Greg Vail
LPAPA President
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October 9, 2011
Lucky 13
The 13th Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational--arguably the most prestigious event of its kind--is upon us! On October 9, some 44 landscape artists and hundreds of plein air aficionados from all over the United States will descend upon Laguna Beach for a week of painting, education, exhibition, art sales, partying, and fun. Click here: http://lagunaartmuseum.org/pleinair-events for the schedule of events and http://lagunaartmuseum.org/pleinair-tickets to purchase tickets to the Collectors’ Soiree on Saturday October 15.
This year’s Invitational has a revamped format focusing on the community, the environment, and education, while keeping the event’s cherished fundamentals in place. Some of the changes we’ve made are in response to artist input from last year’s event. Of special note, artist monetary and in-kind awards for excellence are back in a big way. For collectors, you can now use the cost of your Collectors’ Soiree ticket ($125-$150) as a credit toward any art purchases made during the Invitational week.
Other changes reflect the ongoing implementation of LPAPA’s 2010 Strategic Plan and a rekindled relationship with our partner, the Laguna Art Museum. LPAPA and the Museum have re-emphasized our common goal of more deeply involving our respective organizations with the Laguna community and beyond.
For the artists, this means greater exposure to your work by a broader group of existing and potential collectors. For collectors, it means enhanced opportunities to add the finest examples of plein air art to your portfolio. And for the community, it means the strengthened preservation of Laguna’s cultural heritage and an energetic projection of this heritage for upcoming generations of artists and aficionados.
Further to community, we have created synergistic relationships with the Laguna Canyon Foundation, Surfrider Foundation, Crystal Cove Alliance to inform and enlighten us on the natural environment and this year’s theme: Sea, Sage and Sustainability--that is the focus of plein air painting. We have also received the sponsorship of the Marconi Foundation, which is sponsoring the new-this-year Kid’s Paint Out and Cupcake Reception, and the Laguna College of Art and Design Paint Out. Both of these latter events will energize the next generation of landscape artists and involve the community.
In addition, we established a LAM/LPAPA Sponsorship Committee comprised of Jan Kaplan, Mary Linda Strotkamp, Linda Stern, Lyn Burke, and three-term Laguna Mayor and councilmember, Elizabeth Pearson. This group of powerful women has generated heightened enthusiasm and broadened support for the Invitational, along with contributing creative ideas to improve it. And, Jan Kaplan and her husband, Ken—both avid art collectors---are the gracious hosts of this year’s Art Patron party on October 9 at their home in north Laguna. To purchase tickets to this exclusive event, which is limited to 40 contact: Dawn Minegar, Membership Manager Laguna Art Museum 949-494-8971 x 203.
With these efforts, we have gathered an impressive and diverse group of sponsors this year, to who we are deeply grateful for their generosity. At the bottom of my message are the logos of our 2011 sponsors--an impressive group indeed. I want to extend special thanks to 24 Carrots, which will cater sumptuous cuisine at the Soiree and to the St. Regis -Monarch Beach, which is not only providing a major in-kind artist award, they also sponsored arts event for our members at their resort during this past summer.
Even in these dire economic times, this year LPAPA has been able to reverse the fund-raising downtrend and increase grants received by many thousands of dollars compared to the last two years. The City of Laguna Beach and the Laguna Community Foundation have maintained their past support levels; and we received generous new grants from the Laguna Beach Board of Realtors, the Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts Foundation and the Laguna Beach Rotary. Thank you.
For all of the foregoing, I want to express my gratitude to the superb leadership and efforts of Robert Hayden, LAM Chairman and Interim Executive Director, the enthusiastic and creative efforts of Sarah Strozza, LAM Events Manager; Marni Farmer, LAM Director of Communications; all of the LAM staff; to LPAPA’s always-intrepid Executive Director, Rosemary Swimm, and to our Board of Directors, including our Founder, Saim Caglayan; and Senior LPAPA Board Advisor, Jean Stern, Executive Director of The Irvine Museum, author and the foremost authority on plein air art.
See you at the Invitational!
Cordially,
Greg Vail
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