Molly Hutchings working in her studio
LOCAL ARTIST COMES FULL CIRCLE: FROM FESTIVAL OF ARTS JUNIOR
EXHIBITOR, TO FESTIVAL OF ARTS EXHIBITOR, TO JUNIOR ART JUROR
*The Junior Art Exhibit will be on display at the Festival of Arts through August 31st and is free with Festival admission
Laguna Beach, CA — When Molly Hutchings was a tenth grader in 1967, her art teacher at San Clemente High School submitted her first watercolor painting to be considered for exhibition at the Junior Art Exhibit at the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts. Several thousand other pieces of art by students K-12 were submitted alongside Molly’s painting; less than 300 were selected for exhibition. When she found out her painting had been chosen, it was not just a surprise to her; it was the first time she imagined that she could make a life out of pursuing art.
Years later Molly was juried into the Festival of Arts as an adult, where she has been exhibiting and selling her paintings for the last 19 years. In recent years Molly has acted as a juror for the Junior Art Exhibit, selecting the work of young artists, in the same process through which her painting had been selected so many years ago. Her artistic journey has come full circle.
“My inclusion in the Junior Art Exhibit gave me the self confidence to believe that I would be an artist when I grew up,” says Molly. “And it turned out to be true!”
The Laguna Beach Festival of Arts Junior Art Exhibit was established in 1947 as an opportunity to celebrate the talents of young artists from all around Orange County. It has been a favorite fixture at the Festival of Arts ever since.
“The Junior Art Exhibit is a hugely important aspect of the Festival of Arts,” says Mark Porterfield, spokesman for The PIMCO Foundation, which has in recent years partnered with the Festival of Arts in sponsorship of the Junior Art Exhibit and which has instituted the Junior Art Awards ceremony wherein junior exhibitors are acknowledged at the end of the Festival season. This year, the award ceremony was held on Sunday, August 19th at 11am at the Festival of Arts.
“The Festival isn’t just putting up another interesting art exhibit,” added Porterfield. “It is providing a place for confidence to blossom and dreams to take flight. The Junior Art Exhibit is a launching pad for the next generation of Orange County artists.”
That was certainly true in the case of Molly Hutchings. Molly went on to study art throughout high school, and attained her BA in art with an emphasis in printmaking from California State University, Sonoma. Eventually Molly found her way back to San Clemente and to watercolor, and today her unique approach to painting takes its inspiration from quilting and textile patterns and textures. As a juror for the Junior Art Exhibit, she judges drawings and paintings produced by 7th-10th graders.
For Molly, her role as juror is an honor, knowing from first-hand experience how young artists will be impacted by their inclusion in the exhibit.
“Being a juror is an incredibly exciting and slightly overwhelming endeavor,” says Hutchings. “You’re presented with thousands of images, and you have to choose only a few. But I always feel like each of the pieces I review is special, even if not chosen. I treat each piece with respect, because I know it feels.”
The Junior Art Exhibit will be on display at the Festival of Arts through August 31st and is free with Festival admission.
DATES AND ADMISSION
The Festival of Arts is open daily from July 1 – August 31, 2012, from 10am to 11:30pm (August 25, 10am to 3:30pm). General Admission: Weekdays $7, Weekends $10; Students & Seniors: Weekdays $4, Weekends $6; Free Admission for Children 12 and under, Military, and Laguna Beach Residents.
ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS
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
Festival of Arts • 650 Laguna Canyon Road • Laguna Beach, CA 92651
The 2011 PIMCO Foundation Junior Art Award winners.
The 2012 ceremony was held on August 19th.
