Suzie HarrisonThis weekend Laguna Art Museum and...

Suzie Harrison

This weekend Laguna Art Museum and the Festival of Arts are coming

together to add to children’s imaginations and participation in art

with the Imagination Celebration.

The Imagination Celebration, now going into its 18th year, is a

free annual event, centered around art programs in Orange County,

designed to inspire and challenge the imagination through art.

There will be art related activities all day Saturday at both the

Festival of Arts and Laguna Art Museum.

“This is the first time the Museum has teamed up with the Festival

for the Imagination Celebration,” museum director Bolton Colburn

said. “We’ve combined the date and will have a shuttle run between

both places.”

Colburn said it’s a big day for the museum and expects 300 to 400

kids to enjoy the variety of activities. Their theme this year is

“Kapow! Blast Into Art” with the festivities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Local artists will guide the children through many hands-on art

projects, including rocket construction, foil collage and wire art.

Learning wax sculpture design is another project available through

the Waldorf School of Orange County.

“You’ll really feel the sense of community here with all these

families from around town,” Colburn said. “I get to go with my kids,

which is neat and we get to do some of the activities we’ve laid out.

The treasure hunt takes them through the museum, allowing for an

in-depth exploration of the art and galleries with prizes awarded at

the end.

The museum is bringing in Top of the World and El Morro Elementary

School choirs to perform at 11:45 a.m., and “Velocity” will be doing

hip-hop with dance instruction as part of the program at 1:45 p.m.

Soroptimist International of Laguna Beach funded the museum’s

event.

The Festival of Arts theme this year for the Imagination

Celebration is “Imagine It! Create It!” with the event running from

noon to 4 p.m.

“The event is dedicated to helping children discover their

creativity by allowing them to express themselves through a variety

of artistic media,” Festival of Arts Marketing and Public Relations

Director Sharbie Higuchi said.

Festival of Arts artists will be giving hands-on workshops,

painting wildlife with Chris Hoy, printmaking by Anne England and

Kate Riegler, foil masks with Lynn Walker, fiber art wall hangings by

Susan Cox, watercolors with Hal Lambert, chalk drawing with Patrick

Kelly and jewelry making with Pam Peterson.

Hoy who is a wildlife artist, has traveled the world painting

exotic animals, and said that he’ll invite the kids to paint a

variety of his wildlife prints.

“My feelings are any time you can touch a child in the direction

of art, it’s a great thing,” Hoy said. “Watching them smile as they

paint is wonderful.”

He said the artists get a kick out of watching the mom’s watching

their kids create masterpieces -- that they want to jump in and paint

too.

“This is the Festival of Arts third year to participate in the

Imagination Celebration,” Higuchi said. “I was involved with the

program from the beginning, and believe it is important to the

community. It seemed only natural for the Festival to be involved in

the Imagination Celebration since our mission is to encourage and

promote all activities appropriate to the artistic and cultural

development of the community.”

Several of the world-famous Pageant of the Masters stage sets from

previous shows will be able to be seen up-close.

“The Festival of Arts artists volunteer their time to participate

in this event. They feel as do I that the arts allow us to explore

new worlds and to view life from another perspective,” Higuchi said.

“They also encourage individuals to sharpen their skills and

abilities. The fact is arts education strengthens student

problem-solving and critical thinking skills, adding to overall

academic achievement and school success. Unfortunately, due to budget

cutbacks in the schools, children are not getting enough art in the

schools. That is why programs like the Imagination Celebration are so

important.”

Musical entertainment by singer/guitarist George Lawton will be

provided all day and at 1 p.m. the California Choreographers Dance

Festival will host a performance created especially for the event,

integrating visual and performing art. In the piece, the dancers will

bring to life the Shoshone Indian legend of the rainbow.

“Being involved with the Imagination Celebration is an

extraordinary opportunity because the heart and soul of dance lay in

the creative imagination of the artists as they create and perform,”

Kimberly Bixler Leeds of California Choreographers Dance Festival

said. “Modeling this to today’s youth provides a clear example to

children that self-expression comes in many forms.”

Festival of Arts Special Events Director Susan Davis said it’s a

great family day with a variety of activities with the artists.

“With the free, continuous trolley between here and the museum,

you can participate and enjoy both venues and activities,” Davis

said. “We’re very excited to be working in conjunction with Laguna

Art Museum.”

For more information about the Museum’s activities, call 494-8971,

and at the Festival, call 494-4235.