Rita Rudner Headlines Sunday's Art Star Awards

Submitted by Jennifer Daniels:

The Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts (LBaa) announces special guest and keynote speaker Rita Rudner and the nominees for the 7th Annual Art Star Awards to be held on Sunday, April 7, at 6 p.m., generously hosted by [seven-degrees] in Laguna Beach.

World-renowned comedienne Rita Rudner will bring her wit and epigrammatic one-liners to the Art Star Awards event, as the keynote speaker, where she will share stories about her successful and diverse career.  Not only is she one of the country's top comedians, but also a New York Times best-selling author, award-winning television personality, screenwriter, playwright, Broadway dancer and actress who has graced the stage from Broadway and Carnegie Hall to Universal Amphitheatre and even The Laguna Playhouse. With Rudner, you can always expect a sold-out event.

Art Star Awards, custom designed by Louis Longi, will be presented to organizations, businesses and individuals who have contributed and shaped the arts and culture in Laguna Beach this last year. “Members of the Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts nominated over fifty exciting and deserving contributors to the arts in our community.  It was very challenging to select the 2013 award recipients," 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

Laguna Beach Botanicals (Laguna Outreach Community Arts)

On the Green (Festival of Arts)

Shakespeare’s Fool (Jason Feddy)

Individual Arts Patron of the Year

Yvonne Boseker

Terry Smith

Arn and Nancy Youngman

Corporate Arts Patron of the Year

Marconi Foundation for Kids

The PIMCO Foundation

Wells Fargo Bank

Outstanding Arts Collaboration

Mentor Program (First Thursdays Art Walk and Laguna College of Art & Design)

Music at an Exhibition (Laguna Concert Band and Laguna College of Art & Design)

Orange County: Destination Art & Culture (Laguna Beach Visitors Bureau and Orange County Airport)

Arts Leadership

Jonathan Burke

Mary Ferguson

Pat Sparkuhl    

Artist of the Year

Nelson Coates

Larry Gill

Scott and Naomi Schoenherr

During the event, the Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts will also honor longtime Laguna Beach resident and well-known artist Jacquie Moffett with a special Lifetime Achievement Award.

Plus, the 2013 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 arts project or program that advances recognition of Laguna Beach as an innovative arts city. The three finalists are Rebecca Faubion, Michelle Lance and Ed Peterson.  Last year’s grant recipient, glass artist John Barber, will present his resulting and innovative project, Feeding Frenzy.

Further evening’s highlights include the gypsy jazz stylings of musical duo “Yael and Vlady,” as well as a lively repertory by Laguna Concert Band’s 20-member ensemble, “Laguna Flutes.”  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 7th 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, 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].