How Orange County's Visual Arts World is Coping with the Coronavirus

When news broke last week that the famed and beloved Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters will be canceled for the summer 2020 season due to the coronavirus pandemic, it sliced like a dagger in the collective heart of the Orange County art world.

It was the first time since 1942-45, during the height of World War II, that the festival and pageant have been forced to shut down.

"It's part of the fabric of who we are in Laguna Beach," said Peter Blake, owner of Peter Blake Gallery in Laguna Beach for 27 years and a city councilman as well.

"It's going to be a real difficult situation. It isn't going to make anybody happy. The restaurants and businesses will be missing that traffic, the thousands of people that come to Laguna. Now having the festival close down — it's going to be a difficult situation for this town."

Panoringan: When Is It Time to Move On in the Restaurant Industry?

Until a couple of months ago, restaurant openings were so commonplace the market was pretty inundated. Closures, temporary or permanent, are now dual-edged topics for writers. On the one hand, it's breaking news to learn about it before the general public. Yet, it's bittersweet when I stop to think about all the jobs lost in the process.

What readers rarely learn or are privy to is what's really going on in the mind of a chef (or bartender, or manager) when they depart an establishment on their own terms. We talked to these five industry professionals (originally before the COVID-19 outbreak) to find out what was behind their decisions to make a change in their careers.

With the majority of arts and culture venues closed in the interest of public health, Arts Orange County is bringing you recommendations for creative experiences available to enjoy in-home with an Internet connection. As individuals everywhere change their personal and professional routines, artists and storytellers are devising ways to bring their work to you. 

Mission Viejo: Virtual Rec, Arts & More

The City of Mission Viejo has compiled a rich lineup of recreational, artistic, and educational activities that can be done in or near the home safely under social distancing guidelines  DETAILS »

National Theatre At Home

Courtesy of the Irvine Barclay Theatre, the free, streaming versions of the best in British stage productions continues to expand to new offerings, this week including a production of "A Streetcar Named Desire" starring Gillian Anderson  DETAILS »

MOLAA En Casa

Long Beach's beloved Museum of Latin American Art provides a safe, stay-at-home connection allowing online viewing of their exhibits, and a virtual visit to their sculpture garden  DETAILS »

VIRTUAL Family Festival with Bowers at Home!

Families can gather on Facebook Live at 11am Sunday for the first Bowers Family Festival presented online. Music, dance, art projects, and much more, to be enjoyed alongside the rest of the Bowers community  DETAILS »

Segerstrom: Center at Home

Every week, Orange County's treasured Segerstrom Center for the Arts offers new classes for all ages in dance, music, and crafts, from its roster of masterful teaching artists  DETAILS »