The Laguna Beach Arts Alliance (LBAA) announces the nominees for the 11th Annual Art Star Awards to be held on Sunday, April 2, 2017 at 6:00pm, generously sponsored by [seven-degrees] in Laguna Beach. At this red-carpet event, the winners will be announced and presented with one-of-a-kind Art Star award sculptures, created by Louis Longi. These organizations, businesses and individuals contributed and shaped the arts and culture in Laguna Beach in 2016.

“This year’s nominees are a very deserving group that are all well known contributors to arts in our community,” said Arts Stars Committee Chair Wayne Baglin. “One category, Individual Arts Patron, was a clear winner based on nominations,“ he said. Betsy and Gary Jenkins will receive the Individual Arts Patron award.

The Laguna Beach Alliance for the Arts will honor Donna Inglima with a special Art Stars Award for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of her accomplishments with the Youth Theatre at Laguna Playhouse.

The additional categories and the nominees are:

Best Arts Program
CAP Gallery
Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational
Sawdust Art Festival 50th Anniversary

Corporate Patron
City of Laguna Beach
Laguna Beach Rotary
Opus Community Foundation

Outstanding Arts Collaboration
Festival of Arts & Fashion Island – Summer Art Sundays
Laguna Concert Band & Laguna Elementary Music Program – Star Wars Music Mentor Program
LOCA Art & Artists & Glennwood Housing Foundation – Glennwood House Art Program

Arts Leadership
Toni Kellenberg
Vinita Voogd
Bob Whalen

Artist of the Year
Marlo Bartels
Roland Berry
Jeff Sewell

Last year’s grant recipient of the [seven-degrees] of Inspiration Grant, Russell Pierce, a Laguna Beach mixed media visual artist will unveil his project, titled “Change Agents,” a series of 50 portraits of individuals who have made an impact on the world.

To purchase tickets to attend the 11th Annual Art Star Awards, please contact: mailto:info@lagunabeacharts.org.Tickets are $100 each and include dinner as well as all the festivities.

The Laguna Beach Arts Alliance was established in 2002 as the result of an exciting partnership among more than 20 Laguna Beach organizations. The mission is to serve as an advocate for the arts, promote collaboration and networking among the arts organizations of Laguna Beach, and to serve as a united voice for the arts in the city. Members of the Arts Alliance include Laguna Art-A-Fair Festival, Laguna Dance Festival, City of Laguna Beach Arts Commission, Community Art Project, Festival of Arts, First Thursdays Art Walk, KX 93.5 Radio, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach Craft Guild, Laguna Beach Live!, Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association, Visit Laguna Beach, Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna Concert Band, LOCA Arts Education, Laguna Playhouse, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Lagunatunes Community Chorus, Blue Water Green Earth, No Square Theatre, Sawdust Art Festival, and [seven-degrees].