Festival officials expect to capitalize on Seymour exhibit

Barbara Diamond

Movie and TV star Jane Seymour is neither the first -- and probably

not the last -- celebrity to have artwork shown at the Festival of

Arts.

“I consider it to be a real public relations coup to bring her

onto the grounds,” said Sally Reeve, festival publicist from 1968 to

1992. “She is so well-known and well-liked, she will attract people

to the Festival who will then see the work of the other exhibitors.”

“Names make news” is an old newspaper adage. Celebrity names make

more news, which is why worthy causes and manufacturers seek

celebrity endorsements or representation in ads and commercials. And

that was the point of inviting Seymour to display her art at the 2003

show, Festival officials said.

“On a promotional level, our goal is to increase attendance on the

grounds and exposure for the artists,” said Steven Brezzo, the

Festival’s executive director. “We have numerous ideas and

promotional concepts to do that, among them inviting guest artists

whom the public will find appealing.

Brezzo said Seymour’s exhibit has been well received by the

public, despite criticism and objections by some Festival exhibitors.

“She is a sweet and gracious lady, but her art is not of the

caliber shown here,” said Anne England, one of the festival

exhibitors who protested Seymour’s booth. “Her art is a hobby.”

Seymour has been painting for 10 years and sells her work.

However, England said it was as inappropriate for Seymour to be in

the Festival as it would be for England to go to Hollywood to be an

actress.

Reeve said England was missing the point.

“I consider Seymour’s presence a big advantage to the artists,”

Reeve said. “I would have done the same thing if I had opportunity.

You always want to do things to bring more people to the grounds,

particularly on weekdays.”

England complained that Seymour was taking up space that could

have gone to a professional artist, who would have had to endure the

jury process, as did the other exhibitors.

Artists submit their work to a jury, which decides who can exhibit

and who can’t. The process was found so appalling by a splinter group

of local artists more than 30 years ago that they rebelled and began

the Sawdust Festival. Another group of artists split off to create

Art-a-Fair, which is juried, but does not have a residency

requirement.

During her tenure at the Festival, Reeve brought in an unjuried

Egyptian sculptor.

“He would sculpt a head right on the spot,” Reeve said. “People

loved him and they talked about him, which brought in more people.”

Celebrities can attract a wider audience, some more than others,

often depending on the location.

Politicians’ names are golden in Washington, D.C. Broadway stage

actors are sought after in New York. In any major league city,

members of basketball, baseball or football teams are asked to lend

their names to worthy causes or to chair events. Hollywood is the

draw in Southern California.

Elizabeth Taylor has attracted huge crowds the past two years to

the fund-raisers for the Laguna Art Museum’s and the AIDS Services

Foundation.

And Seymour’s presence isn’t ground-breaking.

“We’ve had guest artists before,” said David Young, first

appointed to the Festival board in 1954.

Crowds were lured to the festival in 1953 by a celebrity exhibit

sponsored by Gladys Lloyd Robinson, wife of actor Edward G. Robinson.

“The Art of Celebrities Gallery” on the grounds featured works by

a phalanx of Hollywood luminaries that included the late Clair

Trevor, actress and stepmother of Donald Bren, and the Robinsons. The

exhibit also showcased works by Henry Fonda, Deborah Kerr, Ginger

Rogers, Steven Longstreet, Ira Gershwin, Arlene Dahl, Harold Lloyd,

Lionel Barrymore, Claudette Colbert, Harpo Marx, Clifton Webb, Lew

Ayres, Van Johnson, Benay Venuta, Olivia de Havilland and Corrine

Griffith.

The next year, Fred MacMurray, Vincent Price, Michael Wilding,

Jeanne Crain, George Montgomery, Dinah Shore, Barbara Reed, Bea

Lillie, Piper Laurie, Jose Ferrer, Kurt Kasner, John Barrymore, John

Dekker and Cornel Wilde exhibited, along with some of the previous

year’s artists.

“If memory serves me, they were not allowed to sell their work,”

Young said.

Guest artist Seymour also is not allowed to sell any of her art

exhibited at the 2003 show. Not a problem. She has plenty of other

outlets. Saks Inc. will be featuring her art and her clothing and

home decorating lines in its stores.

“This whole thing could have been resolved by putting up a sign at

her booth saying ‘Guest Artist,’” Young said. “It’s what we have done

before, and she wouldn’t have minded.”

The controversy over the Seymour exhibit went public after a

contentious Festival board meeting held July 9.

“We didn’t even know until opening night that she was in the

show,” said England, who also opposed a board decision to continue

investigating the possibility of licensing the Pageant of the Masters

to other locales. “She is out of her depth here. It would be

different if it was Tony Bennett. He can paint.

“A board election is coming up. Some changes will be made.”

No opposition has been expressed to the participation of Seymour

and her husband, James Keach, to kick off the festival’s new reading

series, called Books Live! Prose Performed by Pros. Tickets are $20

and include a reception. Seating is limited.

“We are thrilled,” Festival marketing director Sharbie Higuchi

said.

The Golden Globe- and Emmy-winning actress, a recipient of the

Order of the British Empire bestowed by Queen Elizabeth II, will host

the fifth Annual Pageant of the Masters Gala, set for Aug. 30. The

proceeds, expected to exceed the $200,000 raised in 2002, benefit the

festival of Arts Building Fund.

No complaints about that, either.

For more information about tickets for the reading series or the

gala, call 494-1145.

* EDITOR’S NOTE: Historical information for this story came from

old Festival of Arts Programs.