Thanks from the Sawdust Festival Recently the...

Thanks from the Sawdust Festival

Recently the Sawdust Art Festival’s Artist Benevolence Fund held

its annual Summer Art Auction and we would like to thank the Laguna

Beach community for its amazing support of this event.

From the artists who donated works to the local press and the

wonderful patrons who attended (and bought at) the auction, this town

came together to make this summer’s auction our most successful ever.

Thank you. And see you Dec. 7 for our Winter Auction at the

Sawdust’s Winter Fantasy. For additional information on the Sawdust’s

Benevolence Fund which helps artists in times of need, please call

(949) 494-3030.

SHERRY BULLARD, JOHN

EAGLE AND MIKE HEINTZ,

Trustees,

Sawdust Art Festival

Benevolence Fund,

Laguna Beach

Outsiders make the festival go ‘round

I currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Festival of

Arts of Laguna Beach and serve as the chairman of the Planning and

Finance Committees.

There have been numerous charges in editorial letters that

“outsiders” have too much influence on the festival. The community

should remember that without outsiders, there would not be a Festival

or Pageant. The co-founders and leaders of the Committee to Keep the

Festival of Arts in Laguna Beach were both festival exhibiting

artists from Laguna Niguel (Dianne Reardon and Bruce Rasner).

Although other Laguna Beach residents stepped in to help later, these

two carried the burden of keeping the festival in Laguna Beach.

Outsiders are the heart and soul of the pageant. Our 450 pageant

volunteers come from as far away as Lake Elsinore and Pasadena each

night to make the pageant the incredible show that we all enjoy each

year. The cast this past year had about 50 people (12%) from Laguna Beach, with the rest from throughout Southern California. Even the

festival artists are from many areas outside of Laguna Beach.

The majority of our members are from outside of Laguna Beach

(7,400 total members with about 2,500 in Orange County and less than

700 (9%) in Laguna Beach. Further, ticket sales to Laguna Beach

residents are a small fraction of total ticket sales. We are lucky to

have outsiders supporting the festival and pageant. If I as a

resident am characterized as an outsider, I am proud to be associated

with my fellow outsiders that help make the festival and pageant the

wonderful asset they are to our community.

BOB DIETRICH

Laguna Beach

Rasner is a friend of the festival

With all the controversy swirling around the Festival of Arts this

summer, many positives were overlooked. Worse yet, rumors and

misinformation were passed along as fact. This hurt the image of the

festival, as well as individual board members.

Taking the heat was festival board President Bruce Rasner. He was

unfairly accused of blocking artist meetings when no meetings were

blocked, signing agreements that were never signed and actually

having the nerve to bring an upscale food venue on to the grounds.

(OK that part is true. Zov’s offered wonderful food and Sunday

cooking demonstrations.)

He was accused of robbing potential artists the opportunity of

showing their work in favor of a guest artist spot. In reality there

were five more artists in the show this year, and our guest artists

was gracious enough to give her time and good name to the festival

and pageant.

Rasner was instrumental in negotiating a 40-year lease with the

city. “Books Live!” with a sold out audience at its premier brought a

new crowd on the grounds. Audio tours were added, giving the public

the opportunity to hear individual artists discuss their work as they

viewed the show. A volunteer docent program was added. The grounds

and exhibition space have never looked better.

This winter the pageant workshops will be rebuilt, ensuring a safe

work environment for Pageant employees. The long-term plans have been

prioritized with the input of the city, festival staff and interested

artists.

Instead of vilifying Rasner, we should be thanking him and hoping

he will continue working so hard for us in the future. He deserves

our vote for re-election to the festival board. Let’s not forget,

without him we’d be in San Clemente right now!

KATE RIEGLER

Laguna Beach

14-year exhibitor, member

Visioning and Planning

Committee, member Committee

to Keep the Festival of the Arts in

Laguna Beach

I am dismayed and saddened by the public vilification of Bruce

Rasner, artist, attorney and dedicated board member of the Laguna

Festival of Arts. I have know Rasner since the wars to keep the

Festival in Laguna Beach. No one worked harder in that effort than

Rasner. He used all of his skills and most of his time fighting the

move out of town.

Since that successful battle, Rasner has made an unusual effort to

get to know the larger Laguna community while also supporting the

festival’s plans to upgrade this wonderful facility, which serves our

local artists so well.

His actions have supported refurbishing the Forum Theater,

building the new storm drain, the new production facilities (did any

of you see how horrible they were?), participated in Civic Arts

District planning, inaugurated the docent program at the festival and

co-chaired the negotiating committee for the lease with the city.

During all of this found time to support his family and to turn out

some fine paintings, attend Vision Committee meetings and other local

events.

He was truly the right man in the right place when we needed him.

Now, that that battle has been won, he is being vilified by some

members of this community. No one deserves to be re-elected to the

Festival Board of Directors more than Bruce Rasner.

And, by the way, do we wonder why newcomers are sometimes

reluctant to serve our city, join our clubs and organizations?

Perhaps, they witness what happens to others.

ANNE JOHNSON

Laguna Beach

Employee parking lot is an eyesore

I waited until the crowds of people who came to check out the

Montage Resort and Spa had gone. Then I walked the project the other

day and I must admit, although it is big, it could have been a lot

worse. The craftsman style helps to break up the massing of the

buildings. The lobby and the adjoining shops are understated and have

a human scale. The entire thing looks like an old East Coast hotel

from the early 1900s. Nevermind that the buildings are built of steel

studs and sheetrock.

Since the resort opened I have noticed something else: All the

resort employees park in a huge lot across and up Coast Highway. I

thought that the extensive reviews, planning meetings, etc. would

have produced something better than a “Cal Worthington” used car lot

solution for employee parking.

If you have driven by it you know how tacky this present situation

is. While I walked the beautiful grounds of the resort I saw 14

grass, well-watered lots for sale with access roads. How about using

lots 13 and 14 for employee parking? They could even make it

underground and put a garden on top.

This would make the Montage Resort a truly responsible neighbor to

the surrounding area. In the meantime I have a car I want to sell. Do

you suppose I could use their lot?

JOHN PFEFFER

Laguna Beach

The Coastline Pilot is eager to run your letters. If your letter

does not appear, it may be because of space restrictions, and the

letter will likely appear next week.