OUR LAGUNA:College gala honors supporters

Three key players in the evolution of the Laguna College of Art & Design were honored recently at the 45th anniversary gala of the founding and flowering of the art school.

Special recognition was given at the festive black-tie event to David Young, 94, Roger Armstrong, Nancy Lawrence and Jonathan Burke, representing the many contributors to the success of the school over the years.

Young, 94, only recently retired from the board of the Festival of Arts, which joined with the then-Laguna Beach Art Assn. to create the Laguna Beach School of Art. He also served for more than 20 years on the school’s board of trustee.

Armstrong is a local painter and highly respected teacher at the school.

Lawrence founded Color It Orange, a countywide, juried show for students. She also is a long-time member of Designing Women, established in 1973 and for a long time the school’s only support group, and one of the school’s first fundraisers.

Burke was honored as the founding Dean of Fine Arts and acknowledged for his more than 25 years of continuing service.

The event kicked off the school’s new Founders Scholarship Fund, an endowment, with the earnings earmarked for merit and need-based financial assistance for students and related programs.

The history of the school was illustrated by the invitational alumni art exhibition, which showcased works by some of the best graduates in five disciplines: painting, sculpture, illustration, graphic design and feature animation.

College, alumna and trustee Regina Jacobson organized the invitational art exhibit, which will continue at Seven Degrees throughout this month.

“The art is just amazing,” said Mary Ferguson, chair of the board of trustees of LCAD — the acronym used by the school.

Seven Degrees, a popular Laguna Canyon restaurant, hosted the celebration. Don Crevier and Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider served as co-chairs of the glamorous event.

The last time that many men donned dinner jackets for an event in Laguna Beach was probably the first Pageant of the Masters post-season gala. In fact, Arts Commissioner Mike Tauber seemed to be the only male guest who didn’t wear a tie.

“There is one other,” he said. “Besides, it’s OK — I’m an artist.”

However, Arts Commissioner Pat Kollenda opted for a tuxedo, but hers was accessorized with silver, sequined pumps and her usual knockout jewelry. Lucinda “Cindy” Prewitt, who attended the event with Kollenda, accessorized her outfit with a beaten silver necklace she recently purchased in France and a white reboza.

Roy “Andy” Anderson, husband of City Clerk Martha Anderson, was a stand-out in his Anderson tartan kilt — Scotland’s version of a tuxedo. Martha held her own in a dress of royal blue that matched her eyes.

Former City Clerk and current City Council candidate Verna Rollinger wore a turquoise-printed jacket from the long-defunct Townsend’s. The outfit started with a pair of earrings.

“I took the earrings in and said I need something to go with them,” Rollinger said. “I never liked the earrings, but I love the outfit.”

Bobbi Cox, a Platinum donor of $10,000 to the school, wore a beaded top with a long chiffon skirt.

“Richard [Hoppe] said no one would believe it was me out of jeans,” said Cox, usually seen more casually dressed.

Donors in her category, which included Crevier and Judith and Alan MacPherson, will have their names on scholarships within the newly established fund.

Kathleen Abel showed no trace of jet lag, although she had only arrived back home from Brazil about four hours before the gala. She and her husband, Gregg Abel, have a vested interest in the college. Not only did Gregg’s father, architect Chris Abel, design the school, the Abels served on the event’s honorary committee and were among the Silver sponsors of the gala, who contributed $2,500.

Also Silver donors: Mary and Joe Ferguson, Kathy and Michael Jones, Barbara and Leon Lyon, Barbara and Greg MacGillivray, Christine Rhoades, David Sanford and Stephen Dotoratos, South Coast Plaza and the Joan Irvine Smith & Athalie R. Clarke Foundation.

Smith, who attended the event, said the history of the school and those who supported it should be put into book form and published.

“We stand on the shoulders of the early founders,” college President Dennis Power said.

And broad shoulders they were.

The guest list at the gala included City Councilwoman and Council candidate Toni Iseman and her partner Steve Miller; Michelle and Council candidate Kelly Boyd; Steve Kawaratani and school alumna Catharine Cooper, whose work was included in the exhibit; former student Jorli Perrine, Contemporary Chinese Gallery Director of Fine Art Verna Glancy; Gold sponsors ($5,000) Mary Catherine and Tom Payne; new faculty member Sandy Appleoff; Ernie Schneider; Roger Armstrong’s granddaughter Christine Reynolds and her husband Gerry; Wayne Peterson; and college trustee Terry Smith.

OOMPAHPAH

Four bands entertained at the third Oktoberfest, hosted Sunday afternoon at Tivoli Too.

The Laguna Community Concert Band hosted the event, which featured music from the classics to Dixieland Jazz, with solos by Angela Romero and Brent Anderson, German food, beer, wine, dancing and a special appearance by City Councilwoman and Council candidate Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider and Eliza Lorenz, who sang a duet — in German, of course.

Providing the “oomph” in oompahpah: the German American Brass Band, the Golden West Pops Band, the Orange Symphonic Band and Laguna’s own band.

Carol Reynolds was among the eight founders of the Laguna group in 1998.

“Now we have about 50,” Reynolds said.

Like the band, the Oktoberfest audience gets bigger every year. They know a bargain when they hear one — admission was only $5.

“We served more than 300 meals,” said event coordinator Sande St. John. “That means the crowd was bigger than last year, when we only served about 275 meals.”

Not everyone had a chance to eat on Sunday. Generalissimo St. John always keeps her army of devoted volunteers on the run, including granddaughters Camryn, Katelyn and Kelsey Ostrander.

Helping to put on the 2006 Oktoberfest: Bill Morris, Carolyn Miller, Marian Rice, Connie Burlin, Mary and Alan Foster, Bill Frey and Anne Wood.