Walking and talking art

EYE ON ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Last week’s First Thursday’s Art Walk had to be one of the most

enjoyable art walks I’ve ever experienced. Trotting around with Sian

Poeschl, Sharbie Higuchi and local artist Michele Taylor Heath was a

joy, as was continually running into ever-chipper Mike Tauber at the

different galleries.

After the Brown’s Park art dedication, Pure Color was packed with

members of the arts commission and the Community Art Project board

and a couple of newly elected City Council members. Gallery owner and

photographer Mike Kelly hosted the party. Kelly told interesting

stories about how he got some of his wildlife and wave shots.

Gallery Row in North Laguna was lively, and I absolutely loved

meeting Deborah Paswaters at Marion Meyer Contemporary Art. What an

incredible artist and person -- she has great energy and is very

talented.

Her new exhibit ,”Light,” is showing at the gallery through

December with a special performance on Dec. 7 by Paswaters’ Mandala

Dancework at 7 p.m. It will add a three-dimensional art element that

flows well with her creative pieces.

Marion Cuddyer, of course, was a pleasure, as was Suzanne

Greenwood, who is a co-owner of the new gallery Greenwood Chebithes,

next to Peter Blake’s gallery on North Coast Highway.

SAWDUST WINTER

FANTASY OPENS NOV. 23

Put on your snow gear and bundle up for the winter wonderland that

is the Sawdust Art Festival’s Winter Fantasy. The art show opens

Saturday, Nov. 23, and runs for four weekends -- Nov. 23 and 24, Nov.

29 to Dec. 1, Dec. 7 and 8 and Dec. 14 and 15.

Rebecca Meekma was thrilled to announce that opening day will be

free for Laguna Beach residents from 3 to 7 p.m. Mayor Wayne Baglin

will light the community tree at 5 p.m. Entertainment will be

provided by the Top of the World Honor Chorus, the Scarlett Sisters

Acrobatics and others.

The Winter Fantasy features more than 150 Laguna Beach artists

representing every type of medium.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Sawdust Festival is at 935 Laguna

Canyon Road. For more information, call 494-3030 or visit

www.sawdustartfestival.org.

TONIGHT AT DIANE

DEBILZAN GALLERY

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to celebrate the Diane DeBilzan

Gallery’s one-year anniversary while enjoying great new art exhibits

and helping charity. From 6 to 10 p.m. today, the gallery will be

showing the new works of William DeBilzan, Louis Longi and John

Geldersma. The anniversary event will feature a cocktail reception,

hors d’oeuvres and a special dance performance. Proceeds go to the

Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center. The gallery is at 224

Forest Ave. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. For more

information, call Diane DeBilzan at 497-5757.

[SEVEN-DEGREES] HEATS

UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS

Allison Ahlfeldt, [seven-degrees] marketing director, announced

that the gallery will have its Holiday Designer Jewelry Exhibit from

Nov. 29 through Dec. 26. Participating artists whose jewelry will be

for sale include: Sonja Bradley, Kathleen Croxton, Ernestine Raab

Green, Barbara Hendricks and Dora Wexell. [seven-degrees] is at 891

Laguna Canyon Road and will have extended holidays hours from 11 a.m.

to 6 p.m. For more information, call 376-1555.

FITZ MAURICE AND NICK HERNANDEZ ART EXHIBIT

Artists Fitz Maurice and Nick Hernandez are having an exhibit at

Len’s Wine Cite, which will run through Jan. 7.

Maurice is a local artist known internationally for her paintings

and drawings, and Hernandez is an accomplished sculptor.

Len’s Wine Cite is at 303 Broadway in the Broadway Plaza. For more

information about the exhibit, call Len’s at 376-2215.

PAGEANT THEME ONE

FOR ALL SEASONS

The theme for this summer’s Pageant of the Master’s will be

“SEASONS,” which will provide an array of artworks that are in Diane

Challis Davy’s research scrapbook of art she’s found interesting.

It will be the Pageant’s 70th Anniversary, as always offering in

living pictures artwork that evokes special memories from the past.

As marketing director Sharbie Higuchi explains, the Pageant will

be a light-hearted meditation on art’s relationship to time and the

milestones along the way. Also highlighted is a theme within the

theme, giving tribute to the different seasons of nature.

Tickets go on sale Dec. 3 and can be purchased by calling

494-11245 or (800) 487-3378

* SUZIE HARRISON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline

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