LAM announces kickoff of Art + Nature with Upcycled Couture on November 2
Art + Nature is back at Laguna Art Museum on November 2-11. They just introduced this year’s featured artist, Christian Sampson.
Art + Nature will feature a range of events and activities from November 2 through November 11, including community art projects, performances and the First Thursdays Art Walk. All activities are designed to foster engagement and appreciation of art and nature. Programming includes the Community Kickoff Event on November 2, Live! at the Museum Art + Nature Performance on November 3, a choreographed dance performance and community arts projects on November 9 and Free Museum Day on November 10.
Sampson is an L.A.-based artist who creates dynamic, layered installations of color, light and form. Sampson’s installation Ocean Ions will explore the intersections of color theory, spirituality and abstraction. Installed throughout Laguna Beach’s Heisler Park and Main Beach, Sampson’s work will investigate the complex interplay between light, color and movement, reflecting how ions, molecules with electrical charges, affect both our environment and our perception.
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Courtesy of LAM
Christian Sampson, Art + Nature featured artist
Art + Nature is an annual event celebrating the dynamic exchange between artistic expression and environmental awareness. In its 12th year, Art + Nature period will span September 2024-February 2025, including Sampson’s installation Ocean Ions and Jay DeFeo: Trees
(installed September 21), Fred Tomaselli: Second Nature plus many exciting programs – culminating with 10 days of celebration November 2-11.
Continuing Laguna Beach’s legacy as a center for the arts, Art + Nature provides a unique opportunity for the Southern California community to come together for a festival of art and ideas, to inspire artists and enhance the appreciation of nature in order to foster environmental awareness.
Laguna Art Museum (LAM) will present its 12th annual Art + Nature, an annual event celebrating the dynamic exchange between artistic expression and environmental awareness, beginning November 2. The dynamic event is the museum’s largest initiative of the year, featuring large-scale installations that bring together thousands of participants to cultivate a love of nature, raise environmental awareness and discover cross-sections between science and the arts. The festivities beginning November 2 are the kickoff to Laguna Art Museum’s Art + Nature period that lasts through February 2025 with three indoor exhibitions and exciting public programs.
“With a solid 12-year history of attracting thousands to the beach right outside the museum’s door, there is always a bit of pressure in selecting a featured artist for Art + Nature,” said Julie Perlin Lee, executive director of Laguna Art Museum. “We are so excited for Christian Sampson’s Ocean Ions to come to Laguna Beach as we know it will dazzle audiences, help draw deep introspection about our human interaction with our environment and push us to think deeper about time, perception, unseen forces and even the possibility of transcending dimensionality. I am looking forward to sharing the experience with everyone who can make it down to the beach for Art + Nature 2024!”
Additional Art + Nature exhibitions include Jay DeFeo: Trees and Fred Tomaselli: Second Nature. Jay DeFeo: Trees will be on view through January 12, 2025, and is the first exhibition dedicated to DeFeo’s fascination with trees and exploration of the natural world. The exhibition encompasses the artist’s drawings from the Tree series made in the 1950s and photographs of trees created during the early 1970s.
Curated by LAM Curatorial Fellow Rochelle Steiner, Jay DeFeo: Trees will offer a rare glimpse into the artist’s drawings produced between 1953 and 1954 in Berkeley, Calif., following extensive travels in Europe and North Africa. Among the nine extant works from the Tree series, all of which are on view in the exhibition, are two pieces from Laguna Art Museum’s esteemed permanent collection. They are juxtaposed with DeFeo’s photographs of trees from the 1970s, creating a dialogue that accentuates the breadth of her visual vocabulary. Major support for the exhibition was provided by Elie Weaver and Hilton Weinberg, and The Segerstrom Foundation. Generous support was provided by The Jay DeFeo Foundation. Additional support was provided by Barbara and Tad Danz. Major support for the publication was provided by Nancy Dustin Wall Moure. Generous support was provided by The Jay DeFeo Foundation.
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Photo by Dan Bradica Studio
Fred Tomaselli’s “Irwin’s Garden”
Fred Tomaselli: Second Nature will showcase the influential work of Southern California native artist, Fred Tomaselli. The exhibition, on view from October 6 to February 2, 2025, delves into the confluence of art, nature and contemporary culture.
Stay tuned for more as LAM counts down to the festivities beginning November 2.
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Courtesy of LAM
Upcycled Couture – November 2
Saturday, Nov. 2, 5-8 p.m.
Art + Nature, Upcycled Couture
Join LAM for the kickoff of Art + Nature: Art + Nature: Upcycled Couture – Wearable Art for a Livable Planet, an extraordinary evening where fashion and sustainability unite in a dazzling display of creativity and environmental consciousness. This exclusive event will showcase innovative designs crafted from reclaimed and repurposed materials, transforming everyday objects into stunning, wearable art.
Bringing together the talents of students and faculty with the impactful missions of LAM’s community partners, the runway will feature one-of-a-kind sustainable and upcycled designs, which artfully interpret and illustrate the partner organizations’ missions blending sustainability with high fashion. This exciting showcase highlights the powerful synergy between art, nature and our community.
Celebrating the museum’s commitment to both art and the environment, Upcycled Couture highlights the power of sustainable fashion to inspire a livable planet. Enjoy cocktails, live entertainment, and a runway show like no other, while supporting the Art + Nature Initiative. Proceeds will benefit ongoing Art + Nature programming.
Featured designers: UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts and Chapman University, Santa Ana College, FIDM.
Sponsors: Brand Talent Agency. Advance tickets recommended.
Museum members: $75, Non-members: $90, Students: $35.
For tickets, click here.
Sunday, Nov. 3, 1 p.m.
Laguna Live! at the Museum – Fabio Zini
Film composer, guitarist and orchestrator
Fabio Zini is a professional musician, performing guitarist and film composer. He recently earned a professional certificate in Composition and Orchestration for Film and TV from Berklee College of Music, Boston. Zini has been awarded a Berklee Celebrity Scholarship. This scholarship is a true reflection of his outstanding work as a Berklee certificate program student. His work has been published in the UCLA Music Library, University of California.
Email ava@lagunabeachlive.org for reservations.
Thursday, Nov. 7, 6-9 p.m.
First Thursdays Art Walk
First Thursdays Art Walk is held on the first Thursday of every month from 6-9 p.m. Enjoy LAM’s exhibitions and special performances for free.
Saturday, Nov. 9, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Art + Nature: Portrait of Place Community Art Workshop with Artist Oriana Poindexter
Join Laguna Art Museum at the Main Beach Cobblestones for a community art project led by artist and scientist Oriana Poindexter, who seamlessly blends art and science to showcase the ocean’s beauty. In celebration of LAM’s Art + Nature initiative, the collaborative artwork will embody a “portrait of place” by using historic photo techniques to create a portrait of the marine ecosystem of Laguna Beach. Participants will study ocean specimens with Poindexter and collaboratively create detailed artworks that celebrate underwater life. This project provides a special chance to contribute to a collective view of the ocean and deepen our connection with it.
The collaborative art produced during the workshop will be exhibited at LCAD’s Downtown Gallery as part of Poindexter’s exhibition Blue Forest Portraits through November 7-24.
This is a free workshop with required pre-registration. Limited to 40 participants. SOLD OUT.
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Courtesy of LAM
Ocean Ions Performance – November 9
Saturday, Nov. 9, 4 p.m.
Christian Sampson Ocean Ions Performance
In conjunction with LAM’s yearly Art + Nature series, Sampson in planning a performance and art installation right on Laguna Beach blending movement and sculpture. Sampson’s vision includes vibrant circular forms, animated by sun and movements choreographed by Mamie Green of Volta Collective in collaboration with Christian, draped in costumes painted by Ariel Dill. This immersive collaboration will bring art, nature and performance together in a visually stunning and dynamic display.
The performance is free to attend with pre-registration. Click here.
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Courtesy of LAM
Drawing for the Planet – November 11
Monday, Nov. 11, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Drawing for the Planet
Led by artist and Drawing for the Planet founder Jane Lee McCracken, you are invited to learn about tigers and create expressive ballpoint pen drawings.
Drawing for the Planet’s The Tigers’ Forest project, in partnership with international wildlife charity Born Free, celebrates the iconic Bengal tigers of India and the majestic Malayan tigers of Peninsular Malaysia. Through the drawings of more than a thousand children from the UK, the U.S., India and Singapore, the project raises awareness of endangered tigers and the diverse flora and fauna that inhabit their landscapes, and raises funds for tiger conservation organizations.
Launched in 2024, The Tigers’ Forest includes Amazing Tigers virtual and on-site environmental education and drawing workshops in Singapore (May 2024), the UK (May 2024), the U.S. (November 2024) and India (2025).
As part of the project, McCracken will create The Tigers’ Forest montage featuring a selection of children’s drawings from all four countries. Drawing for the Planet (DftP) will seek to install a large, printed mural of the artwork in a public space in India and the UK.
This is a free workshop with advance registration. Limited number of participants.
To register, click here.
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Courtesy of LAM
Figure Drawing – November 15
Class Dates: November 15, December 13, 4-7 p.m.
Art Workshop, Figure Drawing
Join Peter Zokosky, Chair of MFA Drawing + Painting at LCAD, for a figure drawing workshop. Learn the basics and build on your knowledge of how to draw the human form with a live model. Supplies included with purchase of a ticket.
Please note that the model will be nude. Advance tickets, recommended. Adults (18+) only. Museum members: $30, Non-members: $45.
For tickets, click here.
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Courtesy of LAM
“Pt. Lobos”, by Guy Rose, 1918 – Private Collection
Sunday, Nov. 17, 10-11 a.m.
Jean Stern presents Nature as Art
California is a remarkably varied region of natural beauty. As such, its diverse landscape has been the subject of a large and inspired group of landscape painters. These dedicated artists painted outdoors, or en plein-air, to capture the true appearance of California’s rolling hills, snow-capped mountains, beaches and deserts.
In this illustrated lecture, Stern discusses the various aspects that make California one of the most ecologically diverse places on earth. He will show how different artists portrayed each of these regions as well as how specific parts of our state looked more than a century ago.
The lecture consists of about 90 slides and lasts approximately 45 minutes with time for questions and answers afterwards.
Sunday, Nov. 17, 1-3 p.m.
Conservation Through Art: Resilience in the Face of Habitat Loss
Participants will learn about the causes and consequences of habitat degradation, as well as the inspiring stories of nature’s resilience and adaptation in collaboration with the Crystal Cove Conservancy.
Orange County boasts stunning canyons, breathtaking coastlines, and one of Southern California’s largest unbroken stretches of beach and bluff. What many don’t realize is that this region is also part of a global biodiversity hotspot – our rare Mediterranean ecosystem. Though these ecosystems cover just 2% of the Earth’s surface, they support an astounding 20% of the world’s plant species, placing them on par with the ecological importance of rainforests and coral reefs. Sadly, much of this critical habitat has been lost to development. That’s why Crystal Cove, along with our regional partners, plays a vital role in preserving what remains, with more than 100,000 acres of protected land spanning from the Santa Ana Mountains to the coastline.
The program will culminate in an art workshop where participants will create their own original artwork inspired by the beauty and resilience of the natural world. Guided by LAM’s professional teaching artists, participants will use a variety of materials and techniques to reflect on how nature perseveres, despite human impact. This hands-on session fosters creativity, collaboration and deeper connections with the natural world.
Advance tickets recommended. Museum members: $15, Non-members: $20.
For tickets, click here.
Laguna Art Museum is located at 307 Cliff Drive, Laguna Beach.
For more information, or go to www.lagunaartmuseum.org.
