Artists have long been inspired by nature when creating their works, and Laguna Beach has fostered art, the love of nature and environmental awareness for decades. This week, art enthusiasts can enjoy the confluence of art and nature at the fourth annual “Art & Nature” program that runs November 3-6. Presented by the Laguna Art Museum, the four-day event combines museum exhibits, a commissioned outdoor artwork, lectures, performances, and family activities revolving around the theme of art’s engagement with the natural world.
Laguna Art Museum’s main show is “Miss Hills of Laguna Beach,” an exhibit that shines a spotlight on Anna Althea Hills, an early 20th-century artist who painted impressionistic landscapes of the area and had a prominent role in the museum’s history. With 60 paintings, letters and photographs, the exhibit showcases the work of Hills, whose leadership of the Laguna Beach Art Association helped lay the foundation for the Laguna Art Museum.
Other exhibits at the Laguna Art Museum include “Kristin Leachman: Xylem Rays,” which focuses on nature, weaving, and other domestic crafts inspired by the large-scale paintings of the artist’s “Xylem” series; and “Phillip K. Smith III: Bent Parallel,” which provides an immersive experience including two 9-foot-tall panels of light joined at a 120-degree angle. Each of the panels morphs slowly through various colors, and the angle creates a third plane, which is reflected between the two. Smith will discuss his works on Friday evening at the museum.
Additionally, Artist Helen Pashgian uses fiberglass, resin, and plastic to make sculptures that play with the perception of color and light. Pashgian will discuss her work at 2 p.m. on Saturday with Peter Blake at the museum. On the same day, Blake’s eponymous gallery (located at 435 Ocean Ave.) will feature the artist in “Helen Pashgian: Light Invisible.”
A large-scale installation artwork is a hallmark of each “Art & Nature” program. Last year, artist Laddie John Dill’s “Electric Light Blanket” featured laser lights and music on Main Beach. This year, Smith was commissioned by the museum, and the artist plans to install “1/4 Mile Arc” on Main Beach. The arc of 250 steel posts will be planted in the sand, and one’s view will change depending on one’s approach. For instance, if you are walking toward the ocean, you will see the hills of Laguna reflected behind you and the water in front of you. Smith has commented that his large-scale artwork will use Laguna, the environment itself, as material. The public can view “1/4 Mile Arc” on Main Beach Friday through Nov. 6.
Art historian Martin Kemp, considered one of the world’s top experts on the art of Leonardo Da Vinci, will also give two lectures in Orange County during the event. The first lecture will be held at UC Irvine at 6 p.m. on Thursday. “Structural Intuitions: Seeing Shapes in Art and Science” will discuss common themes in art and science. Kemp’s second lecture on Saturday (held at Laguna Art Museum at 7 p.m.) will focus on Da Vinci’s most famous painting, the “Mona Lisa.”
There’s much more for art lovers to enjoy during “Art & Nature,” including several art galleries around Laguna Beach that will host nature-themed art shows during the event.
