Candidates vow to support arts, artists

City Council candidates took center stage Saturday at the Laguna Playhouse, which hosted the Arts Alliance Forum.

“Laguna people are passionate about the arts,” said Rick Stein, executive director of the Laguna Playhouse, which hosted the forum. “They care about protecting the arts in Laguna and the public policies that reflect that.”

Festival of Arts President Anita Mangels moderated the forum and voiced the questions — edited, she said, to omit confrontational comments and duplication.

Priority was given arts-related questions, starting with the candidates’ opinions about art in public places in general and the “People’s Council” City Hall sculpture in particular.

The candidates’ support for the city’s public art policy was unanimous and vigorous — support for the City Hall sculpture not quite so enthusiastic.

Kelly Boyd said he favors art in public places but reserved comment on the sculpture.

Incumbent Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider said she voted for the sculpture but really loves the artist-designed benches commissioned by the city.

Verna Rollinger, who would like to see a sculpture garden in the Village Entrance, said the City Hall sculpture grows on you.

Incumbent Toni Iseman volunteered that she always takes houseguests on a tour of the city’s public art. Her favorite is the little sculpture of the shoppers.

As for the City Hall sculpture spot: “I wanted a giant parking meter where the new art is,” Iseman said. “But last night I saw somebody sitting on the benches with the sculptures. It’s gonna grow on us.”

Candidates also were asked how they would keep artists living in pricey Laguna. They all recommended artists’ live/work projects.

“One of my nightmares is thinking of all the arts organizations in Laguna but no artists here to perform or create,” Rollinger said.

The canyon is the place to put artist live/work projects, Boyd said, and the city should look at public/private partnerships to fund them.

“Aspen offers incentives to lawyers — artist live/work projects are essential [here],” Iseman said.

She also announced that proceeds from her greeting card project — cards using designs from the city’s holiday palette collection, will be donated to the Sawdust Festival Benevolent Fund that aides needy artists. The cards should be available in about three weeks, Iseman said.

Pearson-Schneider said the Civic Arts District in Laguna Canyon is the place for artist live/work projects, which should have both ownership and rental opportunities, and perhaps equity sharing, such as the city offers critical emergency personnel.

She pointed to the Festival [formerly Bartlett] Center as an ideal location for the projects. Students of the nearby Laguna College of Art and Design also need affordable housing, she said.

As for performance space, all of the candidates said better cooperation is needed with the school district on the community use of the Artists Theatre on the high school campus.

Pearson-Schneider said she would not support public funding for additional space.

Rollinger said the city should use Friendship Shelter as a model.

“We came up with a location and we went to the city for help and the help was there,” Rollinger said. “That is the kind of partner the city should be.”

Boyd said the city should partner with private interests or get a developer to foot the bill for additional artist space.

“Laguna Beach is a wealthy community, but City Hall is not rich,” Iseman said. “Our money goes to paving streets or public safety. We are looking high and low for more money to bring to the community.”

All four candidates said additional parking for the proposed expansion of the Laguna Playhouse is essential — and for the Playhouse to pay fees in lieu of creating more parking spaces may not cut it.

And all four candidates agreed that it was inappropriate for the city’s arts manager to sit on the board of arts organizations.

“Conflict of interest is sometimes real and sometimes just the appearance,” Iseman said. “In government, the best thing to do is avoid the shadow.”

Pearson-Schneider said the technical definition of conflict of interest is financial compensation.

“But if someone is on a board, I would hope they would recuse themselves quite a bit,” she said.