Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Master annual event In Laguna Beach – August 31st, 2003
The 2003 Festival and Pageant came to a roaring finish with another successful Summer Run. Get ready for next year.
The Festival of the Arts/Pageant of the Masters took place from July 5- August 30th in downtown Laguna Beach and was another smash hit this Summer with many incredible Artists/Painters/Models/ and more.
The spectacle of the Pageant of the Masters is a jaw-dropping phenomenon, especially for the uninitiated. The basic premise is a case of life imitating art: people costumed and made up appropriately become life-size versions of well-known works of art such as Hopper’s 1947 "Summer Evening" or classic table lamps of the art nouveau period. The effect is one of living, breathing art that readily exposes the poignancy, splendor, or charm of the work on display. During the course of the evening, the audience becomes privy to the secrets of how the living works of art are produced. Suffice to say, magic is created through gallons of paint, flat lighting, and bodies of steel.
Based on the theme of "Seasons" (of the year and of life), this year’s parade of American, European, and Asian paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts was enchanting. The flashes of whimsy were appreciated as well, such as when the 18th century German Meissen figurines cheekily waved to the audience. Only on occasion could one wish for a bit more authenticity in the recreations. For example, it was difficult to correlate the image of Duke Kahanamoku – as a giant full-blooded Hawaiian – with the fine-boned "Haole" boy who portrayed his statue at the Pageant, even though the actor was buff and bronzed.Equally disconcerting to see was the same cast member reappear a few moments later as surfing legend Kelly Slater in Prettyman’s acrylic painting "Cutting Glass" – but still in what looked like full bronze body paint. Magnificent as the Pageant is, attention to details like these still counts.
Three performing groups helped flesh out the emotional content of the evening. These included Dapper Dans Barbershop Quartet, an octet of ‘ice’ skaters, and the Polynesian Paradise Dancers and Musicians. All were received enthusiastically, although if the skaters and dancers had been on the stage – rather than at the level of the first rows – then their performances could have been more easily enjoyed by the entire audience. Overall, the evening was spectacular mixing in some great Live Music (from a fabulous Barbershop Quartet to a full Orchestra/Composer, Conductor), Atmosphere, Dancers, Fireworks, and of course Artwork. The Festival of the Arts is a non-profit organization supporting Laguna Beach and surrounding areas with their proceeds. The artists used different methods for their work from Oil, Bronze, Marble, Watercolors, Lithographs, Porcelain, and acrylic to name a few. The guest artist this year was Golden Globe, Emmy Award winning actress Jane Seymour (pictured here). Her beautiful Watercolor and Vibrant Oil Paintings were displayed at the Festival.
Contact info for next year’s event. The Pageant Ticket Office can be reached at