The Walk of the town

Suzie Harrison

On the first Thursday of each month, art enthusiasts can be seen

enjoying the diversity of Laguna Beach’s many galleries, appreciating

the newest pieces and featured artists.

The bustling galleries and crowds of people don’t just pop up

spontaneously, they are lured to Laguna as part of First Thursday Art

Walk, started in 1998, which has become a tradition that draws crowds

of approximately 4,000 people in the summer and 2,000 in the winter

months.

The concept was cooked up between city arts coordinator Sian

Poeschl and artist and gallery owner William DeBilzan. They had been

impressed with Seattle’s and San Francisco’s famed art walks and had

a conversation about making it happen here on Gallery Row in North

Laguna.

“We had a unique situation, that all the galleries were close to

each other and within walking distance,” Poeschl said. “So Bill and I

went to every gallery on Gallery Row.”

They asked the galleries to participate, and it proved to be a

success, drawing a crowd of 200 people.

“The following day, I received about 15 calls from galleries

asking me why they weren’t involved,” Poeschl said.

The next month all the galleries were asking to participate.

“There’s a cross-section of galleries, from contemporary, abstract

to seascapes, photography and sculpture,” Poeschl said. “It’s

inclusive of all the art genres.”

In March of 1998, it became a citywide art walk, with more than 40

galleries participating. It has remained at that level since.

Peter Blake’s gallery is on Gallery Row and has been a part of

First Thursday’s Art Walk since its inception.

“All I can say is that I am really pleased that four years later

it’s well attended by people who are genuinely involved,” Blake said.

“Some art walks can have a frat party atmosphere, this doesn’t and

that’s important.”

The art walk became a nonprofit organization in April and elected

a board whose members volunteer their time to the organization,

facilitating and organizing each month, Poeschl said.

From the beginning, there have been pre-events and post-art walk

events, with the first after-party in DeBilzan’s studio in the

canyon.

“After the galleries closed at 9 p.m., people could still enjoy

the wealth of cultural arts in the city,” Poeschl said.

With each year, First Thursday’s Art Walk grows and becomes

increasingly social.

“It’s a very social occasion,” Poeschl said. “You’ll see council

members. We’ve had television coverage.

“The biggest compliment has come from the organizers from

Seattle’s art walk, who came to see what all the commotion was

about,” he said. “They were very impressed with what’s been happening

down here.

“The past five years we’ve had some tremendous highlights. Within

the first six months Bianchi Vineyards, which is owned by a Laguna

local, came on board as the official sponsor, every month giving 30

cases of wine to the art walk.”

The next year, First Thursday’s Art Walk received funding from the

city, Festival of the Arts and the Laguna Board of Realtors and

started including performing arts.

“Really, from the beginning, there’s been the involvement of music

and dance,” Poeschl

California Choreographers Dance Festival started performing dance

in the galleries working with the visual arts and creating dance as

an art instrument.

“That gave rise to CCDF becoming its own organization,” Poeschl

said. “You could see dance created the atmosphere of a whole

cultural, festive evening.”

Poeschl told the story one of the first dance performances, which

included throwing eggs with pink dye in them at a wall.The dye

splattered all over DeBilzan’s paintings -- the crowd loved it, and

he sold his paintings.

“It makes the arts very accessible,” Poeschl said. “Ultimately the

objective was to ensure how to address the waning attendance at

galleries. I think it’s been able to do that.”

Other highlights include its third anniversary in 2001.

“We rented a crane and suspended Sasha Fedortchev -- he’s a Cirque

du Soleil [performer] -- over the Richard MacDonald sculpture

garden,” Poeschl said. “And because everyone enjoyed it so much we

did it for our fourth anniversary at the Festival of Arts.”

This year the Art Walk has received a full grant from Arts Orange

County for marketing and audience development.

Poeschl stressed that the art walk is a collaborative effort.

“It would be misleading to say First Thursday’s Art Walk is

facilitated by one person or an individual,” Poeschl said. “To make

it happen it takes a whole group of people who volunteer their time

to help with marketing, memberships and special events.”

She said that everyone commits to working lots of hours every

month.

“It’s always what are we doing next month -- the big thing is what

are we going to do, what exciting thing do we have planned,” Poeschl

said.

Participating galleries contribute financially every month to pay

for advertising, the free shuttle service during art walk and for

their four-color brochure.

The event also has a Web site, www.firstthursdaysartwalk.com.

“There’s strength in numbers and the art walk has certainly proven

that,” Poeschl said.

First Thursday’s Art Walk is held the first Thursday of every

month from 6 to 9 p.m. with new events and artist receptions each

month.

Free shuttle service is available to the galleries.

Information: 497-0716.

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. She may be reached at 494-4321 or suzie.harrison@latimes.com.