A choice collection is on the block

Suzie Harrison

More than 100 local artists have donated artwork for tomorrow’s 16th

annual Collectors Choice event, Laguna College of Art & Design’s

biggest fundraiser of the year.

“This year’s event shows the generosity of our local artists, who

donated 116 original pieces for the fundraiser to be successful,”

event chair and board member Terry Smith said. “They realize the

artists of the future are being trained right here. It’s the most

incredible gift imaginable to do that.”

Laguna College faculty and alumni have also contributed pieces for

the live and silent auction, raffle and bonus drawing.

Associate director of advancement Tracy Otto explained Collector’s

Choice unique design.

Tickets to the event are $100 each and include cuisine catered by

Sundried Tomato, wine from Laguna Culinary Arts and live

entertainment, as well as one entry into the raffle.

More than 70 works have but put into the raffle category, 35 in

the silent auction, 12 in the live auction and three in the bonus

drawing.

All of the artwork in the raffle will be numbered. With each

ticket drawn, the winning ticket holder selects one of the available

numbered pieces. The raffle continues until all the work has been

procured.

Otto said it builds a lot of excitement. Typically the odds are 1

in 3 of getting the piece the art enthusiast wants. Otto said the art

is valued at $300 to $4,000.

To be a part of the bonus drawing, five raffle tickets must be

purchased. One of the tickets will be placed into the drawing pool.

A spectrum of art media is available -- painting, sculpture,

drawing, mixed media, hand-blown glass, photography and printmaking.

Interim president Helene Garrison marveled at the well-know

artists’ works contributed. They include Roger Armstrong, Tom Swimm,

Ken Auster, Anne England, John Barber, Jonathan Burke, Sue Thompson,

Andrew Myers, Brian Allan, Christopher Canullo, John Eagle, Mike

Tauber, Marv Johnson and Michael Jacques.

“We have a great variety for different tastes,” Garrison said.

Six-year board trustee Dan Walsh has been the master of ceremonies

of the Collector’s Choice for four years. He lauds board chair

Shirley Rush for her role at the college.

“The board has grown so strong and is so supportive in all these

different ways,” Walsh said. “During Shirley’s tenure as chair the

board has doubled.” Currently the college has 21 trustees.

Rush said within the last seven years the college has more than

doubled. Now there are more than 300 students. This year had the

largest graduating class, 62. “Eighty-five percent need some kind of

financial assistance,” Rush said.

Rush said the community has been very supportive of the college.

“The city has come to recognize how valuable this very fine

accredited art college is to Laguna Beach,” Rush said. More financial

support is needed in order to launch its MFA program as planned for

fall 2006. “It’s all approved; we just need financial backing to

launch the program. With an MFA program, the college would be the

only art school of this kind in the western states.”

But being a nonprofit, Rush said, everything is a struggle.

“Bringing Anne England onto the board a year ago, she has been

extremely influential,” Rush said.

England personally contacted 50 artists whose work was donated

this year for the event.

“Each one is out of sight,” Rush said. “It’s another of her many

contributions to the art world.”

All proceeds from Collector’s Choice will benefit the student

scholarship fund and programs at the college. Tickets are still

available. The event begins at 6 p.m. at Laguna College of Art &

Design, 2222 Laguna Canyon Road. For tickets or information, call

Tracy Otto at (949) 376-6000 Ext. 241 or go to

https://www.lagunacollege.edu

/collectorschoice.