Looking forward to star-filled fun

SUZIE HARRISON

Holy head spin there are many variables whirling about, changing

what’s going on -- on many levels. First there is the complete flip

of sauna-like conditions experienced last week to the arctic air we

are now feeling. Don’t get me wrong, I am a snow-bunny at heart, but

the manic swings make it hard to make a wardrobe judgment.

Another change is the quick segue of ads from Halloween to

Christmas. Sure it’s following on the cold front pattern, which makes

it seem all right. But the change in less than a week makes me feel

like I am in some different time dimension when I turn on my TV and

am greeted with holiday scenes. Yes, I am the adventurous type, I am

the one who jumps right into a pool or body of water without the slow

easing maneuver -- but when it comes to all the ho-ho-ho telling me I

better go-go-go shopping now messages ... that’s not me so much.

There’s no need to rush into the holidays.

Of course, I’ll get ahead of myself now because I just can’t wait

until the Art for AIDS III benefit. It’s not until Feb. 7 but the

celebrity guest list is quite impressive.

SEEING STARS FOR LAM

Barbra Streisand, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Sharon Stone, Cher, Carrie

Fisher, Penny Marshall, Jackson Browne, Barry Manilow, Priscilla

Presley, Merv Griffin and artist Billy Bengston. I have to admit for

the record that when it comes to celebrities the two I have really

wanted to see are Barbra Streisand and Sharon Stone, both are

brilliant women. So there’s my confession. Petty is going to perform

a live concert at the Laguna Art Museum co-sponsored event. It’s

going to be phenomenal and I’ll chat more about it later.

CAP TO UNVEIL SCULPTURE

Sunday at 3 p.m. Community Art Project will be unveiling a new

sculpture at their sculpture site outside Wells Faro Bank on Ocean

Avenue. The life-sized sculpture, “Wolf [Female],” was created by

Sharon Loper and is cast in bronze with a textured surface and green

patina.

“My figures and images are basically vehicles to express private

thoughts,” Loper said. “With a deep respect for nature, I use it as a

channel to allude to philosophical ideas that encompass aspects of

man.”

She said that the figurative pieces are archetypes that pull into

themselves and become more intense as the work progresses.

The events are usually well attended by CAP members and prove to

be educational on the topic of art in Laguna.

Mayor Toni Iseman will speak at the event Sunday. There will also

be a wine and cheese reception for CAP members. An added bonus is

that Native American flute prodigy Evren Ozan will be playing.

Loper’s sculpture will be the second piece at this site. CAP

rotates sculptures at the location in an effort to increase the

visibility and appreciation of public art in Laguna Beach.

PALETTE WINNERS NAMED

The winners for the 2003 palette competition have been announced

and the winners are Joan Corman, Sue Thompson, Diann Ocean, Lynn

Kubasek and DE Brown.

In order to make their final choices the arts commission reviewed

31 entries for the annual competition. The palettes are original

works of arts displayed throughout the city during the holiday

season, a tradition that has been going on since 1966.

Corman and Thompson are both Sawdust Art Festival exhibitors and

are very talented. For more information, call arts manager Sian

Poeschl at (949) 497-0722.

* SUZIE HARRISON may be reached at (949) 494-4321 or

suzie.harrison@latimes.com.