Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational

Tonight it the Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational gala event at the Laguna Beach Art Museum.

http://lagunaartmuseum.org/pleinair

See you there tonight.
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Each year Laguna Beach, a famous seaside community and historic artist colony, turns into an outdoor studio with the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational. This event showcases fifty of the nation’s top plein air landscape painters who compete for prestigious prizes and participate in theweek-long festivities including public paint outs, environmental awareness activities, and educational events. Culminating with the Collectors’ Soirée and Public Art Show & Sale at Laguna Art Museum, this event celebrates the artistic legacy of Laguna Beach.
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“We are committed to making the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational the most prestigious and vibrant event of its kind in the nation,” said Laguna Art Museum’s Board President Robert Hayden III. “The invitational is already beloved by the community because of exciting events like the morning Quick Draw in Heisler Park, where you can stroll amongst artists as they create small masterworks. This year we’ve added even more events to make this a more highly engaging community affair. Over the next few years we anticipate this event growing exponentially and attracting locals and visitors to Laguna Beach to participate in this week-long celebration of the many painters working today that capture the spirit of the California landscape as did the early Laguna Beach plein air artists in whose spirit the Laguna Art Museum continues today.”
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This year, in recognition of Laguna Beach’s renowned landscape and marine environment, the 13th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational endeavors to support the important role plein air painters play in depicting and creating awareness about endangered landscapes in a time of climate change and other environmental threats. With the importance of these environmental issues in mind, this year’s Invitational has adopted “Sea, Sage, and Sustainability” as its theme.
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This week will feature numerous environmental awareness events and educational plein air activities in collaboration with other Laguna Beach organizations. These events include a Kids’ Paint Out led by local plein air artist Rick Delanty, an environmental awareness lecture at Laguna Art Museum, private tours of Laguna Canyon Foundation, a fine art lecture with Mr. Jean Stearn (Executive Director of The Irvine Museum), a Next Generation Paint Out with students from Laguna College of Art + Design, a paint out at Crystal Cove State Park sponsored by Crystal Cove Alliance Art Council, andoutdoor artist demonstrations with select participating artists.
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“LPAPA and Laguna Art Museum are deepening and expanding our longstanding collaborative ties by reaffirming the historical role of plein air painters in establishing the museum almost a century ago, and creating the cultural heritage that is the essence of Laguna Beach,” said LPAPA President Greg Vail. “The 2011 Invitational focuses more than ever on engaging our local community, which in turn strengthens our nationwide reach and attraction. This year’s theme, “Sea, Sage and Sustainability”, emphasizes the crucial role plein air artists play in portraying and communicating the value of our cherished—and endangered—landscapes and seascapes. The protection of these resources is vital to the fundamental quality of our lives.”
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All events throughout the week are free and open to the public except for the Collectors’ Soirée on Saturday, October 15 which is a ticketed event. Tickets are $125 for museum members and $150 for non-members, and can be purchased onlineor by contacting Laguna Art Museum.