Celebrating and having a ball

The Laguna Art Museum is borrowing from the tradition of Carnival in

Venice to celebrate its 85th anniversary. The Masquerade Ball will be

held May 17 at the museum.

“The spring events change every year, one year we had a lingerie

fashion show, casino night and one event was the re-creation of the

Casa Blanca film,” museum director Bolton Colburn said. “There’s

quite a history, and this year with the costume theme, we’ve really

been gearing up.”

Local musician John Heussenstamm will be perform while guests dine

and dance.

A “Venetian Auction” of masks created by 20 local artists will top

off the evening, as well as a silent auction of prizes including

weekend getaways, a dinner for 10 in the wine cellar at Hotel Laguna

and round-trip airline tickets for two.

“We’re very excited about the guests,” said Mary Barnes,

development director for the museum. “There are a couple of gentlemen

who went to the real Venice Carnival, they’ll be bringing real flavor

with their costumes.”

Barnes said that the costumes have to be seen and experienced to

get the full benefit of the evening.

“It will have that real carnival atmosphere, it’s a little

different than Mardi Gras, a different flavor, with the Venetian live

auction, dancing to that carnival beat and the delicious food,”

Barnes said.

A pre-event party at a Laguna Beach home will be catered by Mark’s

Restaurant, honoring and recognizing special friends of the museum

whose long term support has been instrumental in helping the museum

stay in Laguna Barnes explained.

“It will be kind of a sunset patio dinner, celebrating these

outstanding individuals -- Janet Cartwright, June and Art Fong,

Marshy and Ray Hernacki, the Jahraus family, Jack Kenefick, Carole

Reynolds, Vern Spitilari and Patsy Tartiglia,” Barnes said.

The ball will start at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the pre-event dinner

are $175 per person and $65 for the Masquerade Ball. Laguna Art

Museum is at 307 Cliff Drive. For information, call 494-8971.