Margie Mills
President
Coastal Connections
Costa Mesa, Calif.
What are three ways that groups can enjoy the artistic side of coastal Orange County?
President
Coastal Connections
Costa Mesa, Calif.
What are three ways that groups can enjoy the artistic side of coastal Orange County?
- Laguna Art Walk: Laguna Beach is famous for its Art Walk, a monthly evening where the local art galleries stay open late and visitors can meet with artists. We can do our own version for groups by arranging for them to join up with a local artist who can take them to several art galleries, including his or her own studio or gallery. The artist can talk about the history and background of Laguna Beach as an art colony. Then we let people loose so they can shop and explore on their own.
- Artisan Theme Party: We will bring in various artists—painters, sculptors, Claymation artists—who bring in the various pieces they are working on. They continue to work on them during the event, but also talk to the guests and answer questions. The art becomes an important part of the entertainment and decor of the party. This works great for an opening reception as it introduces people right away to the importance of art in the area.
- Pageant of the Masters: This annual event happens only during the summer, but it’s a really spectacular addition to a meeting if groups are here at the right time. We usually do a dine-around in Laguna Beach before the pageant, which presents a series of “living” tableaus in which people depict scenes from famous artworks.
It’s also possible to create a theme party based on Pageant of the Masters. Because replicating the tableaus is very costly and involved, what we usually do is bring in several “living statues”—people on platforms who are made up to resemble a statue. They actually look as though they were made out of stone.