Small art has big impact at City Hall

This year’s “Art That’s Small At City Hall” exhibition is no small matter to many Lagunans.

Now in its sixth year, the annual Arts Commission exhibition features small-scale works by local artists and everyday residents, who share equal space in the limited confines of City Hall.

The exhibition was invented by Arts Commissioner and local artist Mike Tauber.

An award reception honoring the top artists, as judged by Julita Jones of Community Art Project, artist John Eagle and Betty Shelton of the Laguna College of Art & Design (LCAD), was held April 5 during First Thursdays Art Walk.

First-place winner and Laguna resident Kirsten Whalen received a $350 honorarium for her watercolor piece, “Party’s Over,” a still-life of teacups with lighting reminiscent of the works of Vermeer.

“I was surprised; it was very exciting,” Whalen said of her win. “It’s always nice to get a cash acknowledgment of your work so you can be able to reinvest.”

Whalen, who graduated two years ago from LCAD, plans to use her award to purchase art supplies.

She won an honorable mention in last year’s exhibition, which was the first time she had publicly shown her art.

“I participated last year, and obviously it’s a fun community thing,” Whalen said. “So I thought I would do it again.”

All of the other place winners are professional artists and Laguna Beach residents.

Second-place winner Wolfgang Bloch received $200, and Elaine Hughes won $50 for her third-place entry.

Bloch, a surf artist who is originally from Ecuador, immigrated to the United States 25 years ago.

Hughes is an Art-A-Fair exhibitor who has had winning entries in several of the city’s summer banner competitions.

She has participated in Art That’s Small at City Hall since 2002 and is represented at Bluebird Gallery.

The winner of the City Hall Choice award, in which City Hall employees voted for their favorite piece, was Anne-Liv Scott; she also won $50.

Scott, a 2001 LCAD graduate, began exhibiting at the Sawdust Art Festival last year, where she tied for its Best New Artist award. She is a figurative painter who works primarily in oils.

Honorable Mention honors went to Ashlee Fletcher, Tracy Greene, Suzette Rosenthal and Michael Thorstensen.

The exhibition is open to all works that fit the city’s requirements, which include being less than 12” along any edge and being suitably framed.

Permissible mediums include oil, acrylic, watercolor, photography, drawing, mixed media and relief.

Orange County residents dropped off their works on March 24. The exhibitors had to be at least 18 years of age, and their work had to be original and created within the past two years.

The pieces went on view on March 26 and will hang until May 3.

The competition is self-funding; a $15 entry fee per artist helps cover the costs of the exhibition and the award reception.

About 75 entries were received this year, compared to 60 last year.