Celebrities Paint their Passion for the Arts
By Hayley Toler | August 31, 2011 1:18 PM
Richard Marx performing to crowds on the Festival stage.
In celebration of the culminating weekend at the Festival of Arts, a medley of celebrities and local patrons alike swarmed the grounds to ride the last summer wave of support for our local art community.
“I haven’t been here in a long time, and my wife and I are supporters of the arts,” said Dorian Harewood, who starred in “Gothika” and “Full Metal Jacket”, about his attendance to the festival and Pageant of the Masters.
Robert David Hall of “Crime Scene Investigation” recently bought a house in North Laguna, and expressed his nostalgia for his former days living by the ocean breeze.
Robert David Hall from CSI and recent Lagunan.
“I love all of Laguna; it has changed but it still has all of the flavor that I remember. I like to go down to Heisler Park and have my coffee and read; it’s amazing,” said Hall on the red carpet in front of the festival arches.
Brenda Strong from “Desperate Housewives” appeared on the red carpet flaunting a mixture of high-end pieces with a contemporary flair.
“The Pageant of the Masters is something I saw 20 years ago and it was such an extraordinary experience. I have a 16-and-a-half-year-old son, Zack Henri, and I wanted him to be able to see this because he’s entering a phase in his education where arts and art history are starting to have more impact,” Strong said.
Cheryl Hines of Curb Your Enthusiasm with Festival of Art President Fred Sattler.
Greg Grunberg from the hit television show “Heroes” stated, “Anybody that expresses themselves creatively is a hero of mine. You can’t help but look at a piece of art, and you don’t have to go too deep to ask what inspired the artwork. Art is as important as reading to me.”
“I’m here today because I love the arts. I absolutely think it’s important to expose children to the arts. As a nanny for more than 20 years, it was very important to me to introduce children to the culture of the arts, and certainly different mediums, like theater sculpture,” said Jo Frost, who is known from her television show as “Super Nanny.”
Marcia Gay Harden and daughter Eulala Grace Scheel, who stars in “Whip It.”
Richard Marx also performed on the festival stage with a string quartet to the open-air tables, packed with arts patrons who were reveling in the final performances of the Festival. From 1987 to 1990, Marx became the first male solo artist in history to have his first seven singles reach the top five on Billboard’s singles chart, including “Hold On to the Nights,” “Satisfied” and “Right Here Waiting.”
The raffle winner of the Acura ZDX was Arick Gale of Dana Point whose daughter, Jaimie, 6, is in the re-creation of “The Meeting of Oberon and Titania” in the Pageant of the Masters.
Richard Karn of “Home Improvement” and “Family Feud” with wife Tudi Roche.
Cheryl Hines (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Oscar© winning actress, Marcia Gay Harden, Camryn Manheim (Ghost Whisperer), Alfre Woodard (Memphis Beat), Sam Hennings (Memphis Beat), CCH Pounder (Avatar), Vanessa Branch (Pirates of the Carribean Movies), Dorian Harewood (Boomtown), Richard Karn (Home Improvement), Gregory Itzin (The Mentalist, 24), Marion Ross (Happy Days) and LeVar Burton (Star Trek) also walked the red carpet and spent the evening enjoying the Pageant of the Masters, festival art exhibits, and the general flair of the Laguna beach art world.
Vanessa Branch of “Pirates of the Carribean” movies and “Orbit” campaigns.
For general information on the festival of Arts or Pageant of the Masters, call 949-494-1145 or visit the website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org. The event is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California. Proceeds support the arts and art education in and about Laguna Beach.
Photos Courtesy of Hayley Toler.
