BRIEFLY IN ART AND ENTERTAINMENT

Skimboard auction set for Sunday

A live auction and reception for unique skimboards decorated by local artists will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday at [seven-degrees], 891 Laguna Canyon Road.

Two of Laguna Beach’s nonprofit art organizations, the Sawdust Art Festival and the Festival of Arts, came together to raise funds for their education departments.

Project Skimboard 3: Collaboration/A New Beginning is a partnership in which the festivals’ artists volunteer to create works of art using a blank skimboard as a starting point.

The Sawdust Art Festival, which began Project Skimboard in 2005, has raised nearly $30,000 from the first two events.

The event features a live auction at 6 p.m. In addition to the auction, the event will feature food, drinks and live music.

Silent auction bids have been accepted and will continue to be accepted until the live auction starts, since the boards were first displayed at the art festivals in July.

Project Skimboard 3 artists are: Brian Allan, Randy Bader, Patty Barnett, Gerard Basil, Bob Bonn, Sherry Bullard, Ray Caruso, Colleen Corbett, Monica Dunham, John Eagle, Anne England, Michael Hallinan, Mark Jacobucci, Sandra Jones Campbell, Mike Kelly, Mike Kershnar, Mada Leach, Bruce Linder, Donita Lloyd, Becky Prelitz, Scott Methvin, Scott Moore, Michael Obermeyer, Karen Petty, Troy Poeschl, Christie Repasy, Skip Roma, Marsh Scott, Jane Slowsky, Pat Sparkuhl, Jim Stanaland, John Gregg Stone, Tom Swimm, Jude Taylor Darlin, Sean Tiner, Cliff Wassmann and Dion Wright.

Kavorkian film festival winners announced

Kavorkian 5000 has announced the winners of its 2007 film festival.

Darren “Dagwood” Madrigal took first place and a $1,000 honorarium. Coastline Pilot photographer Don Leach took second place and won $500; third-place winner Tim Fly took home $250.

All three winners also received XS Energy Drink trophies, donated by festival sponsor Dave Vanderveen.

Indian chef makes appearances

New York chef and cookbook author Suvir Saran will introduce his new cookbook, “American Masala: 125 New Classics From My Home Kitchen,” and prepare dishes from it Oct. 13 at Sapphire Laguna and Laguna Beach Books.

Saran will sign “American Masala” and copies of his first cookbook, “Indian Home Cooking,” at Laguna Beach Books, 1200 S. Coast Highway, Suite 105, from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 13.

Saran will also prepare a special menu of dishes from “American Masala” at Sapphire Laguna, located in the same plaza, from 5:30 to 11 p.m. Books will be available for purchase at Laguna Beach Books during this period; Saran will be available to sign them while he is at Sapphire.

For more information from Laguna Beach Books, call (949) 494-4779 or visit www.lagunabeachbooks.com. For more information from Sapphire Laguna, call (949) 715-9888 or visit www.sapphirelaguna.com.

Whitney Gallery hosts artist reception

Whitney Gallery, 350 N. Coast Highway, will host a reception for artist Andrea Krupp from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 4, in conjunction with the exhibition of Krupp’s new paintings in a show titled “Places I Know.”

Krupp’s watercolor and gouache paintings preserve focus on her home city of Philadelphia. For more information, call (949) 497-4322, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.marcwhitney.com.

Sawdust summons tree decorators

The Sawdust Art Festival’s Winter Fantasy tradition of inviting community groups to decorate a holiday tree at annual event continues this year.

Interested community groups are asked to call Rebecca Meekma, the Sawdust’s community and media relations manager, at (949) 497-0517 no later than 5 p.m. Oct. 9.

Twelve trees are available for decorating. The trees will be on display to the thousands of visitors at the Sawdust’s 17th annual Winter Fantasy, lasting four weekends in November and December.

Groups are encouraged to create hand-made decorations for the tree and, while planning their decorating theme, to take into account that the live, six foot trees will be outside for the duration of the Winter Fantasy.

On Opening Day, Nov. 17, local dignitaries will review the trees, with modest cash awards going to the top vote getters. The winners will be announced at the Community Tree Lighting Ceremony that evening at 5:30. Laguna schools and other performing arts groups will perform at the ceremony.

Laguna Beach residents are invited to attend the opening day festivities for free, beginning at 2 p.m.

The Winter Fantasy will run Nov. 17, 18, 23, 24 and 25; and Dec. 1, 2, 8 and 9.

Show hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day except for opening day, when closing is at 7 p.m.

It features 170 artists from Laguna Beach and beyond, exhibiting and displaying their handmade items in a festive holiday atmosphere.

For more information, call (949) 494-3030 or visit www.SawdustArtFestival.org.

Gallery celebrates peace, equinox

Endangered Planet Gallery will commemorate the International Day of Peace with international art and literacy project Pinwheels for Peace by “planting” pinwheels with peace messages on Main Beach from 3 to 7 p.m. today.

The gallery is requesting the community make its own pinwheels, which will be put on Main Beach as a public statement and temporary four-hour art exhibit. Volunteers are needed. Participants can print pinwheel templates from www.pinwheelsforpeace.com or make them at the gallery, 384 Forest Ave., Suite 13.

It will then host a community potluck celebrating the autumnal equinox from 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday; guests are asked to bring a dish for three friends.

Middle-Eastern acoustic guitarists and drummers will perform, along with Patty Rangel’s Wings of Isis holograms; UN interactive environment CD-ROMs will also be available for viewing.

For more information, call (949) 497-5690.

‘Movable Feast’ returns

The Laguna Playhouse’s 17th annual “A Movable Feast” benefit will be Oct. 15.

During the annual event, diners begin at the playhouse for registration, champagne and a sneak peek at items to be auctioned.

They then travel to local restaurants to complete their meals. Participating restaurants are 230 Forest, Claes, Five Feet, French 75, K’ya, Las Brisas, Mozambique, Partners Bistro, Sorrento Grille and Sundried Tomato Café.

They will then return to the playhouse for dessert, created especially for the occasion by Chef Laurent Brazier of Laguna Culinary Arts.

During dessert, patrons will have the opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind items in the live and silent auctions, which will include sports memorabilia, vacation packages, private culinary parties and exclusive events.

Tickets are $150 per person and are all-inclusive. For more information, call (949) 497-2787, ext. 308, or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.

Community reading event Oct. 10

Latitude 33 Bookshop will host author Janet Fitch in the second session of its Laguna on the Same Page series.

Fitch’s “White Oleander” was selected for its setting, subject matter and writing style; she will discuss the implications and themes of the novel at a free event at 7 p.m. Oct. 10 at Neighborhood Congregational Church, 340 St. Ann’s Drive.

Latitude 33 Bookshop will be offering a 20% discount on all purchases of “White Oleander” until the event. For more information, call (949) 494-5403.

Video game art on display at college

Laguna College of Art & Design will premiere an array of works from Blizzard Entertainment, representing its new Game Art major, from Oct. 1 to 27 at the college gallery, 2222 Laguna Canyon Road.

Exhibition hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ample complimentary parking is available.

The public is invited to the opening reception, in conjunction with First Thursday’s Art Walk, from 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 4.

Blizzard’s online multiplayer games include “World of Warcraft” and “StarCraft.”