Interactive Art Experiences and Environmental Awareness Attracted Over 11,000 Visitors
Christian Sampson: Ocean Ions Performance with movements choreographed by Volta Collective. Photos courtesy of Tom Lamb and Laguna Art Museum.
Laguna Art Museum’s 12th annual Art + Nature celebration week has officially wrapped, attracting over 11,000 visitors to its diverse array of events, installations and performances. While the week of festivities concluded, Art + Nature will continue with ongoing exhibitions and new programs for the community to enjoy throughout 2025, making it a cornerstone of the museum’s annual programming.
"We're so pleased with the overwhelming turnout for this year's Art + Nature," said Julie Perlin Lee, Executive Director at Laguna Art Museum. "It’s inspiring to see so many people interested in exploring the connections between art and the environment, especially at a time when these conversations are so vital to both our community and our country. As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to invite artists to submit their proposals and be part of this celebration of creativity in the beautiful setting of Laguna Beach. We hope the work on display will continue to inspire artists of all levels and contribute meaningfully to the ongoing cultural dialogue around environmental issues.”
Previous commissioned installation, Sunset Trace by Patrick Shearn of Poetic Kinetics, Art + Nature, Nov. 5 - 15, 2020. Image courtesy of LAM. Shoreline Project by Art + Nature commissioned artist Elizabeth Turk, Nov. 4, 2018. Image credit: Eric Stoner.
Laguna Art Museum is already turning its attention to the 13th annual Art + Nature in November 2025 and is inviting visionary artists to submit Letters of Interest by January 31, 2025. The initiative will officially begin indoors in late September, with the public installation and associated events scheduled from November 6 through November 11, 2025. Art + Nature 2025 will feature outdoor installations, performances and workshops that continue to explore the synergy between art and the environment. Artists are encouraged to submit their portfolios and an artist statement explaining how their work aligns with the ethos of Art + Nature. Artists can submit their Letters of Interest to Victoria Gerard at VGerard@lagunaartmuseum.org. To explore past Art + Nature commissioned works, please visit past Art + Nature exhibitions.
This year’s celebration week, held from November 2–11, 2024, featured programs, outdoor installations and performances, alongside thought-provoking exhibitions designed to foster a deeper connection between attendees and the natural world, while encouraging civic dialogue around urgent issues of our time.
Fashion designer Ashley Morgan from UC Irvine walks the runway with her design during the 12th annual Art and Nature at Laguna Art Museum on Nov. 2.
Highlights from Art + Nature 2024 celebration week included:
Upcycled Couture (Nov. 2): Laguna Art Museum’s first-ever sustainable runway show, showcasing emerging designers from local universities, including UC Irvine, Chapman University, Santa Ana College and the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising.
Ocean Ions Public Displays (Nov. 7-11): Commissioned artist Christian Sampson’s solar-powered art installations in five locations, transforming Diver’s Cove Beach, Main Beach and Heisler Park with light and color.
Ocean Ions Performance (Nov. 9): A choreographed collaboration between Volta Collective dance group and Sampson’s installation, enhanced by artist Ariel Dill’s costumes.
Drawing for the Planet: The Tiger’s Forest (Nov. 11): A conservation-focused art workshop led by Jane Lee McCracken, supporting the Born Free Foundation’s tiger conservation efforts.
Art + Nature: Portrait of Place (Nov. 9): A community art workshop led by artist Oriana Poindexter.
I
Image credit: Fred Tomaselli, Saturday, January 17, 2015 , 2016 © Fred Tomaselli. Photo © White Cube (Max Yawney). Photo © On White Wall, courtesy White Cube. Image courtesy of the artist and Laguna Art Museum.
In addition to these immersive events, attendees explored three compelling exhibitions at the museum, which will remain on view until early 2025. Christian Sampson’s Ocean Ions Laguna (through February 2, 2025) offers a solar projection installation that transforms the museum lobby through changing colors and reflections, encouraging cosmic contemplation. Additionally, video footage of collaboration between the Volta Collective dance group and Sampson’s installation is on view on the second floor of the museum, along with other acrylic works by Sampson experimenting with light.
Featuring over fifty works, Fred Tomaselli: Second Nature (through February 2, 2025) merges social issues, nature and popular culture in intricate resin paintings and New York Times collages, providing a vital narrative emphasizing the beauty and turmoil of our times. Jay DeFeo: Trees (through January 12, 2025) traces DeFeo’s exploration of natural resilience, from 1950s drawings to 1970s black-and-white photography of Bay Area trees, blending abstraction with representation.
The museum also offered a Free Museum Day on Sunday, November 10, attracting over 600 visitors from around the world to explore the indoor exhibitions.
Art + Nature is generously sponsored by Elie Weaver and Hilton Weinberg, The Macbeth Foundation, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, 5th District, Yasuko Bush, Robert and Carol Summers, Ken and Jan Kaplan, The FOA Foundation of Laguna Beach and anonymous donors.
###
About Laguna Art Museum
Founded by local artists in 1918, Laguna Art Museum has celebrated California art and culture at the heart of the community for over a century. The museum offers a welcoming space for artists, donors, members and visitors, each bringing unique energy that drives its mission forward. As “Your Museum,” Laguna Art Museum builds on a legacy of inspiring creativity, sustainability and reflection on California’s natural environment through exhibitions, events and educational programs. The museum presents exhibitions that highlight the California experience and is home to the annual Art + Nature. With each visit, Laguna Art Museum invites people from near and far to join in its journey of community, art and environmental awareness.
For more information, please visit LagunaArtMuseum.org and follow the museum on social media:
Facebook: @LagunaArtMuseum
Instagram: @LagunaArtMuseum
Twitter: @LagunaArtMuseum
YouTube: Laguna Art Museum Channel
Location
Laguna Art Museum is located at 307 Cliff Drive in Laguna Beach, on the corner of Coast Highway and Cliff Drive.
Hours
Tuesday-Sunday: 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Closed Mondays, except Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth and Labor Day.
Holiday Closures: Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
No comments:
Post a Comment