Artists Disagree Over Laguna Festival’s Image : Arts: About two dozen participants opposed to sculptor David Sabaroff’s comments about the event say he is presenting it in a negative light.

LAGUNA BEACH —  About two dozen artists who take part in the annual Laguna Festival of the Arts disagree with recent public criticism of the event, according to a longtime festival exhibitor.

Painter and printmaker Jonathon Owen said Thursday that he contacted the artists after reading press accounts of comments by sculptor David Sabaroff, a member of a small coalition upset that the summer art exhibit and sale is promoted as a commercial, tourist attraction rather than a fine-art event, and is not taken seriously in the art world.

“Though we all support the idea of change, the image of the festival Sabaroff is (presenting) is a negative image and discounts the many positive . . . things occurring right now,” said Owen, who has participated in the festival for nine years. “Our object as professional artists is to sell to make a living, and we can do that very well within the festival.”

Owen said that he, like Sabaroff, was one of 84 artists who signed a petition last summer asking the festival board to hire an outside promoter to enhance and define the image of the event, begun in the 1930s. (The nature of this petition was incorrectly described in a Calendar story on Thursday.)

But Owen said that he and other artists disagree with Sabaroff’s characterization of the festival, which he said implies that “we are not good enough.” He is concerned that Sabaroff’s opinions are overshadowing the opposing ones.

Owen told The Times in 1986 that he did not consider the festival to be “the place to see the best art.” But Thursday, he called it “an exhibition of the very best quality art from the local community.

“It is a tourist attraction. Of course it is. But it is also an educational experience and a cross-section of things.”

Furthermore, festival board members and artists have been meeting to discuss improvements to the festival, Owen said. Painter Pat Sullivan, who attended one of the meetings on Tuesday, said “the main thing is that most of the artists want to see an overall enhancement of the festival. (We want to do) whatever we can to stimulate the public to see us.”

Among the ideas being considered are continuing docent tours launched last year and presenting “art films or performance artists or interesting and unique music or dance groups” at the Forum Theatre across Laguna Canyon Road from the festival on festival grounds, Sullivan said.

“Antiquated” ground rules, such as one forbidding artists from painting their display booths on the premises, also were discussed, she added.

Owen said Thursday that he disagrees with Sabaroff that attendance at last summer’s festival was down from past years. “There were more people on the grounds than before,” he said.

Sabaroff, who said he reviewed attendance records from the past four years, has claimed that the festival board reported a false increase in an effort to deflect criticism. Board Chairman David Young has denied the claim.

Festival spokeswoman Sally Reeve said this week that audited figures are not yet available and that no festival officials would comment on attendance.

Sabaroff said Thursday that he welcomes Owen’s “opposition” as an opportunity for dialogue, and he praised the discussions Sullivan described. “Part of the problem in the past is that nobody has done anything,” he said.