Children's Festival of the Arts

If you are looking for something to do with your kiddos this weekend that is fun and free check out the Hollywood Art's Council Children's Festival of the Arts. It's a free event at the Paramount Film Studios on Sunday August 9th from 12pm to 430pm. There will be family art workshops, face painting, dancing from around the world and much much more. Children's Festival of the Arts Sunday August 9th 12pm to 430pm Paramount Studios 5555 Melrose Avenue Hollywood 90038 For additional info head over here.

Sawdust Art Festival- Laguna Beach

Summer is here and that means the art festivals will soon be starting in Laguna Beach. My favorite festival hands down is the Sawdust Art Festival. The mission of the festival is to" educate the public about the art created in Laguna Beach,” the Sawdust Art Festival provides a variety of art and craft projects for all ages at their Children’s Art Spot, Ceramics Booth, Sawdust Studio, and their world-class Glass Blowing Booth. They will also hold Summer Evening Art classes at 7 p.m. Sunday-Thursdays. You can meet the artists that will be featured at the festival when you take the Meet the Artists Tour on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. or take a Weekend Walkabout Tour of the Sawdust grounds to learn interesting tidbits on Saturdays and Sundays at 12 noon. Tours are complimentary with admission. I know quite a few of you enjoyed the Creatively Fun Day back in April and I promise that the summer festival is just as good. Once you visit for the day you will want to go back for the rest of the summer!! The Sawdust Art Festival will open its doors on June 26th and close on August 30th. The festival will run everyday from 10am to 10pm during that time. Admission is as follows

$7.50	Adult one-day
$6.00	Senior one-day (65 yrs & up)
$3.00	Child one-day (6-12 yrs)
Free	Age 5 yrs & younger

Season pass is $15 per person. Hope to see you there!! Additional info can be found here

Santa Ana Artist Village ART Walk and ART Bar

One of my favorite things to do on the first Saturday night of the month is the Santa Ana Artist Village ART walk. The artists in the village and the Santora building open up their galleries and studios and allow you take a close look at their work. I've walked it many of times and it is really fun. It would be a perfect thing to do if you have kiddos that are little artists and it's a hit with older kids and teens. The walk covers the four blocks of the 2nd Street Promenade from Broadway Avenue to Spurgeon Street on the First Saturday of EVERY month from 7:00pm - 10:00pm. Admission is FREE. You can walk around and visit the galleries in the Village and also make sure to stop down in the basement of the historic Santora Arts Building at 207 N. Broadway to listen to live music and visit the ARTbar Hands-on Studio. Kids and adults can paint a 5"x5" canvas for the collaborative exhibit which is growing to include hundreds of painted canvases, which are then sold to support the local artist fund. On ARTwalk nite the exhibit entry fee and canvas are FREE (usually a $19 entry fee). You can bring your own paints or buy paint "shots" for $1 each color. Older children love seeing their artwork on display in an exhibit, and it's even more fun when it sells! http://www.theartbar.net/ for more info, or call 714-558-2445. Your family will love the ART walk nights-I promise!! It's also perfect for date night. I would add dinner at Memphis or dessert at Gypsy's Den for a fabulous date night. For additional info click here

PARKING:Covered parking for the Art Walk – is available just a block away, at the Artists Village parking structure at Third Street and Broadway, for $2. I've also parked on 4th street in the metered parking which is free after 6pm. It's a two or three block walk. Hope to see you there!!

NexGen @ LACMA- Free membership and Admission

I'm always on the lookout for Free Museum Days around town and the NexGen program at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)is one that can't be missed. NexGen is a free membership to the LACMA to anyone 17 and under. The NexGen LACMA offers free general admission to the member as well as one accompanying adult. This includes permanent collection galleries and selected special exhibitions. To join, visit the LACMA box office or visit the LACMA website and print out the enrollment offer and send it in. Among the many NexGen offerings are:

• Art Camps
• Art Classes
• Art Tote
• Artwork of the Month
• Children's Audio Tour
• Families & Children in American Art: Online Game
• Family Guides
• Family Days
• Just For Teens

It's a great program and if you have not had the opportunity to visit the Los Angeles County Museum of Art- You are missing out!! The LACMA is great for children and trust me they will love it!! For additional information click here- Have fun and explore away!!

Laguna Art Museum's Imagination Celebration 2009

I love any excuse to visit Laguna- No kidding- we are there at least once a month. Here is an event that you will not want to miss out and it's located in my favorite city!! The Laguna Art Museum will celebrate be the power of the imagination with "ignite the power of art". The celebration will take place on Saturday April 25th from 11am to 2pm. Prepare the kiddos for a feast of art. Your kiddos will be able to partake in various hands on activities, face painting, musical and dance performances, student and professional art exhibits, refreshments and the traditional 'Art Detective' game!! The best part of this experience is that it is absolutely FREE!! Do not miss out on this fantastic event!! Laguna Art Museum's Imagination Celebration 09 307 Cliff Drive Laguna Beach, CA 92651 11am to 2pm Free Admission For additional information click here

Creatively Fun Family Day at the Sawdust Art Festival

I always try to find any excuse to head on over to Laguna Beach. I absolutely love Laguna and the city's renowned Art Festivals. On Saturday the Sawdust Festival will present the Creatively Fun Family Day which sounds like a treat for the whole family . Entrance to the festival allows your kiddos to participate in unlimited hands on art activities!! Some of the activities featured are:

• Ceramics Booth
• Childrens’ Art Spot
• Sawdust Studio plus..
• Painting with Doug Miller
• Recycled Critters with Reem Khalil
• Glass blowing demonstrations with John Barber & Christopher Jeffries!

The Sawdust Art Festival’s, “Creatively Fun Family Day” highlights local performance groups and musicians including: Ghungaroo Indian Dance from Soka University, singer/songwriter Brooke Ramel, and the Laguna Community Concert Band! (more entertainment TBA)

I love great deals and this event is most definitely a good deal. Admission to the Family Day includes unlimited art projects and crafts and is $2.00 for children 5-13 , $4.00 for adults and children under five are of course free. You can also opt for a family four pack for $10.00. So basically for the price of one ticket to your local cineplex- your entire family can enjoy a day of arts and crafts. You can't beat that!!

I'm going to stop in for an hour or two. If you see me there stop by and say hello!!

Date: Saturday, April 18th Time: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Place: Sawdust Art Festival935 Laguna Canyon RoadLaguna Beach 92651

Metered parking is available along Laguna Canyon Road with complimentary parking on Frontage Road courtesy of the City of Laguna Beach.

psst... I would make a day of it with a stop at main beach and then head for some yummie desert at Scandia Bakery on Forest Avenue. It's a must stop when you visit Laguna!!

For additional information click here

1st Thursday Art Walk- Laguna Beach

My kids love going for long walks in Laguna Beach. They also love taking in all of the different art work displayed at the many galleries the city has to offer. Well I just recently discovered that the two can blend together at Artwalk- Laguna Beach. Artwalk takes place the 1st Thursday of every month. There are over 40 participating galleries and it sounds like a fun night. This would be perfect in the summer months. The ArtWalk is held from 6-9pm. There is a free shuttle to participating gallery locations starting at 6:15 p.m. at the Laguna Art Museum (corner PCH and Cliff Dr.) and Bluebird Center (1590 S. Coast Highway) Shuttles run until 8:45 p.m. For additional information: info@firstthursdaysartwalk.com or call (949) 683-6871

The Getty

The Getty Center/Museum has been around for quite sometime and we finally made it out for a great visit yesterday. I have wanted to visit for years, but something always came up. I woke up yesterday and decided that was it. We were going to visit the Getty and we did. It was scorching hot yesterday but the Getty's location perched above the city and with a great view of the Pacific Ocean provided an ideal setting. It felt at least ten degrees cooler than the rest of Southern California.

I was impressed from the moment we arrived at the Center. There were two very organized lines to lead us into the parking lot. Parking is $8.00 and the only thing that you will have to pay for when visiting the center. We found a spot and headed up to load the tram that would lead us to the museum. Here's a good tip if you don't want to bring a stroller, The Getty provides complimentary use of strollers on a first come, first serve basis. They are located at the Lower Tram Station or at the coat check desk in the Museum Entrance Hall. I noticed that there were quite a few around while we were waiting for the tram and thought I would pass the tip along. The tram was a major hit with the kiddos and was spacey enough to hold the kids in a double front/back stroller. The kids loved the museum from the very start.

The Center is truly breathtaking and there are some many exhibits to take in. While we were deciding what to check out first- the kids started the chant that makes all parents around the world stop dead in their tracks.. hungry.. mommy I'm hungry.. Since the kids were " starving" we decided to have lunch first. We had a fantastic lunch at the Grand Terrace Cafe. The food was unbelievably delicious but a little on the pricey side. The Cafe offers pizza, grilled cheese, and peanut butter-and-jelly sandwiches that your kids will love. If you are on a budget or just want to have a picnic I would strongly suggest bringing a picnic basket and having a fun picnic with the family. You can enjoy your picnic on the lawn adjacent to the Central Garden or at any of the Getty Center's public seating areas. Picnic tables and lawns for lounging are located at the Lower Tram Station (T1). The picnic area is open every day until 30 minutes before the Museum closes. We will definitely be bringing a picnic lunch the next time that we visit.

After finishing up lunch we strolled through the museum's Central Garden. The Central Garden, created by renowned artist Robert Irwin, lies at the heart of the Getty Center. The garden is truly breathtakingly beautiful and although the kids loved seeing all of the beautiful flowers and admiring it's beauty I couldn't help but daydream of coming back for a wonderful date night with Daytrippingdad. It truly is a spectacular place. We wanted to take in all of the many exhibits but we were on a little bit of a time crunch and decided to spend a big chunk of our time at the Center's Family Room. The room is quite popular with families and there might be a little of a wait since only a certain number of people are allowed at a time. Here's the deal on the family room- your kids will LOVE it!! It's a great way to learn about art together and play together. You can make a mask or create a sculpture but to be honest my kids loved their bed display the most. It was a replica of a beautifully crafted french bed surrounded with children's art books and we had to literally tear them away from the exhibit. It's a must stop on your visit!!

There's a lot more for families to see and do together. The Family Fun at the Getty brochure, available at the Museum Information Desk and the Family Cart, offers ideas, tips, and clues to make your family's visit an adventure. All family materials and activities are free and most are offered in English and Spanish. You can also ask stop any of the staff (dressed in blue vests) and they will gladly answer your questions and provide useful tips. There are many programs at the center geared specifically for families. The Family Art Lab, Art Adventures for Families, Family Festivals, and Garden Concerts for Kids are just some of the special programs held throughout the year to engage the entire family. For more information, visit the Family Cart, the Museum Information Desk, or check the event calendar. There is also storytelling available on selected Sundays (January–May and October–December): 11:30 a.m. and 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m. Sign up at the Museum Information Desk the day of the program.

I have to be honest, I think the reason why we had not visited the Getty before was because the thought was a bit intimidating. I love taking the kids everywhere but for some reason I was afraid that a museum of art would be too much for them. I was way off base. The Getty provides a great experience for people of all ages and nationalities. It's a cultural wonderland and as we were riding the tram back to the parking lot I couldn't help but start planning our next visit. From now on it will be the first place I take when we have family and friends visiting fro out of town. I would also recommend it as a must visit for everyone in Southern California. If you've yet to experience the Center - run don't walk to The Getty. It truly is a national treasure.

The Getty Museum
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049


Opening Hours The Getty Center site and galleries are open:
Tuesday–Thursday
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Friday and Saturday
10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
Sunday
10:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Closed Monday and on January 1, July 4, Thanksgiving, and December 25.
Admission to the Getty Center is FREE—no tickets or reservations required for general admission. Parking is $8.

For additional information click here