OUR LAGUNA: College of Art & Design marks 45th anniversary

The Laguna College of Art & Design went fishing Wednesday at the launch of the school’s 45th anniversary celebration and landed some pledges to benefit the Founders Scholarship Fund.

Among the guests: Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider and Laguna Beach automobile dealer and winner of the Exchange Club’s Book of Golden Deeds Don Crevier, honorary chairs of the anniversary celebration; and committee members and spouses Linda Jones-Clough, Igal Silber, Kathy and Gregg Abel, Nancy and Harry Lawrence and Madeline and Jim Irvine Swindon — all of whom have special connections to the college.

Gregg Abel attended the college when it was still the Laguna Beach School of Art, located next door to the Festival of Arts, which was one of the school’s parents. His father, Chris, designed the college, and his daughter Lea graduated from it in 2004.

Nancy Lawrence has been connected to the college for 33 years, first as a parent bringing her children to art classes, later as the teacher of that class, taking over from LaDorna Eichenberg, whom she reveres.

“Marlo Bartels and Chris Cox [not the politician] were on the teaching staff,” Lawrence said. “When we left, I carted out these pieces of glazed ceramic that I had done and Chris said to me, ‘Nancy, you have been doing this for years, and you really aren’t getting any better.’”

However, Lawrence found her métier as a member of Designing Women and the guiding light of the Color It Orange, juried exhibition of countywide student art.

Jones-Clough’s father, renowned animator Chuck Jones, was a lecturer at the college, from which he received his honorary doctorate. He is an inspiration to young animators, college officials said.

Silber is president of the Laguna Art Museum, the other parent of the school. The campus was carved out of Irvine land.

“I have always been a supporter of the arts,” Crevier said. “To have a school of this caliber in our community is something we want to keep going.”

Pearson-Schneider has been active in bringing the college into the Civic Arts District, a geographical designation that identifies both the Laguna Canyon portal to the city and the image Laguna wants to project.

Cindy and Bill Shopoff hosted the launching party at their oceanfront Emerald Bay home. Guests were directed to the glass elevator or the stairs that circled it to descend to the lower levels of the home, where wine and hors d’oeuvres were served and then down one more level to dine.

Sundried Tomato catered the event, courtesy of owners Marc Jacobi, a college trustee, and Rob Quest. Trustee Christine Rhoades supplied the wine.

“I have been here for a year now,” college President Dennis Power said at Wednesday’s event. “Two things sum up that year: the students are phenomenal, and I made an effort to get out into the community and heard about the founding of the school.”

He talked with founder David Young and painting instructor Roger Armstrong and decided that they, among others, needed to be honored for their contributions that helped a little community art school to grow into a respected college that confers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in art.

Hence the formation of the Founders Scholarship Fund, which will be an endowment. Earnings will go toward merit- and need-based scholarships and related programs.

“Our goal [tonight] was to begin to get the word out about the upcoming celebration of the college’s 45th anniversary, honoring the founders and others involved in the early development of the original art school,” Power said. “We also wanted to encourage attendance at the Oct. 4 gala and obtain underwriting and sponsorships for the event.

“Overall, I am thrilled that we were successful on all counts.”

A $10,000 “Platinum” contribution to the Founders Scholarship Fund will entitle the donor to a named scholarship within the fund, a reserved table for eight at the gala with a private waiter, premium wine, a full page ad in the event program, two opportunity prizes, a President’s tour of the college and luncheon for four at Sundried Tomato, and recognition in all of the printed materials as a major sponsor.

A $5,000 donation is the “Gold” standard and includes a reserved table for eight, the good wine, a half-page ad in the program, two opportunity prizes and recognition in printed materials.

A sterling $2,500 contribution is the “Silver” level and entitles the donor to everything the Gold donor gets except the ad would only be a quarter-page.

The opportunity prize is a luxury trip for two to Florence, Italy. Five hundred prize tickets will be offered at $100 each.

Expect to see posters cropping up around town to promote the event. Tickets to the Black Tie Gala are $150. The event will included the debut of an invitational alumni art exhibition, which Trustee Mary Ferguson promises will be “truly amazing.”

Ferguson, who also serves on the city’s Arts Commission, has been involved with the college for three years.

“Terry Smith, with whom I serve on the commission, knew I loved art and said, ‘Let me introduce you to the college,’ ” Ferguson said. “Then Terry and Shirley Rush asked me to consider joining the board. I said sure. I was honored.”

The first event Ferguson attended on the campus was the Collector’s Choice, the annual fund-raising auction of donated art, which also hooked Arch Beach Heights resident Mark Porterfield and Sean Hoctor, controller at Aliso Creek.

“Hey, it’s art, it’s education and it’s in Laguna Beach,” Porterfield said. “And I always win something.”

Realtor Bobbi Cox, a former arts commissioner, is devoted to the college.

“I have been a patron donor since I moved here 20 years ago,” Cox said. “Anything that is connected to performing or visual arts and does outreach to student, kids at risk or seniors is something I support with time and money.

“The fact that it is in Laguna makes it that much better.”

Party-goers included Leslie Power, John and Lu Campbell, Laurie Kraus, Jackie Jacobson, Jim Clough, Joe Ferguson and Jorge Rodriguez, who succeeded Al Roberts as president of AIDS Services Foundation.

Also: Joe and Jane Hanauer, Judi Bondi, Diane Silber, Mike and Festival of Arts exhibitor Kathy Jones — wearing a Carolyn Machado necklace, and Tracy Otto.

For more information about the gala, call Otto at (949) 376-6000, ext. 250.