BRIEFLY IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Sawdust ushers in Winter Fantasy

The 17th Annual Winter Fantasy at the Sawdust Art Festival opens for its four-weekend run Nov. 17.

The highlights of this art and craft festival are the 170 artists from all over Southern California and as far away as Virginia and Wisconsin, exhibiting and selling their original creations.

New in 2007 are the Winter Walkabouts “” free guided, behind-the-scenes tours of the Winter Fantasy. Tours are scheduled for noon Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays and begin at the ArtisTree in Town Square.

The Sawdust ArtisTree is a new innovation this year “” exhibiting artists were asked to create one-of-a-kind ornaments for the tree that are for sale through the Sawdust’s Information Booth. All proceeds from the ornaments go to the Sawdust’s Art Education Fund.

The 7th Annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place at 5:30 p.m. opening day. Laguna Beach residents are invited for free beginning at 2 p.m. that day.

The ceremony also features the announcement of the winners of the Favorite Community Tree Contest.

Other activities include a real Snow Field, a Children’s Holiday Playhouse in Town Square, Santa’s Cozy Cabin, daily art activities and three stages of entertainment.

Ticket prices are $5.75 for adults, $3 for children 6 to 12 and free for children 5 and younger.

For more information, call (949) 494-3030 or visit www.SawdustArtFestival.org.

Burgi to present acting workshop

Actor Richard Burgi, a Laguna Beach resident who has starred in a variety of television and movie roles, including “Desperate Housewives,” “Judging Amy” and “The District,” “In Her Shoes,” “Fun with Dick and Jane,” and “Cellular,” will host an actor’s performance workshop titled “The Inside Game of Acting” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 17 in Dana Point. The workshop will focus on preparation, auditioning, improvisation and performance.

The workshop will be at Danman’s Music, Dance and Acting School, 24699 Del Prado, Dana Point, at the corner of Golden Lantern. Total price of the workshop package is $195, which includes a gourmet lunch at the Renaissance Café. Seating is limited. Tickets may be purchased online at www.danmansmusic.com or by phone at (949) 496-6556.

Museum honors Teachers of the Year

The Laguna Art Museum Docent Corps recently honored Sally Whitfield and Laura Mayo as Teachers of the Year.

Members of the corps provide tours for visitors and school groups and serve as ambassadors of art within the Museum.

The Laguna Art Museum Docents seek to engage and enlighten Museum visitors, by conducting interactive tours and gallery activities as well as work within the community to help increase an understanding and interest about visual arts culture.

Free docent tours are available at 2 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

To schedule a tour, call (949) 494-8971, ext. 73.

For information on volunteering, fill out the volunteer information form located at LagunaArtMuseum.org and return to Derry Coe, or call (949) 494-8971, x 206.

City Hall exhibition winners named

Mayor Pro-Tem Jane Egly and juror Peter Blake have announced the winners of the First Annual Juried Fine Art exhibition at City Hall.

First place winner Darcie Copeland garnered $1,000. Second place was taken by A.K. Erlinger, who won $500, and third-place winner Sharon Palencar was awarded $250.

The exhibition will be on display through Nov. 21.

For more information, call (949) 497-0722.

Gallery features Obermeyer works

Gallery McCollum will be featuring the recent paintings of artist Michael Obermeyer at an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Obermeyer, a longtime exhibitor at the Festival of the Arts, has won several prestigious awards for his work.

Recently honored with the Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine Award, Obermeyer has participated at Laguna Art Museum’s Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational and won the Artists’ Choice award in Sedona, Ariz., last week.

The new exhibit, “Home and Away,” will include a selection of local landscapes and seascapes, and paintings from the artist’s 2007 travels, including the Caribbean, France and Sedona.

For more information, call (949) 497-4027 or visit www.gallerymccollum.com.

Art studios open for the holidays

Laguna Canyon Artists will host an Open Studio Event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 1 and 2 at their studio complex, 3251 Laguna Canyon Road.

Meet artists and see their most recent work, along with the tools and the inspiration from which they draw.

More than a dozen well-known artists are opening their studios to the public for two days only. See working studios and works in progress. Painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, glass and more are featured. Refreshments and free parking will be available.

Watch for the “Art Studios Open” signs.

For more information, call Linda Ames at (949) 395-6003 or visit www.lagunacanyonartists. com.

Belly dancing for peace Nov. 15

J.J. and the Habibis Laguna Beach Belly Dancers will be special guest performers in a Middle Eastern Peace Benefit 7 p.m. Nov. 15 at Chapman College’s Memorial Hall, 1 University Drive, Orange.

All proceeds will go to the “Oasis of Peace,” a village between Tel Aviv-Jaffa and Jerusalem, jointly established in 1979 by Jewish and Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel.

For more information, contact Jheri St. James at jheristjames@yahoo.com or (949) 494-5031.