Around Town: Environmental Nature Center is venue for plein air painters’ event

The Environmental Nature Center in Newport Beach will provide acres of subject matter to plein air painters from across the region on June 5 and 6 as the Southern California Plein Air Painters Assn. hosts a two-day Art Show and Sale.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, audiences and art lovers can stroll the 5-acre grounds and watch painters work outdoors creating works in real time. The event will feature art demonstrations, an exhibit and live musical performances by the Sweetwater Creek Band on Saturday and the Velvet Bow String Duo on Sunday.

The Environmental Nature Center is located at 1601 E. 16 St., in Newport Beach. To learn more, visit socalpapa.com or encenter.org.

Fountain Valley presents virtual Memorial Day program

The city of Fountain Valley will hold a virtual Memorial Day program at 10 a.m. Monday.

The West Orange County Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and Auxiliary #9557 will be participating in the event.

For more information, call the Center at Founders Village at (714) 593-4446 or visit fountainvalley.org.

Newport Harbor basketball summer camp to start July 5

The Newport Harbor High School boys’ basketball program will be holding its annual Sailor Basketball Camp beginning July 5.

The camp will run July 5 to 8, from 1 to 3 p.m. at Newport Harbor and is for children in third grade up to eighth grade. The cost is $175, which includes a T-shirt.

For more information, visit newportharborbasketball.net or contact coach Jason Carey at (714) 488-7288 or coachcarey1@cox.net.

Livestream event ‘Better Together’ on June 4 will raise funds for Girls Inc. of O.C.

Girls Inc. of Orange County — which provides in-person and virtual holistic programming for girls from kindergarten to 18 years of age — will host a June 4 virtual event “Better Together” to raise funds for more than 4,000 girls served by the organization.

The livestream experience and online auction takes place at noon. Participants will have a chance to hear directly from Girls Inc. clients who take part in classes and programming centered around STEM, financial literacy, sound body image, healthy relations and college and career readiness.

Founded in 1954, and formerly known as the Harbor Area Girls Club, Girls Inc. has a mission to inspire all girls to be strong, smart and bold and equips girls to navigate gender, economic and social barriers to become healthy, educated and independent adults.

Tickets cost $25. To learn more and register for the June 4 livestream event, visit girlsinc-oc.org/support/upcoming-events.

Laguna Beach Democratic Club guests to speak on climate change

The Laguna Beach Democratic Club will be bringing in Ayn Craciun and Dr. Kathleen Treseder as guest speakers for its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, June 2.

Craciun, an environmentalist from Irvine, and Treseder, a professor of biology at UC Irvine, will present on how the public can help in the battle against climate change.

The virtual meeting can be accessed at thelbdems.com.

“Ayn and Kathleen are motivated and passionate advocates working at the city and county level to advance innovative climate measures,” club board membership chair Aviva Meyers said. “Their work will take us into the modern era in terms of reducing the climate threats Laguna Beach and Orange County face.”

‘Masters at Giving’ program provides Pageant of the Masters tickets for charity

The Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach and the Pageant of the Masters are bringing back “Masters at Giving,” a program that provides tickets to the Pageant for charity.

Added to the list of groups that will be eligible to receive tickets through the program this year are first responders, doctors and hospital workers. The program also helps to provide access to the arts to veterans, senior centers, community outreach groups and more.

Those wishing to participate can purchase tickets in the director’s tier side section of the Irvine Bowl at a cost of $40 per ticket. Donations are tax deductible, and the tickets will be delivered to a local charity.

Groups receiving the tickets will be granted access to “Made in America: Trailblazing Artists and Their Stories,” as well as to the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show.

“We would like to thank past contributors who have provided tickets to these nonprofit and charitable associations,” Sharbie Higuchi, the director of marketing for the Festival of Arts, said in a statement. “Everyone should be able to reconnect and immerse themselves with the arts, and with the help of our patrons and donors we can make this possible this summer.”

The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show begins on July 5, the Pageant of the Masters starts on July 7, and both events run through Sept. 3.

‘The Tower’ documentary on Newport Harbor High to be screened June 6

The Newport Harbor High School Alumni Assn. will be hosting a virtual screening of “The Tower,” a documentary on the history of Newport Harbor High School and the Newport-Mesa community at-large.

The screening will occur through Zoom on Sunday, June 6 and is pay-what-you-can. All proceeds will be going to the organization’s scholarship fund. Interested readers can sign up at NewportHarborAlumni.org/the-tower.

Plant shows coming up in June at Sherman Library & Gardens

Gardening enthusiasts take note: two plant shows are on tap next month at Sherman Library & Gardens in Corona del Mar.

On Father’s Day weekend, June 19 and 20, view a judged show of unique carnivorous plants from around the world.

Vendors will be selling plants and supplies to those interested in carnivorous plants.

On the weekend of June 26 and 27, the gardens will boast a display of specialty fuchsias, hanging and upright shrubs, that will be on sale.

Orange County Fuchsia Society experts will be on hand to answer visitor questions about growing fuchsias. While you’re here, stroll over to the Tea Garden and discover Sherman Gardens’ beautiful fuchsia collection. The Fuchsia Show & Sale is free with garden admission.

Sherman Library & Gardens is located at 2647 E. Coast Hwy., in Corona del Mar. Open daily 10:30 a.m. until 4 pm. For more information, visit thesherman.org or call (949) 673-2261.

New V.P. hired by Landsea Homes, Corp.

Newport Beach-based Landsea Homes, Corp. announced Monday that James Hultz was hired on as the company’s new vice president and will also be acting as senior counsel and head of insurance for the company. Hultz will be heading up the company’s risk management department.

“We are very pleased to welcome [Hultz] to our Landsea Homes team,” said Franco Tenerelli, the chief legal officer, executive vice president and corporate secretary for Landsea Homes in a statement. “[Hultz] has 20 years of experience serving as coverage counsel to a long list of homebuilder clients and his subject matter expertise will greatly contribute to the continued success of Landsea Homes.”

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