A meeting of minds

SUZIE HARRISON

The annual joint meeting of the City Council and Arts Commission May

7 certainly painted a prettier picture than the recently publicized

contention between the two panels over Music in the Park and nude

public art.

This is always the time the Arts Commission reviews its accomp-

lishments over the year, and they are many.Last year, the commission

gave Cultural Arts Grants to Laguna arts organizations which

produced:

* 30 musical theater, dance and music performances;

* 80 educational workshops for children and adults at schools,

parks and festivals;

* a cultural arts website with 2,000 monthly hits;

* an artist studio tour with more than 50 artist participants;

* off-season shuttle services to and from arts events;

* national and regional marketing campaigns; and

* 45,000 cultural calendars.

As for the 2005 Art in Public Places and Public Art Competitions,

a highlight was the mosaic project, “Memento’s,” at Wesley Drive that

invited the public’s participation and attracted more than 100

participants.

The commission also instituted, for the first time, a children’s

holiday palette competition, which were on display at City Hall, and

oversaw the addition of more summer banners than ever before -- paid

for by a donation from the Festival of Arts.

Mayor Elizabeth Pearson-Schneider thanked the Arts Commission for

all its work. Councilmember Jane Egly specifically thanked the

commission and cultural arts manager Sian Poeschl for working on

solutions for Music in the Park.

Regarding future projects, both entities finally seem to be on the

same page.

The 2005--2010 City of Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Plan outlines

goals and past endeavors for the commission.The Arts Commission is

looking to the future with plans for public art walking tours with a

map; a public art tour day; and an artist-designed bench at the

Laguna library.

One of the key shared goals of the Commission and City Council is

to create an affordable artist live/work facility.

“I’m interested in the Arts Commission working with the Planning

Commission on an artist work/live idea, buying land and doing artist

work/live [developments] and looking at existing ordinances,”

Pearson-Schneider said. “Let’s put our creative juices to work.”

Alternate commissioner Dora Wexell and Poeschl have been

researching a plan for a year.

The council directed them to look into possible locations, and

grants.

Commissioner Mary Ferguson proposed an Art in the Park Day.

“We could involve many arts organizations,” Ferguson said.

“Festival of Arts and Sawdust artist would really benefit; it would

be extremely popular. We would have to work on the timing and

location.”

Councilmember Toni Iseman was highly favorable to the idea.

“I love it,” Iseman said. “The park I envision is Bluebird Park;

it’s truly Laguna’s Park.”

Iseman suggested expanding the number of Holiday Palettes [to

decorate the town during the holiday season], and asked why there

were snowflakes on Coast Highway instead of palettes.

The Chamber of Commerce was responsible for the snowflakes.

“We didn’t know it, but we approved it,” councilmember Cheryl

Kinsman said of the Chamber decorations.

City Manager Ken Frank said when the council allocates the money

in June the council never gives direction to the chamber on what

decorations to use.

“We give them money to light up downtown,” Frank said.

Iseman said the council doesn’t allocate the money to put up

snowflakes.

Commission Chair Jan Sattler was concerned that the Civic Arts

District isn’t readily identifiable to the public, and asked the

Council to help.

“The City Council identified a Civic Arts District, but when you

drive through it you have no clue,” Sattler said. “Is there anything

we can do in that area, so you know you’re entering the Civic Arts

District?”

Sattler suggested that artist-designed banners be used, like the

ones downtown. She said the commission would like to look into ideas

and would like council’s suggestions.

“The Civic Arts District spans from Laguna College [of Art and

Design] down to the Senior Center; it’s an ‘L’ shape,”

Pearson-Schneider said.

The Mayor agreed the zone needs to be readily identifiable.

Egly suggested using landscaping and public art to enhance the

district.

Kinsman -- who raised eyebrows in the arts community several

months ago by suggesting that nudity should not be permitted in

public artworks at City Hall -- had some suggestions for the

commission regarding its public art policies.

“I think it would be a good idea to have a map, four times a year,

that shows what’s up [in terms of public art],” Kinsman said.

Sattler explained the process of determining public art sites. A

subcommittee identifies potential sites, looks at the pros and cons

and brings back recommendations to the commission.

Kinsman complained that the first time the council sees the

proposals is when they are supposed to vote on them.

“What are we supposed to do,” Kinsman said. “We’d like to know

before that.”

Kinsman would like the Arts Commission to give the council a

report on future projects, so the council can give written comments

before the projects are initiated.

Sattler explained that detailed information about the projects and

the siting is always published in the guidelines for the competition.

Kinsman says she needs more information. “Sometimes you have to

bang us on the head,” she said.

Commissioner Mike Tauber said the commission keeps an inventory of

future sites, and possible ideas for public art are planned well into

the future.

The council and commission also discussed ideas for future public

art sites, including the proposed Village Entrance and the future

Senior Center.

“The other thing that might help us in terms of overall goals is

[to determine] what we want to be known as; what impression do we

want to make,” Pearson-Schneider said.

Pearson-Schneider talked about the “branding” or image Laguna

Beach wants to project -- whether to be known as a modern art town,

or more eclectic, or otherwise.

“The philosophy we’ve installed is to have all different types of

art, so we’re not a one-line city,” Sattler said. “The function of

artists is to reflect what is going on in culture and society today.”

Schneider-Pearson said she wants Laguna to be considered

“eclectic”.

“We want people to respond to the art,” Egly said. “Art that

causes people to stop and think and have a reaction. I do like it or

don’t.”

Kinsman said that’s all fine -- except in front of City Hall.