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vote rescinded a 5-4 June vote in closed session that authorized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.