Greer's OC

On Thursday, November 3, Laguna Art Museum will kick off its tenth annual Art & Nature Festival, with engaging programming for all ages, as well as four new exhibitions that honor the rich history of California art. This high-profile event is the museum’s largest public program of the year, bringing together thousands of participants to foster an appreciation of nature, to raise environmental awareness and discover cross-sections between nature and the arts. 

The 2022 Art & Nature Festival will present the featured exhibitions The Sea Around Us by artist Rebeca Méndez and Pyramidion by artist Kelly Berg, a keynote lecture by Dr. Sylvia Earle, the National Geographic Society Explorer in Residence, a free outdoor Family Festival, and two additional exhibitions including The Big One and Five Summer Stories: The Exhibition.

The Sea Around Us, an immersive 360-degree video art installation, will transport viewers to an area of the Pacific Ocean located 30 miles from the Laguna Beach Coast, portraying the ocean as a fully animated body as well as a place of deep interconnectedness for all living things. 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 still hold the record as the largest painting ever created in Laguna Beach and will be on display in the California Gallery. 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, will include a sneak peek of the film and historic imagery, clothing, and items from the era of the film.

For over 100 years, the connection between art and nature has been continuously explored by artists in Laguna Beach. In 1929, the Laguna Beach Art Association built a gallery on the idyllic coastline, close to the natural wonders that have inspired countless artists. The gallery is part of today’s Laguna Art Museum, and it continues to be the ideal venue for leading creative and scientific thinkers of all ages.  

Art & Nature Festival Schedule of Events and Exhibitions

Thursday, November 3

Art & Nature’s featured outdoor installation Pyramidion is on display all day and during the First Thursdays Art Walk. Robert Young’s The Big One also opens for display. Laguna Art Museum will offer free admission from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. 

The museum is proud to partner with Wax & Wood Gallery, Dawson Cole Fine Art, Gallery Q at Susi Q, Las Laguna Art Gallery, and BGC Laguna Beach who are each presenting nature-themed exhibitions in conjunction with Art & Nature.

Friday, November 4

Dr. Sylvia Earle, the National Geographic Society Explorer in Residence, will give this year’s Art & Nature Keynote Lecture at the Art & Nature Opening Party from 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. Following the keynote lecture, the museum will reveal The Sea Around Us by artist Rebeca Méndez and welcome opening night guests to experience the immersive exhibit at 7:00 p.m. Along with light bites and libations, the event will give guests the opportunity to get a first look at select Art & Nature exhibitions, to meet the artists behind this year’s festival and to help the museum raise much needed funds for future programs and exhibitions. LAM’s partnership with MacGillivray Freeman Films and Coast Film Festival, Five Summer Stories: The Exhibition, will also debut during the party. Tickets to attend the lecture, opening party, and exhibition preview are $150 per person. Tickets to attend the party and exhibition preview only are $100 per person. Tickets can be purchased on the Laguna Art Museum website.

Saturday, November 5

Art & Nature fans of all ages can join Laguna Art Museum and its partners during the Art & Nature Family Festival at the Main Beach Cobblestones and the museum from 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. The event will include a docent-guided tour from the Main Beach Cobblestones through Heisler Park to view Pyramidon and back to the museum. There will be fun, enriching hands-on activities and educational stations set up throughout the museum that explore art, climate, science, animal welfare, and environmental education. The Art & Nature Family Festival and all-day museum admission will be free.

The museum is thrilled to partner with local community organizations including Laguna Beach Unified School District, Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, Visit Laguna, City of Laguna Beach, Coast Film Festival, Surfrider Foundation, Laguna College of Art and Design, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Laguna Beach Canyon Foundation, La Vida Laguna, Laguna Ocean Foundation, Get Inspired, Crystal Cove Conservancy and National Charity League.

Sunday, November 6

Laguna Art Museum will host a Panel Discussion: 

The Sea Around Us moderated by Los Angeles Times environment reporter Rosanna Xia at 3:00 p.m. Join featured artist Rebecca Méndez as she delves into the process of making The Sea Around Us and its important message of ocean preservation. Panelists will include the University of California, San Diego Professor of Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry Lihini Aluwihare , University of California, Santa Barbara Professor of Geochemistry and Microbiology David Valentine, and more. Tickets are $20 for museum members and $30 for non-members and can be purchased on the Laguna Art Museum website

307 Cliff Drive in Laguna Beach.