The Festival of Arts was awarded a $5,000 grant from the FOA Foundation which made possible three of its summer art enrichment programs, Arts-X-Press, Boys & Girls Club Photo Club and Family Art Day. These monies were used to help defray the cost of art supplies necessary for the success of these programs.
Backstage at the Pageant of the Masters, Pageant production assistant Paul Goldie gives Arts-X-Press students an up close look at one of the costumes featured in this year’s show.
The Festival of Arts hosted 270 seventh and eighth grade students participating in the Pacific Symphony’s summer arts immersion program, Arts-X-Press. These students enjoyed complimentary hands-on art workshops and instruction in printmaking, scratch art and ceramics at the Festival’s Art Center. They also went on a private backstage tour of the Pageant of the Masters followed by a performance of “Partners” in the evening.
Funding also went to supporting the Festival’s partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach. Each year, the Festival hosts the organization’s Photo Club where children meet artists, take photos, view the art and participate in art workshops. Additionally because of the generosity of the FOA Foundation, over 200 children were able to take part in free workshops on Family Art Day, a special day at the Festival of Arts dedicated to families with kid-friendly art activities in July.
“We’re very grateful for this generous grant,” said Sharbie Higuchi, Marketing/PR Director. “To partner with the Foundation to provide creative and educational art experiences for children and young adults is extremely gratifying and beneficial to the community.”
ABOUT THE FOA FOUNDATION
The FOA Foundation, operating independently from the Festival of Arts and co-founded by John Rayment and David Young in 1989, was originally designed to award scholarships to graduates of Laguna Beach High School and grants to nonprofit art organizations and educational institutions in and about the city of Laguna Beach. In 2007, the Festival of Arts assumed the financial responsibility of the art scholarships, enabling The Foundation to focus on its grant program for local non-profit art organizations.
Children gather around the Festival of Arts’ printmaking table to create their own artwork at this year’s Family Art Day
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS
The Laguna Beach Festival of Arts is a 501c3 with a mission to promote, produce, and sponsor events and activities that encourage the appreciation, study and performance of the arts. Throughout each year the Festival of Arts sponsors art education and provides art scholarships and grants. Every summer the organization hosts California’s premier open-air fine art show and produces the Pageant of the Masters. For general information, call 949-494-1145 or visit LagunaFestivalofArts.org.
Submitted By: Meghan Perez
Sharbie Higuchi, Director of Marketing and Public Relations
Festival of Arts • 650 Laguna Canyon Road • Laguna Beach, CA 92651
