It’s Laguna; Art Happens

Guy Kinnear’s work opens at Demossa Gallery for the March 1 Art Walk. As always, the first week of the month brings the excitement of exhibit and gallery openings, planned around First Thursdays Art Walk. Next week’s offerings include saltfineart’s portraits by El Salvadoran artist Mayra Barraza and the Game Art Speaker Series at Laguna College of Art & Design. But don’t stop there. Let Art Walk inspire you to check out other exhibits and events around town, such as the final Artist Open Studios event.

Portrait Exhibit Evokes Ellison’s “Invisible Man”

Saltfineart presents “Invisible Man,” a 24-day exhibit of new paintings by Mayra Barraza that begins with an opening reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on March 4 during First Thursdays Art Walk. A tribute to Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man,” the portraits explore the realms of identity, both public and private, using a visual language that hides and reveals. Also on display as part of the permanent collection will be Barraza’s award-winning “The Sleep of Reason,” poignant statements and explorations of the violence in her native country, and “Rolling Head,” etchings from the Iberoamerican Bienniale.

Saltfineart is located at 1492 S. Coast Highway, unit 3 and is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For information, call 715-5554 or visit www.saltfineart.com.

Learn the ‘Art’ of Gaming

Italian game designer Stefano Gualeni will present two lectures next week as part of Laguna College of Art & Design’s speaker series. Gualeni, best known for creating “Tony Tough and the Night of Roasted Moths” and “Tony Tough 2: A Rake’s Progress,” presents “What Is It Like to Be a (Digital) Bat? Expanding Human Perception through Game Design” from noon to 1:30 p.m. on March 3 at UC Irvine, (RSVP: venita@ics.uci.edu), and “Multiplayer Game Balancing” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 4, Art Walk night, at Laguna College of Art & Design

RSVP: sappleoff@lagunacollege. edu).

Artist Open Studios

A self-guided tour of the private working studios of over 26 Laguna Beach artists concludes with this weekend’s Artist Open Studios event, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 6.

A map of locations is available at www.lagunabeachcity. net and at the Visitors and Conference Bureau, Cultural Arts Department and at the artist studios.

Artists include Olivia Batchelder, Louis Longi, Mary Sherman, Jude Taylor Darlin, Cynthia Britain, Lyn Burke, Hedy Buzan, Jo Ellen Byrnes, Lydia Delgado, Shelly Rapp Evans, Lorenzo, Sheryl Seltzer, Michael Situ, Linda Swanson, Tom Swimm, Karin Worden, Gavin Heath, Marsh Scott, Marlo Bartels, Maggie Spencer, Donita Lloyd, Julie Sutterholm, Cliff Wassmann, Marc Whitney, Janine Salzman and John Eagle.

For information visit www. lagunabeachcity.net or call 497- 0722.

Gallery Receptions

“Sundays,” a new exhibition by Laguna Beach artist and Festival of Arts exhibitor Sandra Jones Campbell, opens Saturday, Feb. 27 at Pacific Edge Gallery with a reception for the artist from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. The show will feature new paintings inspired by vintage photographs.

Pacific Edge Gallery is located at 540 S. Coast Highway, Suite 112. Hours are 1 p.m. to

p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call 494-0491 or visit www.pacificedgegallery. com.

“Light Sources,” paintings of France, Italy and California by Caroline Zimmerman, opens with a reception Saturday, Feb. 27 at Gallery McCollum, 206 N. Coast Highway, with a 6 to 9 p.m. reception.

Explore Masculine Identity at Demossa Gallery

Guy Kinnear, known for his pieces depicting contemporary masculine identity, is exhibiting his work at Demossa Gallery from March 4 through March 27.

Kinnear, who is currently an associate professor of painting and drawing in the art department at Azusa Pacific University, explores masculine identity as it is shaped by the tensions between and fusions of the physical and the spiritual.

Demossa Gallery is located at 1294 S. Coast Highway, Suite D. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. For more information, call 715- 9229.

Bradford J. Salamon Opens at JoAnne Artman Gallery

A solo exhibition by Bradford J. Salamon opens at JoAnne Artman Gallery with an artists’ reception from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 1, during First Thursdays Artwalk. Additional works by Regina Jacobson and Cheryl Kline will also be on display.

Salamon paints rich canvases with soft colors that create a vintage feel and capture the innermost spirit of his calmly contemplative figures. He uses highly textured surfaces with detailed brush strokes in the style of 19th century impressionists, combined with a contemporary twist, that recalls such artists as Degas and Manet.

JoAnne Artman Gallery is located at 326 N. Coast Highway. For more information, call 510- 5481 or visit www.joanneartmangallery. com.