Fun and controversy at Festival pre-party

OUR LAGUNA

Exhibitors from Billy Agee to Caroline Zimmerman and actress Jane

Seymour hosted a private party for 3,400 personal friends and patrons

Saturday night before the 71st Festival of Arts opened to the public.

The 2003 festival features 145 artisans, including guest artist

Seymour, who starred for seven years in the TV series “Dr. Quinn:

Medicine Woman,” which also featured Laguna’s own Jonelle Allen.

Allen teaches acting at UC Irvine, as well as performing. She was

seen recently in the acclaimed production of “Vagina Monologues” at

the Laguna Beach Woman’s Club.

“I have been trying for years to get Jane here,” Laguna Beach

artist September McGee said.

McGee said the two have painted together since they met six years

ago through a mutual friend.

“I moved her from watercolor to oils and then palette knife --

been there, done that and bought the T-shirt,” McGee said. “We work

well together because we both work quickly. She has to, she is so

busy.”

Unlike the juried participants in the show, guest artists cannot

sell their works on the grounds. However, information about Seymour’s

paintings is available on her Web site, janeseymour.com. And Saks

Inc. will be carrying her art, clothing and home decor lines.

“I have originals ... some poster art and I do commissions,” said

the dainty and personable Seymour.

She painted on the set of her TV show, between takes.

“In fact, the first time I did reproductions of my work was for

the cast,” she said. “Even the guys were running around in T-shirts

with flowers on their chests.”

And busy?

Seymour is the mother of twin boys, John and Kris, 7. A painting

of John is a firefighter’s outfit is included in the display of her

work at the festival.

Besides that: She has two movies in the works, one for Court TV

about a woman on a jury, and the other a thriller with Christopher

Reeves, with whom she starred in a movie made before the horseback

riding accident which left him paralyzed. Seymour is also working on

a documentary about adoption.

Buzz at the party included the proposed licensing of the “Pageant

of the Masters” to other locales, news that began circulating last

week.

“Calling it franchising would make the point faster,” said Scott

Moore, Festival board member and exhibitor, who voted against the

concept. “It was a no-brainer for me.”

Board President Bruce Rasner said in an earlier interview that the

board is obliged to make improvements to the grounds in the most

economical and responsible way. Licensing, he said, is one

alternative.

“We have been talking about this among ourselves and possible

representatives for months,” Festival Executive Director Steven

Brezzo said last week.

Brezzo, Rasner, and board members Kathleen Blackburn and Bob

Dietrich, who were in the majority of the 5-4 vote to proceed with

the negotiations with a potential representative, were among the

crowd Saturday night.

Atty. Gene Gratz toured the grounds with Mayor Toni Iseman and

Steve Miller. Gratz said he is feeling much better than he did before

his by-pass surgery.

“I am still feeling the effects of the surgery, which I didn’t

even know I needed,” said Gratz.

His doctors probably wouldn’t be thrilled about his reaction to

the proposed licensing of pageant rights.

How about fulminating? Fuming? Furious? Gratz was one of the

attorneys who donated time to assist in the recall of the previous

board, which wanted to move the pageant to San Clemente. He is ready

to rally the troops again.

Iseman called a special closed session of the council for noon

Sunday to discuss litigation -- no subject named -- and no

announcement of action taken. Any bets on the topic?

Others in the crowd included council members Cheryl Kinsman and

Wayne Baglin and his wife, Faye; Gary Beverage and Arts Commissioner

Nancy Beverage; Planning Commissioner Anne Johnson and her husband,

Marv, who teaches sculpture at the Laguna Beach School of Art &

Design with water district General Manager Joe Sovella; artists Joan

Corman and Julita Jones; architect Morris Skendarian; and Richard

Silver, active in the Human Rights Campaign.

Kathleen Farinacci attended the party at the invitation of Tom and

Rosemary Swimm. Art-a-Fair doyen Iris Adam was joined by budding

artist Dianne Stegmann.

The festival has two new features this year: a satellite Zov’s

restaurant, which catered Saturday’s party; and X-plorer, an audio

tape narrated by artists, which can be rented for self-guided tours

of the festival.

The festival is open from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., through Aug. 31,

except Aug. 30, when it will be closed for a special event.

Admission to the grounds is free to Laguna Beach residents with

proof of residency.

FIRST PLACE

Natasha Marie Darras, 12, took first place at the California State

Science Fair, held in Los Angeles.

Darras, a sixth-grade honor roll student at St. Anne School in

Laguna Niguel when the fair was held, competed with seventh- and

eighth-graders from throughout California to win the top prize in

Structural Capability and Strength of Materials.

She evaluated the merits of four sewing machines, ranging in price

from $19.95 to $1,400.

“I have watched the ‘infomercials’ claiming that an inexpensive

machine could do the exact same thing as the higher priced models and

I wanted to test that,” Darras said. “The more expensive machines had

more options, but the least expensive one had a stronger stitch.”

Her prize: “a big medal and $250.”

Darras qualified for the state fair by winning her school

competition and then the Orange County competition, for which she was

presented an award by the Society of Advancement of Materials and

Process Engineering.

She is the daughter of Frank and Marlene Darras of Three Arch Bay.

* OUR LAGUNA is a regular feature of the Laguna Beach Coastline

Pilot. Contributions are welcomed. Write to Barbara Diamond, P.O. Box

248, Laguna Beach, 92652, hand-deliver to 384 Forest Ave., Suite 22;

call 494-4321 or fax 494-8979.