Newport Beach's Arts Commission convenes at 5 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, in the Civic Center Council Chambers for its regular monthly meeting, landing in the middle of the city's inaugural Art Week.
The seven-day celebration, which the commission organized, opened Sunday, Aug. 9, with a free Pacific Symphony concert on the Civic Center Green and wraps Saturday, Aug. 15, with the 59th Annual Newport Beach Art Exhibition. The timing is no accident. The commission advises the City Council on public art, cultural programming, historic landmarks and design elements like sculptures, fountains and murals.
Specific agenda items for Thursday's session were not available at press time. The agenda packet was posted Wednesday, Aug. 12, on the city's website.
Art Week in full swing
The commission has plenty of recent work on display. Phase X of the Sculpture Exhibition, installed in Civic Center Park in June, features 10 pieces selected through a national call for entries with Arts Orange County as curatorial partner. The sculptures will remain through June 2029.
Among them: Catherine Daley's "Cosmos: Starry, Starry Night" from Windsor, California, and Zan Knecht's "Coming Through" from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The park now holds 20 outdoor public sculptures in total.
The Newport Beach Arts Foundation, which ran its own Art in the Park event for 20 years through 2025, is not holding that event this year. Instead, the foundation is directing its support to the commission's Art Week.
Saturday's closing Art Exhibition is free and runs noon to 5 p.m. at the Civic Center. It will feature more than 300 original works for sale, live music by local band BSide, children's crafts and a 4 p.m. awards ceremony. Julie Perlin Lee, executive director of the Laguna Art Museum, is serving as guest juror. Awards run $300 for first place, $200 for second and $100 for third in each category.
Also on Thursday's Art Week calendar: the Library Live Author Series at Witte Hall, 998 Avocado Ave., where Tim Greiving discusses his book "John Williams: A Composer's Life." Tickets are $35 for foundation members, $40 for non-members.
How to attend
The Arts Commission meeting is open to the public at 100 Civic Center Drive. Residents with questions can contact the Cultural Arts Division at 949-717-3802 or [email protected].
The commission meets on the second Thursday of each month. The next regular meeting falls Thursday, Sept. 10.
