Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts Announces Art Star Nominees

News release from the Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts:

The Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts announces the nominees for the 6th Annual Art Star Awards, to be held on Sunday, April 1 at 6 p.m., generously hosted by in Laguna Beach.

The awards, custom designed by Louis Longi, will be presented to organizations, businesses and individuals who have contributed and shaped the arts and culture of the community and the county.

“The dozens of impressive nominees for the 6th annual Art Star Awards reflect the depth, diversity and support of cultural activities in Laguna Beach, which are now available year-round," said event chair Wayne Baglin.

LBAA members from more than 20 Laguna Beach arts organizations submitted nominees in seven categories. The categories and the nominees are:

Best New Arts Program:

• Bluegrass and BBQ (Laguna Beach Live!)
• Kids’ Paint Out (Laguna Art Museum and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association)
• Studio Art Classes (Sawdust Art Festival and Laguna Beach Visitors & Conference Bureau)

Individual Arts Patron of the Year:

• Bobbi Cox
• Rick Lang
• Deborah and Henry Mayhew

Corporate Arts Patron of the Year:

• Bank of America
• Haskell & White LLP
• Vizio

Outstanding Arts Collaboration:

• 911 Memorial Monument (City of Laguna Beach, New York Port Authority, and Mark Porterfield)
• FOA South (Festival of Arts and Active Culture)
• Plein Air Painting Invitational (Laguna Art Museum and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association)

Arts Leadership:

• Robert Hayden III, Laguna Art Museum
• Greg Vail, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association
• Karen Wood, Laguna Playhouse

Artist of the Year:

• Jorg Dubin
• Sandra Jones Campbell
• Jon Seeman

During the event, the Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts will also honor longtime Laguna Beach resident and well-known assemblage artist Paul Darrow with a special Lifetime Achievement Award. Plus, the 2012 recipient of the $5,000 [seven-degrees] of Inspiration Grant will be announced. Funded by [seven-degrees], the goal of the grant is to provide support for an emerging or established Laguna Beach artist to develop and present an innovative arts project or program that advances recognition of Laguna Beach as a progressive arts city.

The three finalists are glass artist John Barber, photographer Tom Lamb, and dancer Michelle Lance.  Last year’s grant recipient, mixed media artist Roark Gourley, will present his resulting and innovative project Liquescent, in which Roark explores the underwater world of Southern California waters.

Further evening’s highlights include special guest and keynote speaker Dana Gioia, former Chairman for the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as big band tunes form the Laguna Concert Band’s “Swing Set.” The Laguna Concert Band is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization of over 60 members from Laguna Beach and surrounding communities.

To purchase tickets to attend the 6th annual Art Star Awards, please contact: information@lagunabeacharts.com

The Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts was established in 2002 as the result of an exciting partnership among more than 20 Laguna Beach organizations. The mission is to serve as an advocate for the arts, promote collaboration and networking among the arts organizations of Laguna Beach, and to serve as a united voice for the arts in the city. Members of the Alliance for the Arts include Art-A-Fair Festival, Laguna Dance Festival, Chamber of Commerce, City of Laguna Beach Arts Commission, Community Art Project, Festival of Arts, First Thursdays Art Walk, Gallimaufry Performing Arts, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach Chorale, Laguna Beach Craft Guild, Laguna Beach Film Society, Laguna Beach Live!, Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association, Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau, Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna Community Concert Band, Laguna Outreach for Community Arts, Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Lagunatunes Community Chorus, No Square Theater, Sawdust Art Festival, and [seven-degrees].