of visiting orchestras and other performing artists, according to a news release. It is one of three resident companies at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa.

Hall was the executive director of Arts Orange County, the county’s independent but officially certified arts council, for 14 years. She has also worked in directorial capacities at the Laguna Art Museum and South Coast Repertory.

Hall will oversee the fundraising department, whose duties include managing sponsorships, gifts from individual donors, capital campaigns and memberships, said Dean Corey, the Philharmonic Society’s president and artistic director.

Hall, a writer and consultant in cultural and heritage tourism, is also a founding board member of the Orange County Tourism Council.

On her own arts front, the classically trained soprano sings with the Pacific Chorale and has served on its board.

Hall, an Orange County resident since 1983, is an alumna of Occidental College and the Anderson School of Management at UCLA.

—Bradley Zint