UPFRONT PLACES | PERSPECTIVES | HAPPENINGS
ARTIST IN RESIDENCE
Art is a huge part of the fabric of Laguna Beach and , as a longtime resident , artist and former lifeguard , so is sculptor Casey Parlette . So , who better to teach the next generation ? In March , Parlette was named Artist in Residence at Anneliese Schools ’ Willowbrook campus , one of the organization ’ s campuses in town that provide private education for young students . Parlette ’ s multipart sculpture sessions , which he designed for second through fifth graders , started with alabaster stone carving sessions , allowing the children to file the rocks down to reveal a design of their choosing before dunking them in water to reveal their true colors . He also taught a copper repousse class where the kids took thin sheets of copper and used mallets and other tools to hammer or carve a shape into the metal . These sessions helped encourage creative thinking , inquisitiveness and freedom through tactile learning , which are all parts of the school ’ s core values . “ The Anneliese Schools are just so dynamic and they ’ re so open … [ to new ways of learning ] that it ended up being really cool to add to their art curriculum ,” Parlette says . “… It ’ s exciting just to think about the ripples of what … [ the children ] could potentially do with these skills .” The program , which will likely continue next school year , is a partnership with SEEDS Arts and Education , the school ’ s nonprofit arm that enables students to learn from local experts and share in the creative process . ( Anneliese Schools : 949-497-8310 ; annelieseschools . com ) ( Casey Parlette : 949-812-2916 ; caseyparlette . com ) — A . R .
IN MID-JUNE , A NEW PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION CALLED “ WE NEED TO TALK ” TRANSFORMED THE TELEPHONE BOOTH ON FOREST AVENUE WITH A DESIGN COLLABORATION BY CANDICE BROKENSHIRE AND JULIE SETTERHOLM INSPIRED BY THE INTERSECTION OF ART AND NATURE ; INCOR- PORATING PAINTING , METAL WORK AND FIBER ART , THIS CONCEPT WILL BE DISPLAYED FOR TWO YEARS AND SPECIAL RELATED PROGRAMMING WILL RUN INTO 2024 . ( LAGUNABEACHCITY . NET )
Casey Parlette ( bottom left ), artist in residence at Anneliese Schools , teaches the children stone carving ( top and bottom right ) and copper repousse techniques ( not shown ).
TOP AND MIDDLE RIGHT : COURTESY OF ANNELIESE SCHOOLS ; BOTTOM RENDERING : COURTESY OF CITY OF LAGUNA BEACH
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