Art Stars Shine at Reenvisioned Awards Gala

On Friday, April 28, in true Academy-award style, 200 community and cultural leaders came together to celebrate the 15th annual Art Star Awards. Held on the Festival of Arts grounds, this year's red-carpet reception and ceremony featured pop-up musical and dance performances as well as live art demonstrations, all complimented by champagne and h'oeuvres.

Breaking with tradition, the Laguna Beach Art Alliance created a robust, festive program designed to immerse guests in art amidst a relaxed, social atmosphere.

"Thanks to the inspiration of our chair, Pat Kollenda, we broke away from a traditional seated awards banquet to a livelier cocktail party atmosphere with engaging entertainment by some of our member organizations," says event co-chair Faye Baglin. "Everyone seemed happy to have ample time for socializing with friends, and of course, none of this would have been possible without the generosity of the volunteer performers."

"A great team effort resulted in an event better than could be dreamed of," added co-chair Wayne Baglin. "Even glitches turned out to be improvements in the program. We can't wait to do it again!"

Artists and performers from LBAA member organizations donated their talents to create a one-of-a-kind event. Accompanied by vocalist Ginger Hatfield, Laguna JaZz kicked off the party and continued to dazzle the crowd throughout the reception with jazz standards such as "Almost Like Being in Love," "How About You" and "The Lady is a Tramp."

"It was an incredible honor to have our Laguna JaZz selected to provide the musical entertainment for this special evening which celebrates all facets of art here in Laguna Beach," says Jay Kramer, Community Engagement Officer of Laguna JaZz & Laguna Community Concert Band. "It was fun to see everyone enjoying the music as we celebrated the magnificent achievements of so many talented Laguna Beach artists. I can't wait for next year!"

As guests arrived, they were greeted with a beautiful Pageant of the Masters re-creation of "Laguna Beach" by Mike Tauber, which was featured in last year's show, "Wonderful World." MacKynzie Miller posed in the living picture, and there were other sets available on the grounds, provided by Pageant of the Masters Director Diane Challis Davy. LCAD student artists Abigail Shaw, Kayla Janes, and Piankhi Robertson showcased their artwork, and Hugo Rivera painted a portrait on a large canvas. Dancers from the Laguna Dance Festival, Haley Hackethorn and Clark Griffin, performed contemporary dance, and plein air painter Anthony Salvo invited guests to participate in his beachscape painting by adding their own brushstrokes.

Pat Kollenda, president of Laguna Beach Arts Alliance (LBAA), served as emcee of the event, welcoming the guests and speaking about the importance of LBAA and how it has strengthened the arts in Laguna Beach while also poking fun at the ceremony's experimental format.

"Tonight, we're taking a risk and trying something new," said Kollenda. "We're not sure if it'll be a success or a flop!" However, judging from the guests' reaction, it was clearly a hit.

Throughout the evening, keyboardist Roxanna Ward entertained the crowd with impromptu banter with Kollenda as well as songs and jokes, including a rousing audience sing-a-long rendition of "18 Wheels on a Big Rig."

And most importantly, the 2023 Art Star winners were announced:

Best Arts Program: Coast Film & Music Festival

Lifetime Achievement: Kathy Jones

Arts Patron of the Year: Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center

Outstanding Arts Collaboration: Art Inscribed (Third Street Writers/The Artists Fund/Festival of Arts/Festival of Arts Foundation)

Artist of the Year: Gerard Stripling

To the delight of the crowd, No Square Theatre capped off the program with their performance of the spoof "LA-BAH-AH" (to the tune of "La Bamba").

By the end of the night, the arts community had celebrated its stars and the wealth of talent that has resulted in Laguna's unforgettable, impactful arts legacy.

"We are beyond proud to be recognized by the LBAA for the Best Arts Program of 2022," says Ben Warner, co-founder and executive director of the Coast Film & Music Festival. "As a young organization we truly appreciate the path that has been created by so many world class art programs that shape the colorful art legacy of Laguna Beach. The recognition gives us a great sense of pride and invigoration as we plan our fifth festival this November and create a legacy event for the community for years to come."

ABOUT THE WINNERS:

Best Arts Program: Coast Film & Music Festival

The Coast Film & Music Festival used art, film and music to entertain, inform, and inspire positive change. During the 5-day November event, the festival engaged our community by partnering with Laguna Beach High School's FLOW program to host environmental films and speakers at LBHS and show student films at the festival. The Festival also supported the Laguna Art Museum's Art & Nature program by promoting local outdoor recreation, providing financial support for Laguna Canyon Foundation and Surfrider OC, and hosting film screenings at Hobie and the Festival of Arts to over 4,000 people.

Lifetime Achievement: Kathy Jones

Born in San Francisco and educated at Stanford, Kathy Jones is an artist whose work is greatly influenced by being a native Californian. Known for her non-narrative, figurative abstract paintings Jones's work explores relationships and embraces vibrant colors and layers to create a rich and exotic tone. Kathy was accepted to the Festival of Arts in 2000, where she exhibited her paintings for 19 years. Kathy has been a tireless leader as a board member of the Festival of Arts, LOCA Arts Education and the Laguna College of Art+Design (LCAD). Kathy also was a member of the Laguna Beach School Board and consulted for the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, the Laguna Canyon Foundation and the Laguna Art Museum among others. Currently, she is president of the FOA Foundation, which awards numerous grants to local nonprofit arts groups. Her work appears locally at the Sue Greenwood Gallery and nationally at the Patricia Rovzar gallery in Seattle, the Marshall Gallery in Scottsdale and The Lily Pad Gallery's two locations in Milwaukee and Rhode Island.

Arts Patron of the Year: Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center

Under Rick Conkey's leadership, LBCAC surprised, informed and entertained audiences with expanded programming in 2022, presenting 93 shows and events. Among these were many firsts: a Women's History Month film series with Ms. Magazine editor Katherine Spillar, Juneteenth, a weeklong environmental film festival, "The Gathering," a revisiting of Laguna's hippie days, play readings by Bare Bones Theatre, and new compositions from the Black Legacy Project. The Center also added a new dance school led by Sandrine Mattei and a film production and audio school.

Outstanding Arts Collaboration: Art Inscribed (Third Street Writers, The Artists Fund, Festival of Arts & FOA Foundation)

In this collaboration, Third Street Writers partnered with artists exhibiting work at the 2022 Festival of Arts to create Art Inscribed, a chapbook featuring original stories, essays and poetry inspired by the show's artwork. Funded by an FOA Foundation grant, the project culminated at a public reading celebration at the FOA where both the featured works of art and written pieces were shared. Third Street raised over $1100 from the sale of the book for The Artists Fund's hardship grant program.

Artist of the Year: Gerard Stripling

In February of last year, Laguna Beach artist Gerard Stripling created "Anastasis," a sculpture that symbolizes rebirth as part of the Black History Month celebrations. The Laguna Art Museum funded this artwork, which was displayed in front of City Hall with the support of the Arts Commission. The sculpture was accompanied by five seating elements, creating an interactive space for people to gather and engage with the artwork. Following the success of this installation, Gerard's artwork was featured in a one-person exhibition at the Laguna Art Museum, titled "Work and Soul: Two Decades of Practice." This exhibition presented two decades of his work, including pieces that had never been publicly presented before. Additionally, in 2022, Gerard served as a juror for the Festival of Arts, further demonstrating his influence and contribution to the art community.