Art & Nature Festival Lineup At Laguna Art Museum Announced

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—Laguna Art Museum's annual Art & Nature Festival is just around the corner. First Thursdays Art Walk will kick off a series of multidisciplinary events and openings taking place November 4-7, 2021—and beyond.

For nine years, the festival has celebrated art and ideas, fostered a connection between art and science, raised awareness of environmental concerns—all with a nod to Laguna's legacy of nature-inspired creativity.

For many art lovers, the most thrilling part to this annual happening is the innovative installations by commissioned artists. Most have taken over Main Beach, some have soared over the museum or taken place inside, but all raise appreciation for the physical environment we share.

Some Patch favorites from years past include 2018's Shoreline Project by Elizabeth Turk; last year's Sunset Trace by Patrick Shearn; and Phillip K. Smith III's 1/4 mile arc in 2016.

The featured artist this year is Rebeca Méndez, who brings her 2020 piece "Any-Instant-Whatever." The multimedia installation is a day-in-the-life contemplation of the cloud-rich sky over Los Angeles.

"I documented the sky of Los Angeles in winter 2019-2020 from dawn to dusk," says the professor and chair of UCLA's department of Design Media Arts. "For this video, I chose to depict one day in early January when the typically blue skies are scattered with clouds ... " The designer, educator and photographer says clouds remind us of the value of water, and make us grateful for our many days of sunshine.

"The sky and the sun in Los Angeles are both great unifying forces, infusing a certain relaxed Southern Californian style in its people, as well as act as equalizers, whose light and warmth caress everyone. People in Los Angeles from all walks of life experience the same sky—something we all have in common."

Dr. Daniel Lewis, curator for the History of Science & Technology at the Huntington Library, Art Museum & Botanical Gardens, will give a keynote lecture that takes us back in time. On November 5, the historian will trace the flight of birds in art with his talk: "John James Audubon: Art, Nature and Science in the Nineteenth Century."

Perhaps his talk will include the work of Jessie Arms Botke (1883-1971). Known for her wonderful paintings of birds and the use of gold leaf, an exhibition of her work will open at Laguna Art Museum the same day as Dr. Lewis's lecture.

The Art & Nature Gala will be held November 6. It benefits all of the museum's educational programming.

This year's annual Family Festival will take place on November 14, rather than the final Sunday of the festival as in years past.

Stay tuned for more details as we get them!