La Jolla Festival of the Arts

Year 26: Expect Something Different

The La Jolla Festival of the Arts™, one of the most prestigious juried art shows in the country, unites talented artists, musicians and restaurateurs in support of San Diegans with disabilities Saturday, June 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Sunday, June 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on University of California San Diego’s Warren Field on the corner of Gilman Drive and Voigt Drive. Discount tickets can be purchased online from May 1 through June 22 for $12; at the door tickets cost $14; children aged 16 years and under attend for free.

The artists will display watercolor, sculpture, fine jewelry, glass, photography and more. The art ranges from classic to contemporary, suiting many tastes. Exhibiting again will be Terry Hansen, a woodworker from Santee who after failing high school woodshop, eventually went on to sell fine furniture to the Smithsonian, the Louvre and many celebrities, such as George H.W. Bush and Barbra Streisand. Steve Stento, a plein air painter from Anthem, AZ has been with the Festival for over ten years, winning numerous Best of Show awards–he is guaranteed to be a show stopper once again.

“It is one of the few shows where the artists must pass a rigorous jury review to exhibit their work,” said Ronn Rohe, Festival art director and member of the Torrey Pines Kiwanis Foundation, the producer of the event. “Artists will be in their booths to meet customers, collectors and designers.”

“We wanted to inject new life into this year’s festival,” said Ted Peña, Event Manager and Kiwanis member. “The live human-art is something our crowd has never seen before. It will be a dynamic compliment to the 200 exhibiting artists.”

Chalk art with a 3-D effect will be created on the spot and attendees will have the unique opportunity to bring this street-art home via silent auction. Instead of drawing on the sidewalk, the chalk artists will create their masterpieces on concrete boards that will be auctioned off to benefit San Diegans with disabilities.

The two-day art extravaganza will also host popular San Diego musicians playing jazz, blues, classic rock and rat pack hits. Restaurant Row’s aroma is enough to entice all of San Diego through the gates; gourmet food trucks will be onsite with delicious, healthy cuisines and local adult beverages.

The Festival will be emceed by vocalist, David Patrone who was voted as San Diego’s 2009 “Best Jazz Music.” Musical guests will include Rockola, Fred Benedetti and Peter Sprague, Dave Scott and Monsoon Jazz, and the Bayou Brothers. For information or to purchase advance tickets, visit www.LaJollaArtFestival.org.

 

Category: Entertainment