In The Arts

Sawdust Festival ‘springs’ into art

Sawdust Art Festival will present Spring Into Art in March, a series of two-day weekend workshops offering glass-blowing classes and a wide variety of media including painting in acrylics and oils, fabric collage, mixed-media collage, watercolor painting, ceramics, flower arranging and more.

Workshops include one-on-one instruction with local artists and fees include all materials and supplies needed. Workshops are during weekends in March. Classes are $165 and $265.

Class space is limited. To register or for more information on the Sawdust’s 2010 Spring Into Art workshops, visit www.sawdustartfestival.org or call (949) 494-3030.

The Sawdust Art Festival is at 935 Laguna Canyon Road.

OsCene 2010 opens soon at museum

Laguna Art Museum will feature nearly 75 Orange County, Long Beach and San Pedro visual and multimedia artists in the upcoming exhibition “OsCene 2010: Contemporary Art and Culture in Orange County” Feb. 21 to May 16. OsCene 2010 will feature painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, multimedia installations, video, architecture, performance, music and design.

“Despite the geographical framework that OsCene 2010 takes on, it’s exciting to see the range of artists in this exhibition with diverse backgrounds and practices,” said Curator Grace Kook-Anderson.

OsCene 2010 opening night reception is open to the public from 7 to 10 p.m. Feb. 20 with DJ Velvet Touch, a cash bar, a 7 p.m. performance by artist Barbara Berk, and a performance at 8 p.m. by Robert Allen and Antoinette LaFarge.

Tickets are available at www.LagunaArtMuseum.org for $20, or at the door for $25.

In addition, OsCene 2010 is teaming up with OC Music Awards, with a listening booth for patrons to sample music from the nominated OC Music Award musicians.

A special concert series at the museum will take place in conjunction with this exhibition.

MoblMedia and Laguna Art Museum have partnered to bring patrons the MoblMuseum iPhone application, which debuts during the OsCene 2010 exhibition.

This application can be downloaded for free on iPhones and iPod Touches from the App Store, to provide patrons with an interactive and informative tour of the exhibition.

The application will include audio clips, videos, interviews with artists and more.

For more information about the artists and events, visit www.lagunaartmuseum.org.

Chinese-American author to speak

Laguna Beach Books will host a special event with Ann Mah, author of “Kitchen Chinese: A Novel about Food, Family and Finding Yourself,” at 6 p.m. Thursday.

“Kitchen Chinese,” about the Chinese American author’s move to Beijing, has garnered many favorable reviews, including one from Booklist, which stated, “The vibrant depiction of Beijing, lush descriptions of sumptuous Chinese meals, and Isabelle’s struggle with how others perceive her distinguish Mah’s first novel.”

Mah will be reading an excerpt from her book, and will also give a presentation on her favorite food and places in China. Food and beverages will be provided. There is no charge for this event.

Mah worked in book publishing before moving to Beijing for four years, where she was the dining editor for That’s Beijing, a monthly English-language magazine.

She writes regularly for the South China Morning Post, Conde Nast Traveler, International Herald Tribune and on her blog, www.annmah.net.

In 2005 she was awarded a James Beard Culinary Scholarship to study in Bologna, Italy. Mah grew up in Orange County and lives in Paris.

Laguna Beach Books is at the Old Pottery Place, 1200 S. Coast Hwy.

‘Death’ author to sign books Saturday

David Kulczyk, author of “Death in California: the Bizarre, Freakish and Just Curious Ways People Die in the Golden State,” with true local stories of strange deaths, will sign his books during a special appearance at 5 p.m. Saturday, at Latitude 33 Bookshop, 311 Ocean Ave.

One of these stories is about the 2007 deaths of Kevin and Joni Park, an Orange County couple who were killed by police at the Montage Resort & Spa; others include the mysterious 1940s case of the Snake Woman and the strange 1966 suicide (or was it murder?) of singer Bobby Fuller, unsolved to this day.

Kulczyk is a Sacramento-based historian, freelance writer and award-winning author of short fiction.

He is also the author of “California Justice: Shootouts, Lynchings and Assassinations in the Golden State.”

‘White Wedding’ to screen at theater

The Laguna Beach Film Festival will screen South Africa’s Oscar contender, “White Wedding,” at 7 p.m. Thursday, at the South Coast Cinemas.

The romantic comedy traces the misadventures of a bridegroom caught between his African heritage and European traditions, as he travels across South Africa to his wedding.

Tickets are $15 at the door or $20 at 6 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Bank Community Room for prefilm hors d’oeuvres, wine and the film.

The event is free for Film Society members. To join, e-mail JoAnne Story at [email protected].

Art-A-Fair jury day is Sunday

Art-A-Fair Festival is seeking new artists for its 44th annual season from June 25 to Aug. 29.

Jury day for Art-A-Fair is 8 to 11 a.m. Sunday. Artists who wish to be considered are invited to bring artwork to the Laguna Beach Boys & Girls Club, 1085 Laguna Canyon Road.

All mediums are available for jurying and artists may jury with more than one. Three original works of art are required in each medium entered; two-dimensional pieces must be framed, wired and ready to hang.

Artists who have hand-delivered their work on jury day receive their scores and notification of acceptance or declination at pick up between 4 and 5 p.m. that same day.

For more information, visit www.art-a-fair.com or call (949) 494-4514.

‘Sea Tales’ film series continues

The Laguna Beach Film Society series “Sea Tales: The Truth of the Ocean in Film,” a four-month series of documentary films about the sea, begins at 7 p.m. every second Friday of the month through April 9 at the Forum Theater on the Festival of the Arts grounds.

The series includes:

?Today: “Sea of Darkness.” Michael Oblowitz’s dark tale of paradise and surfing in Indonesia.

?Mar. 12: Greg MacGillevray’s award-winning film “Dolphins.”

?April 9: “Kansei Project,” a film about the island of plastic trash floating 1,000 miles north of Hawaii and the efforts to clean it up

Each film is $15 at the door, free for Laguna Beach Film Society members.

To join, contact JoAnne Story at (949) 494-8971, ext 201 or [email protected].

Tosti showcases graduate work

Laguna College of Art & Design graduate student work will be showcased at Tosti Studios’ alternative space, 210 N. Coast Hwy., through Thursday.

Curated by director David Tosti, the exhibit features a cross section of the best of LCAD’s graduate cohort.

Paintings and works on paper from nine students will be presented in a unique venue that doubles as a photography studio and platform for emerging artists.

Guests may attend the closing reception at 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday.

“I am honored to continue to work with LCAD and these student emerging artists,” said Tosti.