For those counting, the Fine Art Show and Pageant of the Masters were a success, again
The numbers seem to indicate that there is a lot more to the Fine Art Show and Pageant of the Masters than one first might perceive.
–59 days and more than 522 hours open to the public for the award-winning Fine Art Show.
–58 nights of the Pageant’s famed “living pictures.”
–120 juried Orange County artists.
–70 live musical performances spanning jazz, rock, blues, tribute acts and more.
–13 new exhibitors joining the Festival for the first time.
–300 hours of hands-on artmaking.
–7 specialty Paint & Sip and Prints & Pinots classes.
–The 2,600-seat Irvine Bowl welcomed Pageant audiences.
–32 works of art coming to life through the Pageant’s signature tableaux vivants, featuring masterpieces by Michelangelo, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney and more, before concluding each evening with Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper.
–488 cast volunteers.
–Approximately 200 substitutes contributed to the production.
–60,000 volunteer hours.
–30 rehearsals, leading up to and including VIP Preview Night.
–149 were first-time volunteers.
–5 years old was the youngest volunteer.
–The oldest were in their 80s.
–All led by longtime volunteer Richard Cassiere, who first became involved with the Pageant in the early 1970s, marking his 42nd year this season.
–First-time volunteer Alice Heinrich celebrated her 6th birthday backstage at the Pageant.
–Volunteers Ray and Karen Lewis celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary this summer after first meeting through the Pageant.
Click on photo for a larger image
Courtesy of FOA/POM
Pageant of the Masters’ signature tableaux vivants featured masterpieces by Michelangelo, Vermeer, Monet, Van Gogh, Picasso, Norman Rockwell, Frida Kahlo, David Hockney and more, before concluding each evening with Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”
“Behind every number is a story of creativity, dedication and community,” said David Perry, president of the Festival of Arts. “From the artists who shared their work, to the volunteers who brought the Pageant to life, to the members, audiences and supporters who joined us throughout the summer, each played an important part in making this season so special. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who continues to support the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters and helps keep these treasured Laguna Beach traditions thriving for generations to come.”
Preparations are already underway for another summer of art and living pictures in 2027, with a Pageant theme of Celebrations: The Joy of Art.
Tickets for the 2027 season will be available to Festival members beginning October 1, followed by the general public on December 1.
How many days until the curtain goes up? Who’s counting?
• • •
Question – if your life was on the line, what lengths would you go to keep it going? The answer would obviously vary, depending on your means.
For Laguna Beach residents Jamie and Larry Black, they’d obviously not only travel to the ends of the earth…they in fact have.
According to a story first seen on People.com, Larry, 65, was diagnosed with Stage 3 esophageal cancer in March 2025. He then underwent chemotherapy, followed by an esophagectomy and then more chemo.
Although things seemed clear for a short period of time, unfortunately the cancer not only returned, but showed signs of spreading.
Additional chemotherapy failed to stop the cancer’s progression.
And while Larry was battling the disease, wife Jamie began “extensively researching alternatives and discovered satricabtagene autoleucel, or satri-cel, a CAR T-cell therapy targeting the CLDN18.2 protein.” According to People.com, Larry, in fact, had tested positive for the CLDN18.2 biomarker, potentially making him a candidate.
Here’s where it gets tricky. The therapy has been approved in China for certain patients with CLDN18.2-positive advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction cancer, but is not FDA-approved in the United States for solid-tumor cancers. According to People.com, Larry traveled to China to pursue the treatment for his esophageal cancer.
Earlier this month, the couple flew some 7,000 miles to Hong Kong hoping to pursue the treatment. Upon arrival at The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Larry’s T cells were collected so they could be genetically modified to target CLDN18.2 on cancer cells before being infused back into his body.
So, remember at the top when I asked what lengths you would go to? The Blacks estimate they could spend upwards of $500,000 to do this, including the treatment in China, hospital care, travel, accommodations and additional medications.
Jamie is quoted as saying, “The journey isn’t about expecting a miracle.” For the couple, it is about pursuing another possibility after other treatments failed to stop the cancer’s progression.
Larry is a Laguna Beach native and longtime local tax accountant; Jamie has worked locally as a travel agent.
Let’s all keep good thoughts.
• • •
It might be better for all to enjoy some beautiful art, perhaps hanging on the wall, featuring killer whales, rather than encountering the real thing in the water.
Now through December, GGLB Gallery (347 S. Coast Highway) is featuring the 2026 Southern Resident Orca Series from San Diego-born artist Annalisa Wheeler showcasing oil paintings inspired by the critically endangered Southern Resident orcas of the Salish Sea.
This collection of works, according to the artist, “is designed to create an emotional connection between viewers and these magnificent whales while bringing attention to the challenges they face, including protecting their habitat and food sources.”
Click on photo for a larger image
Courtesy of GGLB Gallery
Artist Annalisa Wheeler and her Southern Resident Orca Series now showing at GGLB Gallery
It’s all part of a larger mission called “Canvas for Conservation: Painting a Future for the Southern Resident Orcas.”
Annalisa is also committed to directing a portion of proceeds to organizations involved in marine conservation and research, including the Orca Behavior Institute and Whale Scout.
Maybe do yourself a favor and check it out for yourself.
• • •
Laguna Beach Live! will welcome the Webern Quartet to Laguna Live! at the Museum chamber music series on Sunday, Oct. 4 from 3-4 p.m.
The quartet comprises violinists Benjamin Hoffman and Chiai Tajima, violist Alex Granger and cellist Stella Cho. Praised by The New Yorker and American Record Guide, the ensemble held a residency at Vienna’s Arnold Schoenberg Center and recorded Schoenberg’s complete string quartets for Etcetera Records.
The program will feature Webern’s Five Movements for String Quartet, Op. 5 and Berg’s Lyric Suite.
It’s free for Laguna Beach Live! and Laguna Art Museum members; $14 for nonmembers.
For more information or to reserve a seat, visit www.lagunabeachlive.org.
This concert is partially funded by the lodging establishments and the city of Laguna Beach.
• • •
And finally, if you’re a lover of the arts, or maybe even involved in working in that community, you should have the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance City Council Candidates Forum on your calendar for tomorrow morning (Saturday, Sept. 26) beginning at 9 a.m. in the Forum Theater on the Festival of Arts grounds.
The forum, hosted by the Laguna Beach Arts Alliance, will focus on issues affecting the arts community. The nonprofit organization advocates for the arts, promotes collaboration and works to integrate the arts into city planning.
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