Laguna Beach Business Club – 2023 Speaker Series
The Laguna Beach Business Club is proud to announce its Jan. 19 meeting speaker, Laguna Beach City Councilmember Alex Rounaghi. The LBBC holds a breakfast meeting on the third Thursday of each month starting at 7:30 a.m., hosting speakers that discuss topics valuable to achieving success in your personal and professional lives.
A lifelong resident of Laguna Beach, Alex Rounaghi was elected to the Laguna Beach City Council in November 2022. His top priorities include undergrounding power lines on Laguna Canyon Road, fully funding public safety, addressing housing needs for seniors and artists, protecting the environment, and advancing data-driven government. Prior to his election, Rounaghi served as Chair of the Laguna Beach Housing & Human Services Committee and is a graduate of Laguna Beach public schools and Dartmouth College.
The LBBC is a group of local business professionals and entrepreneurs that meet monthly to discuss current events, and business opportunities and share insights within their community and lives. The group intends to build and maintain relationships with local professionals and businesses that they can proudly recommend to clients and friends. LBBC also supports its community by providing and participating in community services and events that benefit the citizens of Laguna Beach.
Club meetings begin with a buffet breakfast and a brief networking roundtable. Meetings are hosted at 7° [seven-degrees], 891 Laguna Canyon Road. Non-members are welcome. The non-member guest fee is $30, payable in cash or check, payable to the Laguna Beach Business Club, on the day of the meeting. Those interested in more information about the LBBC, or to register for the meeting, can visit lagunabeachbusinessclub.com, or email [email protected].
Patriots Day Parade committee selects winners
The Patriots Day Parade committee has selected the winners of the Thurston Middle School Essay Contest and the Laguna Beach High School Program Cover Art Contest. Chosen as the winner of the Thurston Essay Contest is Skylar DiMaggio. She will receive a $100 award donated by the Parade committee. The winner of the Laguna Beach High School Cover Art Contest is Jonah Goldstein. U.S. Bank has donated his $100 award. The 56th Patriots Day Parade will march on Saturday, Mar. 4, at 11 a.m. The entry deadline for the parade is today. For more information, one can contact Sandi Werthe at [email protected].
Open for Construction workshop at Mozambique Restaurant on Jan. 17
On Jan. 17 at 11:30 a.m., the City of Laguna Beach will host an Open for Construction workshop at Mozambique Restaurant. All are welcome to join fellow industry professionals for an overview of the New California Building Standards Code.
California Building Standards will soon be entering a new code cycle with significant changes that affect design professionals, engineers, builders, property owners, and real estate professionals.
This presentation will cover updates to the 2022 California Residential and Building Codes Standards.
Contractors, architects, real estate professionals, residents, property, and business owners are invited to attend. Registration includes lunch for $35. The lunch ticket includes choice of: vegetarian pasta, chicken, or salmon. Please note that there will be no walk-in tickets available. Registration will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 13. The Open for Construction workshop at Mozambique Restaurant located at 1740 South Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651.
Toastmasters returns to Laguna Beach
Toastmasters is returning to Laguna Beach. After a break for Covid, the popular speaking club is returning, and everyone is invited to learn more about joining the new club at an upcoming event.
An information meeting and open house will be held on Thursday evening, Jan. 26, at 6:30 p.m. at the Guildhall, behind St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 428 Park Avenue in Laguna Beach. Parking in the church lot is free, and refreshments will be served. Former members who belonged to the club before the pandemic are encouraged to attend the open house and share their success stories. The club will meet every Thursday evening at the Guildhall from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Toastmasters is a community non-profit that helps people improve public speaking, communication and leadership skills in a comfortable and safe environment. Prior to the pandemic, the club had over 30 active members and was one of the most successful clubs in South Orange County. Toastmasters has a long history of helping people overcome the fear of public speaking and gain confidence as speakers. The organization turns 100 in 2024. Laguna resident David Makela, former president of the Laguna Beach club, said, “Toastmasters is a proven way to help people improve their public speaking skills. By speaking every week in club meetings, members gradually build confidence and begin to see noticeable progress. And it’s amazing how quickly people improve. The secret is regular practice.”
More information is available by contacting John Barry at (714) 457-2279 or by emailing [email protected]. Linda Robinson is also available to contact at (714) 370-1184 or [email protected].
No Square Theatre presents Waiting in the Wings: The Musical
No Square Theatre is pleased to present Waiting in the Wings: The Musical, a silly and irreverent comedy by Jeffrey A. Johns, who also stars in the show. This local production will be the last stop before it opens in New York off-Broadway in April. The storyline follows a mistake in casting that lands Tony (a New York stripper) in a musical and Anthony (a musical theater enthusiast from Montana) in a role as a stripper. Both men are understandably uncomfortable and must re-think their comfort limits to succeed. Ella Wyatt directs, with music direction by Christopher W. Smith and choreography by Jennifer Kornswiet.
The show is based on a 2014 movie written by Johns and also starring Sally Struthers, Shirley Jones, and Lee Meriwether. The masters for a movie sequel were destroyed in a fire, prompting Jones to create this stage version. Waiting in the Wings, despite dealing with strippers (and some bare bums), is described as wholesome and hilarious, a welcome escape from current real-world news headlines.
”The music is really fun, and it has heartwarming moments,” director Ella Wyatt said.
The creative team will also hold Q&A sessions for interested audience members after the show.
Tickets are $35. Performances are on Jan. 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, and 29. For more information, see the website at www.nosquare.org.
Laguna Art Museum’s Tenth Annual Art & Nature Festival Announces New Public Programs
Laguna Art Museum’s tenth annual Art & Nature Festival is currently on view, featuring groundbreaking, immersive exhibitions, including The Sea Around Us by artist Rebeca Méndez, Pyramidion by artist Kelly Berg, The Big One by artist Robert Young and Five Summer Stories: The Exhibition. The museum is pleased to announce new Art & Nature public programs, including innovative workshops, panel discussions, nature excursions, immersive yoga and an exhibition-closing celebration.
On view through Feb. 5, immerse yourself into the depths of the Pacific Ocean with Rebeca Méndez’s groundbreaking installation of The Sea Around Us. This 360-degree video art installation drops you straight into the depths of the ocean, usually untouched by humans. Surrounded by vivid depictions of sea life, oozing barrels of DDT descend around you, creating a sense of ominous calamity and immersing you into the thick of the conflict of environmental wrongdoing.
This moving experience inspires awe and strengthens the bond between sea and viewer, inspiring the courage to face environmental misconduct, take restorative action and avoid repeating transgressions against our natural resources.
Pyramidion is an interactive sculptural experience that invites viewers to contemplate the layered history and unique geology of Laguna Beach. The Big One by artist Robert Young is thought to hold the record still as the largest painting ever created in Laguna Beach and is on display in the California Gallery. Pyramidion and The Big One are on view through Feb. 12.
Five Summer Stories: The Exhibition, presented in partnership with MacGillivray Freeman Films and Coast Film Festival in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the iconic surf documentary, includes a sneak peek of the film and historic imagery, clothing and items from the era of the film. The exhibition is on view through Mar. 12, 2023.
The Art & Nature Festival is the museum’s largest public program of the year, bringing together tens of thousands of participants to foster an appreciation of nature, raise environmental awareness and discover cross-sections between nature and the arts.
Art & Nature Festival 2023 Events
Saturday, Jan. 14
Join Laguna Art Museum for a Working in Nature panel discussion with artists who work outdoors and create art inspired by nature. Discover the challenges and rewards of working in the wild and how these artists adapt to an ever-changing environment. Panelists include Rich German, Casey Parlette and Jasmine Swope. The panel will begin at 6 p.m. Tickets are $7 for members and $14 for non-members.
Saturday, Jan. 21
Deep dive into Robert Young and The Big One. Robert Young, an avid scuba diver and ocean lover, worked on his magnum opus for decades adding colorful fish, pristine reefs, corals and other sea life onto the canvas of his piece The Big One. This talk will examine Young’s life, career and masterpiece The Big One, with firsthand accounts from his wife, Deborah Young and close friend Eric Johnson. Leading the conversation will be Marrie Stone. Tickets are available for $7 for museum members and $14 for non-members.
Sunday, Jan. 22
Discover the amazing world of tidepools during this educational excursion to Laguna’s Heisler Park Beach. Just a short walk from the museum, join the Laguna Ocean Foundation for an in-depth look at the tidepools and the organisms that call them home. This program will require participants to maneuver the beach, including sand and rocks. Please wear appropriate footwear. This program is in partnership with the Laguna Ocean Foundation and begins at 3 p.m. on Jan. 22. Tickets are $20 for museum members and $30 for non-members.
Sunday, Jan. 29
Join Laguna Art Museum on Jan. 29 at 11 a.m. for The Big One Kids Workshop. Celebrate the beautiful creatures of the ocean as Robert Young did in his various art pieces. Led by our education staff, you will create your own under-the-sea masterpiece inspired by Young’s vibrant painting, The Big One, currently exhibiting as part of Laguna Art Museum’s Art & Nature. Tickets are $7 for museum members and $14 for non-members. Children 12 & under are free when accompanied by at least one paying adult.
Saturday, Feb. 4
Surrounded by the underwater seascape of The Sea Around Us by Rebeca Méndez, this is a one-of-a-kind immersive yoga class experience at 10 a.m. on Feb. 4. Tickets are $20 for museum members and $30 for non-members. Admission is free for children under 12. Children must be accompanied by at least one paying adult.
Saturday, Feb. 4
For the closing celebration of the Laguna Art Museum’s 10th Annual Art & Nature Festival, join past Art & Nature featured artists alumni and Curatorial Fellow, Rochelle Steiner, as they discuss the previous years’ installations and the importance of Art & Nature. Champagne and hors d’œuvres will be available during this final opportunity to see the exhibitions. The celebration begins at 6 p.m. Tickets are $20 for museum members and $30 for non-members.
Sunday, Feb. 12
Inspired by Robert Young’s painting, The Big One, local artist Jo Situ Allen (aka DIRTY ERASER) will lead a mixed media collage workshop using found images, objects and reproductions of marine life from The Accidental Naturalist, her books on native California species. Jo will share some insights about the wonderful species found just off the beaches of Laguna. Energized by the intuitive flow of the ocean, students will create their own magical underwater landscape through colors, forms and textures. The Oceanic Flow workshop will begin at 2 p.m. Tickets are available for purchase through the Laguna Art Museum website and cost $20 for museum members and $30 for non-members. Children under 12 can attend the workshop for free but must be accompanied by at least one paying adult. Supplies for the workshop are included with the ticket.
For more information about the tenth annual Art & Nature and Laguna Art Museum exhibitions and programming, visit lagunaartmuseum.org. To stay connected and learn about upcoming events, follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
