The Festival of Arts is pleased to announce the recent acquisition of a new piece for the Festival’s Permanent Art Collection titled “Lighter than Air” by Jacques Garnier.
The purchase was made possible through the generous donation from Ron Weldon and Rita Moon who asked that the acquisition cine from a first-time exhibitor at the Festival of Arts.
Jacques Garnier was one of fourteen new artists juried into the exhibit in 2017. Photographer, documentarian and lecturer, Garnier has participated in over 150 exhibitions, most recently including LACMA, Southeast Museum of Photography, the Chinese Academy of Fine Art in Beijing, China, PhotoNola and the Smithsonian. He was born in Los Angeles, California in 1948 and earned a Master’s Degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1971.
Painterly, sparse and often formal, Garnier’s transcendent photography documents the passage of time. With intuitive framing, his images convey a sense of history and space left to its own demise.
The photograph, acquired for the Festival of Arts Permanent Collection, depicts the iconic blimp hangar located at the Marine Corps Air Station in Tustin, California. “Lighter than Air” is 18×48” and printed on Fujiflex Museum Archival Paper mounted on aluminum.
“I feel that this image skillfully and creatively depicts one of the last heroic remnants of days gone by in Orange County,” said Pat Sparkuhl, curator of the Festival’s Permanent Art Collection. “The personalized composition, expressed with a black and white photograph, pays homage to the hangar’s strength and dignity of form.”
The Festival’s Collection is housed at foaNORTH and includes approximately 350 paintings, 30 to 40 sculptures, and 500 to 600 photographic works, among other pieces. The earliest piece is a painting by Thomas Nash in 1913. One of the most significant pieces of art in the Collection is the first painting sold at the opening of the First Festival on August 13, 1932, called “Flower Stalls” by Virginia Wooley.
About the Festival of Arts Permanent Collection
The Festival of Arts Permanent Art Collection is a tangible window to the Festival, Laguna Beach and the region’s rich art and cultural history. The collection is valued by the organization for its cultural and historical significance in relationship to the art, culture and its ability to tell the story of the birth of the Festival art scene and how the Festival became a major influence in the art world of Southern California.
About the Festival of Arts
The Festival of Arts, a non-profit 501(c)(3), has always been a local leader that has helped with the growth and development of the community and the arts in Laguna Beach. Established in 1932, the Festival of Arts’ mission is to promote, produce and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts.
Nearly every summer for the last 85 years, the Festival of Arts has produced two world-class events: The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. Together both shows attract more than 250,000 visitors into Laguna Beach.
The Festival is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road. For more information or for tickets, call (800) 487-3378 or visit www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org.
Photo credit: Laguna Festival of Arts
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