Come for the ties, stay for the tasting

EYE ON ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

It’s the home stretch for the art festivals, with only two weeks of

art, music, happenings and fun going on in their realm. Before it’s

all over, I am going to take up residence and enjoy all I can.

That includes Tie-One-On at the Festival of Arts on Saturday,

doing a little wine tasting and jazz and classical music listening on

Sunday. After a fine visit with Santa at the Sawdust Festival Monday,

I’ll be heading back this weekend, running around the Sawdust,

listening to plenty of lively entertainment, viewing glass blowing

and doing the Sawdust shuffle in general.

ROLLING WITH THE TIED

Tomorrow is a day to roll with the tide and really Tie-One-On for

a good cause with the Festival of Arts’ third annual one-of-a-kind

tie art auction to support the local artists’ fund.

More than 100 handcrafted ties designed by festival artists will

be auctioned from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. The artists donate their

pieces done specifically for the auction. They represent every medium

-- glass to bronze, fiber, hand-painted -- things you have never seen

or could imagine on a tie-esque platform.

Sculptor Gerard Basil Stripling is donating a 10-pound bronze

sculpture in the shape of a clip-on tie. Renowned artist Terry

Thornsley has done “Paradise Found” a copper tie with a picture of a

finch and a bronze tie called “BBQ Tie,” which is a tie that is a

cooking rack of a grill with a fish cooking away on it. Micha Van

Doring did a lovely “Laguna Sunset,” in wood, which was very funky,

cool.

John Gustavson did a tribute tie for artist Steve J. Dahlberg, who

recently died. It’s a white tie with a photo of Dahlberg titled

“Remembering Steven.”

On the more whimsical side Susan Cox did in oil “Sushi Anyone?”

which was creative complete with sushi and actual chopsticks. Guest

donors include celebrities Phyllis Diller and Ray Romano.

So, along with the cool ties/art, which start at $50 that will be

bid on through an auction, there will be entertainment o’ plenty. The

entertainment includes the return of auctioneer extraordinaire Mike

Tauber with special guest Pat Kollenda on mike. Other spotlight

attractions include “Men Alive” Orange County’s spectacular gay men’s

chorus and a runway modeling of some of the ties by Laguna’s very own

VIPs and local dignitaries.

The local artists’ fund provides support to artists that may need

financial help, as a result of physical or financial hardship.

Remember Laguna Beach residents always get in free to the festival.

The festival is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road. For information,

call (949) 494-1145.

SAWDUST AND SANTA

I thought to myself, who can miss out on the opportunity to see

Santa Claus in August in their own backyard and peruse art at the

same time -- so I ventured to the Sawdust Art Festival and chatted it

up with Santa during his visit on Monday.

Marketing director Rebecca Meekma said everyone was as thrilled as

me to see St. Nick. He came to the festival to talk about his big gig

the Sawdust Festival Winter Fantasy that happens in November and

December.

“When we walked in a couple of little girls, 2- or 3-year-olds--

the look of surprised joy on their faces from seeing Santa in the

summer was precious,” Meekma said.

She remarked that Santa didn’t come via reindeer since the

reindeer don’t like warm weather but had to use an alternate mode of

transportation -- flying.

“This is Santa’s first official summer visit,” Meekma said. “But

he has been a Sawdust shopper since its beginnings.”

Event coordinator Lynne Powell was thrilled with Santa’s visit.

“I saw Santa window shopping on his way through,” Powell said. “I

think he’s going to stop later to pick up something for Mrs. Claus.

Because he’s pretty busy in the summer he’s had a few artists

volunteer to help the elves.”

The atmosphere was as holiday-ish as it can get in August; a band

was even performing holiday tunes.

“Everybody is trying to be good, particularly the adults,” Santa

said. “I don’t know how successful they’ve been but they are working

on it.”

In the children’s art booth, they were doing a winter theme

activity with the help of instructors Danielle Hooser, 17, and

Cambria Steel, 15.

“Today we’re doing a postcard contest where the kids draw a winter

themed postcard,” Steel said. “There will be a drawing and the staff

picks the winner. The winning postcard becomes the postcard for the

Sawdust Winter Fantasy.”

She said they had more than 30 children entered already.

“The Sawdust is wonderful,” Santa said. “I’m looking forward to

being back here in November and December.”

I just wished Santa had brought cooler weather with him.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321 or [email protected].