Go West, young artist!

The Laguna Festival of Arts, which runs through August 28, was founded in 1932 by a handful of artists intent on lifting the community out of the doldrums of the Great Depression.  While those artists casually hung their works from fences and trees, today the festival takes place on manicured grounds filled with carefully juried works including painting, photography, sculpture, jewelry, wearable art, and multimedia creations by 140 South Orange County artists.  The Laguna Festival of Arts is a great opportunity to buy first-rate, original art at reasonable prices.

Visitors often have the opportunity to meet the artists whose work is on display, and for those who are more inquisitive, audio tour guides are available.  Anyone curious about future generations of artists will enjoy the Junior Art Exhibition, containing works by kindergarten-to-12th-grade students.  The festival also sponsors Hawaiian Culture Day, Asian Arts Day, and Wildlife Art Day.  Every Wednesday is Youth Art Education Day, and Thursdays offer jazz and wine tasting.