Festive occasion

Suzie Harrison

Photographer Steve Nozicka was nothing but smiles when he talked

about being accepted to exhibit his work at the Festival of Arts this

summer.

“When I first found out I was accepted I thought, oh gosh, I need

a lot of prints,” Nozicka said. “It was exciting -- it’s so new I’m

taking it one day at a time.”

At a recent preview, festival staff rolled out the red carpet and

gave a sneak peek of all the work that will be on display for the

next couple months.

The festival has been a success since it started in 1932 and is

the longest running outdoor art exhibition in California. Art

aficionados are eagerly anticipating the opening day on July 5.

Nozicka is one of 21 new exhibitors at the show. The Festival of

Arts is a juried show where a little more than 140 artists vie for

the distinction to exhibit.

“I mostly shoot black and white landscapes in the U.S. I’m just

trying to make beautiful pictures of our beautiful country,” Nozicka

said.

Every medium is displayed at the festival, including painting,

sculpture, drawing, ceramics, jewelry, glass, woodwork and more. Each

piece is original artwork.

Artist Mada Leach has been exhibiting for 22 years and also

teaches classes on the grounds.

“During the run of the show, activities are going on all the time

here,” Leach said. “I’ll be teaching mixed media, Anne England is

teaching printmaking and Monica Dunham [Raku] ceramics.”

Daily adult workshops will teach many art genres to every skill

level. Some have a low fee while some of the general art workshops

are free with admission.

England and Leach were co-founders of Laguna Outreach Community

Arts, a coalition of arts educators, professional artists and

advocates interested and involved in arts education.

This will be the first year they will be a part of the festival.

“We’re looking forward to LOCA and the festival teaming up

together,” Leach said. “The [Festival of Arts] foundation has

supported LOCA since the beginning so it’s apropos that Sharbie

[Higuchi] and LOCA are intertwined a little bit.”

Festival marketing and public relations director Sharbie Higuchi

has helped with this marriage and is the newly appointed co-president

of Laguna Outreach Community Arts board.

“Our mission is to promote activities that encourage the

appreciation, study and performance of the arts,” Higuchi said.

“Everything we do at the festival, even our special events and

Pageant of the Masters production, focuses on arts and education with

an entertaining twist.”

Youth education workshops are every Wednesday from July 14 to Aug.

18 for children ages five through eight and a separate class for

youth ages nine through 13. These classes are taught by professional

festival artists, who teach their area or expertise, offering a

different medium at each class.

Another popular attraction is the Festival of Arts Junior Art

Exhibition. More than 6,000 pieces were submitted by kindergarten

through 12th-grade artists. The juried process resulted in 300 works

to be exhibited in the junior exhibitors area.

This youth exhibit was first opened to young artists about 35

years ago to encourage the efforts of a younger generation of

artists.

Besides the art workshops and demonstrations, the festival will

offer entertainment including visual and performance arts with

special concerts and events.

One favorite is “Walk on the Wild Side,” with wildlife artist

Chris Hoy. It’s a wild kingdom of sorts with a menagerie of animals.

“We’ll have at least 30 different animals, some really exotic,”

Hoy said. “This is our third year and we’re having more than ever.”

Other special themed days will happen throughout the summer

including Asian Arts Day, Surf’s Up and Hawaiian Cultural Day.

The Festival of Arts runs daily from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. through

Aug. 28. Admission is free for Laguna Beach residents. A season pass

for adults is $5 or $3 for students and seniors. The festival is at

650 Laguna Canyon Road. It’s an easy walk from Downtown or patrons

can take the free city shuttle buses that run the same hours of the

show from Laguna Canyon lots and Downtown parking areas. For

information, call (949) 494-1145 or online at https://www.lagunafestivalof

arts.org.