Festival keeps options open
Mike Swanson
Members of the Festival of Arts board of directors stressed this week
that their unanimous vote at a July 9 meeting supported only
listening to a Hollywood talent agency’s plan to take the Pageant of
the Masters on tour, as they sought to explain an idea that has
angered many artists and Laguna residents.
However, board member Scott Moore went further, saying the 6-0
vote rescinded a 5-4 June vote in closed session that authorized
exclusive discussions between Festival Executive Director Steve
Brezzo and International Creative Management about expanding the
Pageant and taking it on tour beyond Laguna’s city limits. The latest
vote, Moore said, supports a non-exclusive relationship between the
Festival and any agency interested in discussing expansion prospects
on a case-by-case basis.
“What the vote did was tell ICM, along with any other company,
that they can bring whatever [proposal] they want to us, then we’ll
listen and discuss whether their proposal is good for the Festival
and Laguna,” Moore said. “That really isn’t any different from how
it’s been the last 70 years.”
Board President Bruce Rasner, who cast the tiebreaker in the June
vote, said the latest vote showed the board was more open-minded
about opportunities that could help pay for much-needed Festival
improvements. Rasner added that five of the six votes came from
Laguna Beach residents, which he considered important in response to
some residents’ suggestions that an all-Laguna Festival board would
never consider authorizing a pageant anywhere but in Laguna Beach.
“I’m not real clear as to why people are objecting to us listening
to ideas,” Rasner said. “They may never bring us a project that’s
worth talking about. An unwillingness to listen runs contrary to the
otherwise enlightened attitude in this city. We can’t afford to
ignore the future.”
Bob Dietrich and David Young weren’t present for the 6-0 vote, and
Rasner only votes to break ties.
Moore said he voted for the measure because of the change from
exclusive to nonexclusive discussions with International Creative
Management on a case-by-case basis, not because he changed his mind
about licensing the Pageant.
“If ICM or anyone else brings a licensing arrangement to the
board, I’ve made it pretty clear that I won’t support it,” Moore
said. “Steve [Brezzo] can talk to any firm out there that might be
interested in an off-season exhibition, and those things have been
offered in the past.”
Young, the senior member of the board, said he remembers four or
five agencies having unsuccessfully offered to team up with the
Festival in the last 50 years, and he isn’t worried about what he
deems the latest threat.
“The real great thing about the Festival is that it’s Laguna,”
Young said. “They’re trying to make it different and talking about
this and that needing to be renovated. The Festival looks to me like
it’s in the best shape it’s ever been.”
Rasner and board member John Campbell disagreed, citing needs to
rebuild workshops and to build a new evacuation tunnel, as directed
by the fire department, as the most pressing financial issues. Rasner
added that the Festival’s 40-year lease with the city calls for
millions more in gradual improvements intended to increase the
Festival’s allure.
Among Rasner’s plans is an art museum housing permanent
collections that would replace the tennis courts on Festival grounds.
“We need to either continue redeveloping the grounds and programs
or stop what we’re doing because there aren’t enough funds to do it,”
Rasner said. “Booth and ticket fees won’t be enough.
“It’s a nonstarter, however, with ICM or anybody else who makes an
offer, that we’d consider accepting something that diminished or
diluted the Festival during July or August,” he said. “Any project
that could be considered would never be considered that took away
resources to the Festival here.”
Artist Kate Riegler said she supports efforts to improve the
Festival, adding that few artists support Young’s desire to hail the
Festival as a country fair.
“Listening is good. Discussion is good,” Riegler said. “I’d like
to hear more discussions among the board, artists, volunteers and
anyone else who loves the Festival. Everyone needs to do a better job
of communicating.”
Campbell said the board’s closed June meeting should have been
open to keep everyone informed about its relationship with
International Creative Management, but most people left before the
board discussed the agency at its July 9 open meeting.
“A lot of people tell me they won’t come to the meetings because
they’re boring,” Campbell said. “We had about two hours of open
session [at the July 9 meeting]. ... Once we announced we were going
to talk about finance, nearly everyone left and missed our open
discussion about ICM.
“We’re intending to talk more candidly in open session about what
we’re doing.”
Licensing isn’t the only way to raise money for the Festival,
Campbell said. He cited merchandise revenue, restaurant income,
special-event fees and grants as other sources, but among those, only
substantial grants would make a significant contribution toward
renovation.
“A $10-million or $15-million gift would be nice,” Campbell said.
Judging from his experience on the board and as the husband of an
artist who’s exhibited at the Festival for 25 years, Campbell said
that if something is done through “nontraditional means” to raise
money for the Festival, people shouldn’t expect anything soon.
“One thing about Festival history I’ve noticed is that nothing
happens quickly around here,” Campbell said.
* MIKE SWANSON is a reporter for the Laguna Beach Coastline Pilot.
He can be reached at 494-4321 or mike.swanson@latimes.com.
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