BRIEFLY IN ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Sawdust Art Festival auctions slated

The Sawdust Art Festival will hold two art auctions on Sunday, Aug. 6. Both will benefit local causes while allowing the public to purchase original art.

The 14th annual Artists Benevolence Fund Auction will begin at 2 p.m., and will be followed by the Project Skimboard 2 auction at 5 p.m.

The Artists Benevolence Fund was established in 1993 as a non-profit entity to provide assistance to artists who have suffered an unexpected personal calamity or tragedy that creates a financial hardship.

Since its inception, more than $97,000 has been given to help 75 artists. Last year, one Sawdust exhibitor and one Laguna Beach artist qualified after their homes were red-tagged due to the landslides.

Funds raised in the Project Skimboard auction will go toward the Sawdust Art Festival education program and the Surfrider Foundation’s Laguna Beach chapter for ocean water testing.

Tribal Neo-Pop at Endangered Planet

Laguna Beach’s Terrell Washington Anansi, an environmental painter, poet and performance artist, will exhibit a new series of collage creations using recycled materials at Endangered Planet Gallery beginning Aug. 1 at Endangered Planet Gallery, 384 Forest Ave., Suite 13.

Terrell’s new works ? which the artist identifies as “Tribal Neo-Pop Art” ? use cardboard, leaves and a variety of other materials.

A reception for the artist is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 3, in conjunction with First Thursdays Art Walk.

Terrell’s exhibition continues through Sept. 30. A portion of sales of all artwork will support the Orange County chapter of the American Red Cross and a variety of other charities.

For more information, call (949) 497-5690 or visit www.endangeredplanet.org.

Laguna artists in Santa Ana exhibit

Festival of Arts exhibitors Pat Sparkuhl and Gregg Stone will be joined with glass artist Leslie Davis at the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art’s new show, “Worlds in Collision.”

An opening reception will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5 during Santa Ana Artwalk at the center, 117 N. Sycamore, Santa Ana; the show will run throughout the month of August. An additional reception will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 12. All events are free.

“I attempt to develop an art that has its own fingerprint through the use and manipulation of familiar objects. My intention is to create a composition that focuses on contemporary social issues in the hopes of provoking discussion,” Sparkuhl said. He will exhibit more than 25 works from the past 25 years of his career.

“This is an exhibition about research scientists fighting for cures against the ‘treatment for profit’ philosophy of the pharmaceutical industry. It’s about cultures and religions of the world crashing into each other with unspeakable acts of terrorism in the names of their gods and idols,” Davis said.

For more information, contact the gallery at (714) 667-1517, or visit www.occca.org.

‘Funny’ night slated Aug. 12

On Saturday, Aug. 12, the Women’s Club at 286 St. Ann’s Drive will turn into a comedy club.

“One Funny Night” will feature national acts like Marc Takemiya, “O.C. Funniest 2004” winner; Lynn Epstein, Laguna’s resident comic; and Boston’s Jeff Capri, who has appeared on Star Search and performed for troops in Iraq.

The show will be emceed by Barry Weisenberg, winner of “Best in Vegas 2006.”

Tickets to the 8:30 show are $10, and are available at the door or online at www.lynnepstein.com. For more information, contact [email protected] or call (949) 290-4679.

Jazz @ the Beach series continues

The Ron Eschete Trio headlines Wednesday, Aug. 9, at the Rose Garden of the Hotel Laguna, 425 S. Coast Highway, during the Jazz @ the Beach summer series presented by Laguna Beach Live! The concert is from 6 to 8 p.m.; doors open at 5 p.m. There is a $10 cover charge and a sampling of special drinks and wines by the glass and tapas are available for purchase. For information or to make reservations for groups of eight or more, visit www.lagunabeachlive.org or call (949) 715-9713.

Other concerts will feature the Watson-Ordiano Project on Aug.23; Jamie Shew Quintet on Sept. 13; M & M: the Music of Monk and Mingus on Sept. 27; and Kristin Korb Trio on Oct. 11.

Western jazz at Aliso Creek Inn

Bruce Forman and his Western jazz swing band, “Cow Bop,” will play from 4 to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 8, at the Boys and Girls Club for the club’s JazzMasters Workshop program, followed by a free public concert at the Magnolia Patio of the Aliso Creek Inn and Golf Course from 7 to 9 p.m. A special menu will be served starting at 5 p.m. for pre-concertgoers.

Laguna Beach Live! Is assisting with the logistics of this leg of Forman’s Highway 1 “road challenge,” in which he and his band will depart with only $100 and no scheduled gigs, and travel from San Clemente to the redwoods of Northern California.

For more information, visit lagunabeachlive.org.