Be Part Of The Pageant Legacy In Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — The Festival of Arts, producer of the legendary Pageant of the Masters, has launched its first-ever, limited-opportunity fundraising program to name seats in the iconic Irvine Bowl Amphitheater in Laguna Beach.

Patrons, art-lovers, and the community are invited to support the nearly 90-year-old art tradition and help safeguard its future by joining its new exclusive Pageant Legacy Society.

Pageant Legacy Society members' names will be engraved on plaques and affixed to one of the organization's famous red seats, which offers donors the opportunity to become a permanent part of Festival of Arts history.

What do you give the person who has everything this holiday season? Seat-naming fills that bill.

Other ideas are celebrating a loved one's memory, honoring an enthusiast of the arts, or promoting an organization.

The seat-naming donation levels are
Irvine Bowl Philanthropist - $2,000 for a Loge seat
Irvine Bowl Benefactor - $1,000 for a Main Tier seat
Irvine Bowl Patron - $500 for a Director Tier seat

Specific seat location requests will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Additionally, each name will be published on the Festival's website and printed in the annual Souvenir Program. To become a Pageant Legacy Society Member visit www.foapom.com/legacy-society today.

Seat naming gifts are tax-deductible, they say.

According to David Perry, president of the Festival of Arts, this is the perfect way to support the arts and make sure they are around to entertain for years to come.

"We hope this gifting opportunity will not only help us recover from the cancellation of our 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic," Perry said, but also to remind future audiences of patrons of the past. "This will remind of those individuals who made a personal commitment to help make the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters possible during what seems to be an impossible time in history."

Perry also acknowledged and thanked former Laguna Beach mayor and professional fundraiser Elizabeth Pearson for originating the Pageant Legacy Society concept.

"The Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters are a significant part of Laguna Beach's history," Pearson said. "For those of us who call Laguna' home', it is incumbent upon us to help ensure that they continue to thrive in order to support our artists and to preserve the definition of who we are."

Tony Ciabattoni, a longtime resident who lives in Lagunita, couldn't agree more. Upon hearing the Festival and Pageant needed assistance, he donated $30,000 through his Laguna Legacy Fund. Ciabattoni established that fund in 2005 with a mission of aiding both Laguna Beach individuals and non-profit organizations in need.

He wanted this particular grant to be contributed to three specific areas: naming seats through the Pageant Legacy Society; Pageant tickets for first responders and military; and art scholarships.
"While this grant comes from the Laguna Legacy Fund, please know that it is being made in the name of the Community of Lagunita," said Ciabattoni. "We're all so fortunate to live in this truly unique city, and I can't imagine that anything exemplifies it more than the artistic and creative beauty of the Pageant of the Masters. We just can't risk losing this important piece of our historic identity. I would encourage everyone to make a contribution to the seat naming campaign to keep the Pageant alive."

All proceeds will help the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters build upon its artistic legacy and keep the non-profit organization a Laguna Beach staple for years to come. The support ensures that the Festival continues to make the arts accessible to the community.

Laguna Beach residents, and art lovers alike, enjoy the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters each summer. Behind the scenes, producers develop exhibits, provide career and income opportunities for visual and performing artists, present hands-on art workshops, and, importantly, awarding scholarships to local students – the artists and art patrons of the future.

To stay up to date on all things Pageant of the Masters and Fine Arts Show, visit www.foapom.com or follow @FestivalPageant on social media. To support the Festival of Arts, please visit www.foapom.com/supportnow.