On a summer evening after attending an exhibition at the Laguna Art Museum, my artist daughter and I walked the serene streets of Laguna Village. A grace to this town stood out from the atmosphere of other Southern California beach towns: art galleries on just about every block, a 1923 Craftsman home turned popular dining…

To see great art is a joy. And to see it “in situ” both physically (where it was meant to be seen) and historically (to understand the context in which it was made) as you travel makes the experience richer yet. I haven’t always loved art history. As a teenager, I struggled doggedly through Kenneth…

Albert Joseph Moore (1841–1893) was an English painter known for his pictures of classically posed, languid women with harmonies of pattern, color, and tone. In the 1860s, he developed a style that embodied early aestheticism—art intended to be celebrated for its inherent beauty alone. Moore’s pictures were typically composed with one to three female figures…

July 4, 1776: The Declaration of Independence is signed, and the United States of America emerges as a free and independent country after years of conflict and turmoil. The birth of the American nation also heralded a new chapter in world history. These facts are rooted firmly in American history and inform our culture and…

As human beings living in this world, we are often bombarded with materialistic desires that may fuel our sufferings. We can be led to believe that our lives would be better if we only had more—more money, more affection, more education, more beauty, and so on. Pursuing more, however, often leads to more hardship. For…

The Associated Press posted an article in 2007 about an Italian musician, Giovanni Pala, who believes he found a piece of musical composition hidden within Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting “The Last Supper.” Pala, a composer and computer technician, raises the possibility that da Vinci may have left behind a somber composition intended to accompany…

Perhaps it’s no surprise that the hospitable Irish took in a “foreigner,” a Welshman named Patrick, and made him their own patron saint! And Saint Patrick’s Day, that exuberant day of merriment, comes around again this month, on the 17th of March. The Irish also gave the world Halloween, another day of revelry, but in…

With the state easing Orange County’s COVID-19 restrictions, the city of Laguna Beach has begun planning for the opening of its 2021 Festival of Arts Pageant of the Masters. Last year, the fine arts show was canceled due to the pandemic in a move that had a profound impact on both the organization and juried…