Festival of Arts exhibitor and videographer Rick Graves
Laguna Beach, CA — On August 7th and August 9th, the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts “Art Talks” series will explore video and film as an art form, and welcome the president of the Irvine Museum to hear about the evolution of the museum’s collection.
On Tuesday August 7th from 12pm-1pm, Festival of Arts exhibitor and videographer Rick Graves will lead an expose of the evolution of video arts. Examples of important video work dating back as early as the 1970’s will frame a discussion that will explore the manifold opportunities available to present day video artists, from the fine art scene to commerce. Also joining the discussion will be Martin Betz, director of exhibits for the Festival of Arts, who is well versed in the history of video and film art. Editor Russell Sasaki will lend a post-production perspective.
“Video art and filmmaking is wide open right now,” says Graves, who believes that more than any other medium, video is the future of visual art, and who himself developed a custom slit-scan camera that allows him to shoot a continuous frame on a single roll of film. “Video is totally accessible to everyone, from children to seniors. If you have a story in you, all the technology and opportunity is there to go tell it through video, even with the most modest budget.”
On Thursday August 9th from 12pm-1pm, James Irvine Swinden, President of the Irvine Museum, will visit the Festival of Arts to discuss the history of The Irvine Museum and how its collection was assembled from the time of its founding in 1992 to the present. Dedicated to the preservation and display of California art of the Impressionist Period (1890-1930), The Irvine Museum is embracing a principal role in the education and furtherance of this beautiful and important regional variant of American Impressionism that has come to be associated with California and its remarkable landscape. As such, as part of his “Art Talks” discourse, Mr. Swinden will also explore the museum’s role as both a community institution and a national presence in the field of California Impressionist painting.
Art Talks: A Lecture Series continues throughout the Festival of Arts 2012 season. On Tuesdays, experienced artists take attendees through topics of medium, influences, and current trends; on Thursdays, Orange County’s top curators, collectors, and conservators lead discussions on issues of buying, appraising, displaying, restoring and conserving fine art. Brown bag lunches from Gina’s will be available for purchase or you can bring your own! Art Talks: A Lecture Series is free with Festival admission.
The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are sponsored in part by Acura, Cox Communications, 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
Media contact: Sharbie Higuchi, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
