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FESTIVAL ART TALKS FOCUSES ON MAKING A CAREER IN ART
The Festival of Arts continues its weekly Thursday Art Talk series with a discussion on the work and career of painter Ken Auster on Thursday, August 8 from 12 – 1pm. Auster, a California native who has exhibited at the Festival since the late 70’s, has had a long and distinguished career as a professional artist. Many artists have benefited by the workshops he has previously taught, and this talk will be a great opportunity to learn more about this influential artist.
Auster’s work has received national recognition, been featured in countless galleries and exhibitions, and is part of private and public collections worldwide. “I plan on sharing my path as painter, my inspirations, and what I did to establish myself with galleries and collectors,” said Auster. He will also talk about his process and some of the adventures he has had along the way.
Swept up in the swell of surf culture of the 60’s and while working his way towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Long Beach State University, Auster built one of the world’s most prominent silkscreen and t-shirt companies, creating legendary surf art. His surfing images became the “fine art” of this beach culture.
In the mid 1990’s Ken moved to a more serious art level, involving him with the immediacy of oil paints, as opposed to the process-burdened medium of printmaking. Throwing himself into the splendor of “plein air” (on location) painting, Ken discovered the richness and broad colors of the city life he had long avoided. He rejoiced in this new found ability to paint anything and everything- cafes, bars, train stations, airports, street scenes, and of course, never far away, was the beach, his first love.
The transition from surf art to serious impressionism was natural for Auster. His passion and obsession to reach a new understanding between him and the oil painting medium took on a new intensity of discovery. “I simply want to achieve the ultimate communication on the canvas-to say more with less.” Auster says.
This is one of several topics discussed at the Festival’s weekly Art Talks: A Lecture Series. Each Thursday from 12 – 1pm through August 29, Festival artists lead conversations about their medium, inspiration, and careers in this fascinating and stimulating series. For more information and a schedule of topics, visit http://www.foapom.com/education/art-workshops-lectures/art-talks-a-lecture-series/
ABOUT KEN AUSTER: Ken was born in Los Angeles in 1949, and attended California State University – Long Beach. He has taken 1st Place in a number of highly-regarded juried exhibitions, including the 2002 Laguna Art Museum Lincoln Plein Air Painting Invitational, the 2002 Carmel Plein Air Invitational, the 2000 2nd Annual Laguna Invitational Plein Air Painting Competition, and the 1998 Millard Sheets Gallery Plein Air among many others. He was named 1998 Artist of the Year by the San Diego Oceans Foundation.
Ken has naturally attracted the interest of many museum curators. His paintings have appeared in exhibitions at The Haggin Museum (2007), The Colorado History Museum (2003), Laguna Art Museum (2002), The Bakersfield Museum (2002), Orange County Museum of Art (1998), and at the Laguna Art Museum to name just a few.
His paintings appear in the permanent collections of many individuals, as well as in those of public and private institutions. Collectors of Ken’s works include Highlands Ranch Corporation, Helen Grace Chocolates, Huntington Beach Surfing Museum, Joan Irvine Smith, Kaiser Permanente, Mission Viejo Company, Museum of Science and Industry, Pacific Art Foundation, Ritz Carlton, San Francisco, and the American Osteoporosis Society.
DATES AND ADMISSION
The Festival of Arts is open daily from June 30 – August 31, 2013, from 10am to 11:30pm (Early closing at 6pm June 30 – July 4 and 3:30pm on August 24). General Admission: Weekdays $7, Weekends $10; Students & Seniors: Weekdays $4, Weekends $6; Free Admission for Children 12 and under, Military, and Laguna Beach Residents.
A special promotion (funded in part by Bank of America) offers patrons the opportunity to purchase a Passport to the Arts for only $21.50. Receive unlimited admission all summer long to The Festival of Arts, the Sawdust Art Festival and Art-A-Fair. Go online for more information and details at www.LagunaBeachPassport.com or call (949) 497-0521. Each passport includes one-time free parking in the ACT V parking lot on Laguna Canyon Road and FREE shuttle service. Offer excludes Pageant of the Masters.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS
The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are sponsored in part by Acura, Fidelity Investments, KOST Radio 103.5, the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel, and The Orange County Register. The Festival of Arts is a non-profit organization that produces The Festival of Arts – California’s Premier Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. For general information, call (949) 494-1145 or visit the website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org. The event is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California. Proceeds support the arts and art education in and about Laguna Beach.
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Meghan Perez
Sharbie Higuchi, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
