ARTS COMMISSION WRAP-UP

The following is from the March 12 meeting of the Laguna Beach Arts Commission.

Artist-designed seating rejected

The commission decided against including artist-designed benches in the Art in Public Places installment at 1900 Laguna Canyon Road.

The City Council had sent the design by John Barber and Louis Longi back to them for consideration of whether to add an art element to the seating that would allow it to be financed by the Art-in-Lieu fees or 2007/08 Business Improvement District funds earmarked for public art.

The commissioners said that, although they liked the design Barber and Longi submitted for the seating, the additional cost would be too prohibitive. The city has already set aside $40,000 for basic concrete benches.

“We’re caught between a rock and a hard place on this one,” Commissioner Jan Sattler said.

Temporary sculpture sites selected

The commissioners discussed several sites for future temporary sculpture installations, and chose to pursue sites at Heisler Park and on the Laguna Canyon frontage road near the Sawdust Festival.

Arts Commission approves 12 grants

The commission approved grant funding for 12 arts organizations under the annual Cultural Arts Funding program.

The grants are intended to promote arts and cultural activities in the Tourist Promotion District, encourage artistic excellence and audience participation, and develop new audiences for the arts.

The grants are open to nonprofit organizations with cultural programs that meet the cultural needs of Laguna Beach and its visitors, with a focus on new or expanded services not currently being provided.

Of 16 applications, funding was granted to: CaDance; the Festival of Arts; First Thursday’s Art Walk; Gallimaufry Performing Arts; Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts; Laguna Community Concert Band; Laguna Beach Live!; Laguna Outreach for Community Arts; Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn.; the MY HERO Project; No Square Theatre; and the Sawdust Art Festival.

Lagunatunes did not receive funding because it had merged with Gallimaufry Performing Arts, which did receive funds.

Funding was not recommended for Community Art Project this year because it proposed a mural at Hagan Place, which is on private land, and could potentially be painted over by subsequent owners.

Laguna Folk Dancers was denied funding because the group, not currently based in Laguna, was thought to have a limited audience.

Opera Pacific, which also is no longer based in Laguna, was not recommended to receive funding because it proposed a one-night event.