Art in the ‘Big A’ — Local artists come out swinging, painting live at Angels game
Spectators at Angels Stadium Wednesday savored the sweet taste of victory as the Halos swept the Yankees in a 7 to 3 win. But for art lovers on the premises the real magic was happening in the stands.
That’s where two local artists had set up canvases, in two different sections of the ballpark, with the intention of capturing the essence of America’s pastime live, thanks to a grassroots collaboration between the team’s leadership and a Laguna Beach arts nonprofit.
For the past three decades, Laguna Outreach for Community Arts (LOCA) Arts Education has paired students of all ages with professionals and educators to enrich local schools and programs through arts education while helping sustain the careers of working artists.
“It’s a way for artists to stay in contact with the public, earn a bit of money and keep art alive,” LOCA Vice President Rich Fair said of the group.
To that end, the local organization is always looking for new ways to engage with others who serve the broader community. Its long list of collaborators includes the Boys & Girls Club, the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Center, Glennwood House and a number of library and afterschool programs.
Fair drew on his personal connection with Angels President John Scarpino, who happens to live in his neighborhood, to come up with a way to bring arts into the “Big A.”
“I was looking for ways to expand the reach of artists, and it dawned on me there could be an opportunity there,” he said Tuesday. “The idea is to get art out there, and I don’t see why we couldn’t go out to Angels Stadium. The Angels thought it fit very well with their mission.”
For Wednesday’s game, the collaborators invited two artists — Fernando Micheli and Hugo Rivera, who both run galleries in Laguna Beach — to demonstrate their artistic talents live at the stadium in front of a crowd of thousands.
A master of plein air painting, Micheli set up his easel on the terrace of the Diamond Club, capturing the surrounding scene in delicate brush strokes.
Known for dashing off large canvases before a live audience, Rivera went higher up into the stands to give passersby a chance to see the artistic process in real time. And because Wednesday was Rivera’s first time seeing a Major League Baseball game live, organizers invited his family to attend.
Fair said while the artists were given full license to depict whatever they wished, the hope was the artwork would convey the emotional ties families have to being at a baseball game.
“If you really think about it, from an artistic standpoint there are a million moments in a baseball game,” he said, describing how something as simple as feeling the crunch of peanut shells under your feet can evoke powerful memories.
“It’s about the emotional connection to sports and baseball and families. And the Angels very much see themselves as part of a greater family of Orange County as well as LOCA.”
In a news release issued ahead of Wednesday’s game day, Angels Baseball Foundation President Dennis Kuhl expressed enthusiasm over the joint effort.
“We are excited to partner with LOCA as they join us at Angels Stadium to capture the ballpark experience through art,” he said. “These one-of-a-kind paintings will be available for fans to purchase with proceeds to benefit both LOCA and Angels Baseball Foundation.”
Fair said there’s already talk about possibly expanding the collaboration to include other artists and the possible reproduction of artwork fans could purchase at the stadium or online.
“John’s vision, if it worked, would be to do this annually or monthly,” he added. “It could be sculptures, all kinds of different things that would be fundamental to this idea.”
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