IN THE ARTS

B of A cardholders get free admission

Bank of America is offering complimentary cultural enrichment to its customers as part of its Museum on Us program. The first weekend of each month, more than 70 cultural institutions across the United States “” including the Laguna Art Museum “” other museums, historical sites and science centers will open their doors for free to Bank of America cardholders.

The offer is valid the first weekend of each month until April 30. Upcoming weekends include Nov. 1 and 2, Dec. 6 and 7, Jan. 2 and 3, and Feb. 6 and 7.

Customers may present their Bank of America ATM, check or credit card and a valid photo ID to gain free general admission to any participating institution. The offer is not valid for special exhibitions, fundraising events or ticketed shows, nor can it be combined with any other discounts or offers.

Genre writing workshop set at park

Trina Belanger will lead a half-day writing workshop from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 8 at Heisler Park. The workshop will provide an intensive mini-course on each of the main genres of creative writing. Students will explore and practice techniques used in writing poetry (figurative language), plays (scenes and effective dialogue), fiction (character development) and creative nonfiction (telling details, authenticity).

Through lecture, handouts and targeted writing exercises, the workshop is designed to help students learn which genre might be for them, while providing good practices and techniques for making any writing “pop” on the page.

Students must register through the city of Laguna Beach at www.lagunabeachcity.net, in person, or by mailing in the registration form from the Fall 2008 Community Services Recreation catalog. The fee is $57. For more information, e-mail trina@quillstudios.com

Art Walk is tribute to Friendship Shelter

The member galleries of Art Walk have designated First Thursday Art Walk on behalf of Friendship Shelter. Three of the musicians who collaborated on a CD titled “Shelter Me,” released this summer, will perform at Whelan Gallery in North Laguna, Studio Arts at the Old Pottery Place and Watercolor Gallery on South Coast Highway.

Musicians include folk rocker Alec Bridges, a graduate of Laguna Beach High School; rock poet Mick Overman of Los Angeles and singer-songwriter Jelani Diaz.

CDs will be sold at the galleries, as well as Laguna Beach Books, Sound Spectrum, Hobie and Latitude 33 Bookshop.

“Shelter Me” is a compilation of songs written and recorded by professional local musicians as an homage to the homeless and to raise funds for Friendship Shelter. Conceived by writer-producer Scott Hays of Weed Patch Productions, many noted musicians contributed their time and talent.

“The thread running through these compositions isn’t desperation or hopelessness, but rather grace and mercy,” Hays said.

All proceeds benefit Friendship Shelter programs in honor of the organization’s 20th anniversary. Tracks are available for preview at the Friendship Shelter website, and the album can also be purchased at www.cdbaby.com.

For more information, call Friendship Shelter at (949) 494-6928.

Ecke and Rowe are together again

Paul Ecke and Cybele Rowe are exhibiting again after a several-year sabbatical. In that time, painter Ecke has battled cancer and in the process come out the other side with a new series titled “Conversations.”

The works highlight his journey through fear and facing death to find inner strength.

Rowe, a sculptor, has seen her work grow from human to monumental scale and has achieved national recognition. She has been a featured artist at the National Ceramics Conference in Davis.

The Ecke/Rowe exhibit will open Thursday during Art Walk with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at William Merrill Gallery and continue to Dec. 2 at 611 S. Coast Hwy. For more information, call (949) 464-0067

‘Top 21’ at Wells Fargo Bank gallery

Wells Fargo Bank is exhibiting the 21 artists out of 154 considered to be the best in the 2008 Festival of Arts. The works on display feature the top painters, sculptors, photographers, printmakers, ceramicists and mixed-media artists from the 2008 Festival of Arts. The free exhibit is through Nov. 26.

Each year eight jurors review the artist submissions for the show. The jurors score submitted artwork based on quality, intention and content; excellence of craftsmanship; facility with media; excellence in the use of design elements; and professional presentation. The 21 highest-scoring artists are in the show: Ken Auster (oils), Sandra Jones Campbell (mixed media), Anne England (printmaking), Rick Graves (photography), Dirk Hagner (printmaking), Robert Hansen (photography), Regina Jacobson (oils), Tom Lamb (photography), Carolyn Machado (mixed media), Mia Moore (mixed media), Andrew Myers (sculpture), Greg Riley (ceramics), Breck Rothage (photography), Fred Stodder (ceramics), Jon Seeman (sculpture), Pat Sparkuhl (mixed media), Gregg Stone (mixed media), Tom Swimm (oils), Ralph Tarzian (sculpture), John Taylor (sculpture) and Vinita Voogd (printmaking).

Wells Fargo is at 260 Ocean Ave. and is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

McGee pleased with success of new series

Laguna Beach artist September McGee recently won the Salmagundi Award at the international juried Connecticut Pastel 2008 Exhibition with her piece, “The Couch Series “” Red Wine,” the fourth award she has received this year.

McGee also picked up the HK Holbein Award at Pastels USA; the Award of Distinction at Paint America; and an honorable mention at Laguna Beach Art at City Hall 2008 show.

To date McGee has been accepted into nine international juried shows: Pastels USA 2008, Paint America USA, Connecticut Pastel Society 2008, RFAL Exhibition, Degas Pastel Exhibition, Bosque Conservatory 2008, Allied Artist of America, Audubon Artists Exhibition and Pastel Society of New Mexico. She is also one of 53 artists selected for the Laguna Beach Fine Art Juried Exhibition at City Hall now on display.

An exhibitor at the Sawdust Festival for more than 17 years, McGee took the summer off to pursue her new series, and it has proved to be a successful move. She also recently donated 12 original oil paintings for the UC Irvine clinic in Santa Ana.

For more information, call (949) 499-0274, e-mail smcgeearts@aol.com or visit www.september mcgee.com.

Blake opens new gallery on Ocean Ave.

The Peter Blake Gallery reopened at its new location at 435 Ocean Ave. in downtown Laguna Beach on Oct. 11, just two months after Blake decided to relocate from North Coast Highway. The grand opening features paintings by local artist Chris Gwaltney.

As more than 1,500 guests arrived, Mayor Jane Egly and Blake initiated the festivities with a ribbon-cutting. The spacious galleries were filled to capacity.

Designed by Laguna Beach architect Anders Lasater, the galleries are designed to accommodate large works of art and allow viewers enough room to take in their full impact.

Gwaltney’s newest series of figurative paintings will be on display until Nov. 15. The artist will be present for the First Thursday Art Walk event from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday. For more information, visit the peterblakegallery.com or call the gallery at (949) 376-9994.

Flute trio performs Sunday at college

Laguna Beach Live! and the Laguna College of Art & Design will present Les Amis Musicalles in the First Sundays series, an afternoon of music and art. The event will take place from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Sunday at the Laguna College of Art & Design, 2222 Laguna Canyon Road.

Using the name, which means “the musical friends,” the trio explores collaborations beyond flute, violin and viola, and features Cynthia Ellis, flute, Jeanne Skrocki, violin, and Janet Lakatos, viola. The group received first prize at the National Flute Assn. Chamber Music Competition and has performed at conventions in Columbus, Ohio, Dallas and San Diego. Special guest will be harpist Michelle Temple.

The concert is free. The Laguna Beach branch of the American Assn. of University Women is sponsoring the concert as part of its mission of the importance of lifelong learning and of arts in the community.

For more information, visit www.lagunabeachlive.org or call (949) 715-9713.