In The Arts

Things get spicy at Festival

The Festival of Arts is spicing things up.

The heat is on Sunday, as guests will enjoy a caliente cooking demonstration and flamenco dance performance.

From 1 to 2 p.m., chef Joffrey Lopez continues the “Art of Cooking” series, which features salsa and guacamole recipes. Lopez will show how to choose the perfect vegetables for the dips. Spectators will learn how to prepare the dishes, and they’ll get to taste the results.

Flamenco dancer Claudia de la Cruz will take the festival stage from 3 to 4 p.m. as part of the series “Art In Motion: From Hip Hop to Tango.”

Later, the “Beatles Classic” series continues with Jason Feddy and Friends playing favorite Beatles tunes from 6 to 8 p.m.

The Festival of Arts is at 650 Laguna Canyon Road. For more information, visit https://www.lagunafestivalofarts.com.

*

Collaborative art project begins Aug. 4

A launch party for the “Many Hands Mandala Project” will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 4 at Pure Light Candle Studios, 540 S. Coast Hwy., Suite 202.

“Mandala” means circle or circular image in Sanskrit, according to a news release.

The first event will feature a 4-foot by 4-foot design created by Charlotte Backman of Mandala Visions. Participants can donate $10 or $20 to color in a piece, choosing from more than 100 shapes. Once the pieces are done, Backman will assemble them on a Masonite board and frame it. The finished product will hang at Pure Light until it’s put up in a silent auction.

Proceeds from the first event will go to the Surfrider Foundation.

For more information, visit https://www.purelightcelebrations.com.

*

International art event comes to Laguna

Whelan Art Galleries and The Cottage Gallery have teamed up to co-sponsor the “Night of A Hundred Angels” show, with an opening reception from 6 to 10 p.m. Aug. 20.

The event includes a “live angels” costume contest in downtown Laguna and will end with the artist’s reception at The Cottage Gallery, 1524 S. Coast Hwy.

The exhibit will feature work from artists around the world and various media, including painting, jewelry and sculpture, with an emphasis on the theme of angels, according to a news release. It will be on display until Sept. 20.

Ten percent of the proceeds will go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, according to the news release.

For more information, visit https://www.whelanartgalleries.com.

*

‘Fireborne’ exhibit lands at Studio Arts

In August, Studio Arts Gallery presents “Fireborne,” an exhibit featuring the work of Laguna Beach artists Mary Murray and Ron Dier. An opening reception will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 4 during First Thursday’s Art Walk.

Murray is known for her unique fire-fused glass tableware. Her “Water Worlds” collection includes a table setting heralding the lotus ponds of Mission San Juan Capistrano and a window treatment of coastal kelp forests.

Dier’s fused glass art has made him internationally known as a master in his field, according to a news release.

Studio Arts Gallery is at 1200 S. Coast Hwy., #103A. For more information, visit https://www.studioartslaguna.com or call (949) 376-1619.

*

Create wearable artwork at workshops

A three-week series of jewelry-making workshops will start from 1 to 3 p.m. Aug. 10 at the Susi Q Senior Center, 380 Third St.

Instructor Sherry Salito-Forsen will teach every Wednesday through Aug. 24. She will provide the materials needed to create a necklace and a pair of earrings, but additional materials may be purchased.

The cost for the three sessions is $30, and the classes are for anyone 50 or older.

To sign up, call Patty Koss at (949) 464-9535.

—Kelly Parker