New Art Competitions Aplenty!

This week's update from Laguna Beach Assistant City Manager Christa Johnson:

2012 Seasonal Rookie and Ocean Lifeguard Tryouts – Tryouts will be held at Main Beach on Saturday, February 25, 2012. The physical testing portion will be conducted at the Main Beach Lifeguard White Tower.  Sign-in begins at 7:30 a.m. and candidates must be ready to enter the water promptly at 9:00 a.m. Exceptions or late arrivals cannot be accommodated. The City’s online application procedure must be completed and application submitted prior to the filing deadline today, Thursday, February 23, 2012. The Physical Testing and Training Waiver must also be completed and submitted prior to entering the water.

Friday Flicks at the Forum - On Friday, March 2, 2012 at 7 p.m. enjoy the concluding free film screening at the Festival of Arts Forum Theatre. The Arts Commission will be screening the film “The Red Chapel.” The film is about a journalist with no scruples, a performer with cerebral palsy, and a comedian who travel to North Korea with a mission, to challenge the conditions of the smile in one of the world’s most notorious regimes. This film is not rated and has a running time of 87 minutes. This program has been funded by Laguna Beach residents Steve Chadima and Mark Porterfield.

Artist Open Studios - On Saturday, March 3, 2012 will be the concluding Artist Open Studio event of the season. Enjoy the opportunity to visit the art studios of 28 of Laguna’s talented artists. Held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. the event includes free parking and trolley service from the Act V parking lot, located at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road. Artist Open Studios is not only a fantastic opportunity to see, buy or commission beautiful art, it is also an adventure to artists’ studios to uncover new talent and rediscover established artists. This is a program of the Arts Commission and has been funded by the lodging establishments and City of Laguna Beach.

Art That’s Small at City Hall - The Arts Commission is currently accepting pre-registrations for this competition through March 13, 2012. Pre-registration may be done by e-mailing completed application forms to spoeschl@lagunabeachcity.net . All artwork must be delivered on Saturday, March 17, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the main doors of City Hall. Registration forms may also be completed on the day of submission. Works must be 12” or smaller by artists residing in Orange County. This program has been funded by the lodging establishments and City of Laguna Beach. Application form and guidelines are available by clicking here.

2012 Banner Competition - The Arts Commission is currently accepting applications for the annual banner competition. Artists are asked to submit designs measuring 4” x 16” along with a professional resume and examples of previous related artwork. The winning artists will be provided an honorarium of $2,000 and a banner measuring 4’ x 16’ which will be displayed on lampposts throughout the city during the summer months. This program has been funded by the lodging establishments and City of Laguna Beach. Application form and guidelines are available by clicking here.

2012 Artist Designed Bench Competition - At its meeting on Monday, February 27, 2012 the Arts Commission will review the presentations of four finalists for the 2012 Artist Designed Bench Competition. The designs, by finalists Larry Gill/Gavin Heath, Michael Graham, Malcolm Jones and Patrick Vogel, were designed for a bus stop site at Heisler Park located at Cliff Drive and Jasmine Street. The models will be on display in the Council Chambers at 5 p.m. with the artist presentations at 5:30 p.m. This program has been funded through a donation by Beverly Kaye.