First Thursdays Art Walk

Meh. There’s wine and art. Why do I need a bunch of people in all the art gallery’s drinking wine and acting like they know art. Some do, most don’t. I’m part of that most.

Great way to spend the first Thursday evening of the month. Art is always changing and services a wide variety of tastes. Gallery owners could be a bit more giving with the wine though…

Had a lot of fun last Thursday. Met some artists, heard a beautiful girl sing beautiful music, saw beautiful and unique art, met nice people and got to ride the trolley. Fun!

Classy, enjoyable evening spent meeting artists & gallery owners; sharing insight on their visions and just life in general. My favorites were in North Laguna (and of course the Dr. Seuss gallery!), where we could browse through rows of bright, almost glowing, galleries with glasses of wine, juice, Arnold Palmers, or in one gallery’s case: Red Vines & Cookies. A delightful evening followed. I feel that no matter the person, they can find something they enjoy at art-​walk. My favorite gallery by far? Lu Martin Galleries!!! Stunning, breathtaking, soul-​altering art mix with fun, unique pieces in the most hospitable, friendly gallery of them all! Lu Martin for Life!

Enjoyed it while it lasted, because — let’s be honest– we ended up at one of the restaurants we passed by after only some 20 of «art walking». But it nice to get in art galleries and see stuff that you didn’t know it existed and you suddenly want to buy it! Just a note to self — next time if the gallery doesn’t look appealing — don’t go in, there are too many nice ones down the street or «art walk path» that you’ll miss because you spent time where you shouldn’t have. Absolutely will go back and do it better next time so I can visit more galleries! Oh, who am I kidding, I’ll end up at a nice restaurant again!

Lots of fun, especially for groups. It’s the first Thursday of every Month. You can walk (or take the free trolley) to the different galleries. Good variety of different art for viewing, and each place offers drinks and appetizers, like wine, water, strawberries, cheese balls, cookies, crackers, etc.
Some of the smaller galleries don’t have air conditioning.
Tips:
There’s also business, hotels, and galleries showing work that is not often listed in the pamphlet. The Laguna Beach Art Museum gives out little pamphlets with general info on featured gwlleries, etc.
Wear walking show for best comfort.
Bring a group of friends, it’s more fun with others. Also good for dates.

Total must do several times a year. Winter and Summer! Besides the wide array if art to enjoy Great people watching and talking too. Many of the art galleries give you champagne when you walk in for a visit, fun perk!

The first Thursday of each month is Open studios throughout the city. The summer is the best time to do the art walk, cause the trolley is free and it is great to walk to one end of the city and take the trolley back. Also the Festivals are going on, so it is generally easier to park at one end or the other rather than the center where parking is at a premium. The city is pretty relaxed about you walking around with the cheap little plastic cups of wine they graciously supply. The best spot is on forest, the small street lined with curb side dining and bars add to the festive feel of the night. The best galleries are in that area too, so you can easily excuse your drunken crawl with the need to see a real Renoir or if your taste prefers Dr. Seuss that’s here too. Always a good time in the city with much to do and see and the ocean to boot.

Nice artwork

Art, music, friends, FREE geez you can’t beat the Art Walk for a date or just some exercise for your legs and brain.

The Laguna Beach Artwalk is a free event (every first Thursday of the month) in Orange County’s most artistic, eclectic community. If you have no academic knowledge of art, no fear. The artists are usually onsite and can provide insightful information that can make the experience more valuable.
Free wine, vodka T’s, or sangria is usually available depending on which galleries you visit. This is a wonderful evening to share your thought provoked comments with friends, family or lover. Don’t forget to stop at Kush, the Dali-​esque gallery whose art often elicits perplexing considerations.

The Artwalk doesn’t seem to draw the same crowd as I remembered it couple of years ago. I can easily find parking in the heart of where I want to be, versus having to take the trolly in, like I used to have to do. I was told by some artists that it’s a result of the economy. It’s still a fun, cultural experience that everyone should try, and it’s nice to show the struggling artists support. Trolly rides are still free throughout Laguna, local musicians playing live music, and it is quite amazing to me that people walk around freely drinking alcohol on public streets. I feel like a rebel and don’t have to worry about getting busted!

This needs to be added to the list of things you must do before you die! I’m a total fan!
— FREE booze — many galleries provide wine
— FREE cookies — can you say SWEET!
— Amazing art work — some of the artist were at the galleries explaining and answering any questions about their work, providing truly unique insight
— Meeting fellow art connoisseurs and hanging out with tons of cool people
— Live music — many galleries also host local bands and singers
I plan on going to this every single month for the rest of the year! Come hang and enjoy!

I’m disappointed to say that the Artwalk used to be A LOT better a few years ago. I don’t know if it’s the economy or what, but it’s more and more disappointing every time I go.
Back in the day, the Artwalk was packed with people and all of the galleries were pouring glasses of wine and serving appetizers like cheese and crackers to enjoy while you looked at the beautiful paintings & exhibits. It was a classy night out on the town and I loved it. Today it seems like most of the galleries are serving a little 1 oz pour of wine with goldfish and m&m’s. It’s just not the same and not as classy. You can tell that the quality has gone down because nowadays there aren’t many people out and about during the art walk. A lot of galleries have even stopped participating :(
We recently went to the Artwalk this February and met up with my family at my dad’s office on Forest Ave right downtown. We started off at Richard MacDonald’s exhibit (at Dawson Cole) who has become a friend of my father’s so it’s usually our first stop. He is a world renowned sculpture and I DEFINITELY recommend checking out his exhibit. Every piece is breath taking and so detailed. There are also TV’s set up that show you the process that he goes through to create his sculptures with live models. He has created sculptures of the Cirque Du Soleil, some of which are displayed in Vegas! Don’t miss this gallery! It’s right in the middle of downtown off of Forest & Glennyre so it’s easy to get to.
Next we just take Forest Ave up to PCH and depending on our mood we’ll go right or left. The galleries to the right (if you go North on PCH) are a little bit better than the ones to the left. They have some unique exhibits and there is just more to browse through than the ones in South Laguna which are more scattered. But be forewarned — you do have to go uphill a little so if you are walking in stilettos you might want to jump on the shuttle. Last time we went left on PCH and were so bored that we ended up calling it a night after two galleries because we just weren’t feeling it. Hopefully when the summer comes the artwalk will get a little better.

This is a great opportunity to stroll around, see some very good and interesting art, all while sipping free wine. What could be better?
I would give a particular shout-​out to Whitney Gallery on Forest Avenue. An excellent collection of impressionist style paintings. Worth a special trip.

This is one of my favorite Laguna Beach Events and makes it nice to be a Laguna Beach local.
The First Thursday of every month many of the Art Galleries in Town open their doors to visitors. They typically offer wine and appetizers while you view the art.
It’s Laguna Beach so — it’s relaxed. But be courteous when you visit the galleries and it’s probably best to limit taking more than one drink in a gallery. Space can be cramped so be careful with your drinks.
My experience is that the majority of the galleries run out of beverages relatively early on. So I bring my own for my group and we carry it around in a bag («it’s not a purse, it’s a satchel!»). I suggest you do that as well, so you don’t have to wait in line for drinks that may or not be there. And drop by one of Laguna’s restaurants for dinner after.
I think the main point of the event is to be able to walk leisurely around downtown Laguna, pop into some galleries, and have a night out!

The Laguna Beach Art Walk is pretty much the best free fun you can have in SoCal. Sure, it goes year-​round, but it really shines in the summer.
Look, 29 days out of the month your wallet may cringe at the mere thought of a night out in Laguna Beach, but on the first Thursday night of the month, your wallet will jump with glee at the thought of only being used for your ID and to take a few bucks out of for tips.
Free art, free music, free entertainment, free drinks… and even free transportation. These galleries really know how to do it up for artwalk, they don’t just set out a bottle of Beringer like some art walks, nope you may get a Newcastle at one gallery, a martini at the next, and a glass of wine at the next. They definitely mix it up.
There’s always interesting artwork in the galleries, and the gallery owners are generally super fun to talk to and don’t hound you to buy, buy, buy. I really love how everyone in attendance is in a great mood and just out to have a good time — it’s such a great vibe.

Unfortunately I have to say that the Artwalk is a little overrated, who knows… maybe we went on an off night but I wasn’t too impressed.
There weren’t many places open, the people in and working in the galleries were very snobby and very few offered any food & beverages unless you ‘knew’ someone.
If you are not an art connoisseurs I suggest spending your evening doing something else in Laguna, because you certainly won’t be welcomed on the Art Walk.

I wish I was an art expert, or know a bit about art because that would have made my experience more enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, it was a fun experience. but it does suck when there is nothing I can say to the artists or can’t fully appreciate the art.
I especially like the free wine, hors’ d’ourves, and the shuttle. I did feel a little uncomfortable though… The crowd consists of a lot older, more sophisticated-​looking people. If you’re not an art major, or into art, I suggest going with a big group of friend so you won’t feel so left out. I went with one other friend, and we felt very out of place.
If you do decide to check this out, make sure you look for the tree house art gallery. Yes, tree house… The place really does look like it’s on inside a tree house. The artist was very friendly (might have been because of too much wine), and her place reminded me of the movie Eat, Pray, Love.

Free wine? Gives me a headache.
Free hors’ d’ourves? No thanks.
Quality of artwork? Mediocre at best. If you’ve seen one impressionist painting of Laguna Beach, you’ve seen them all.
Then what’s the appeal? It’s a great excuse to get out of the house on a weekday, drag some friends down to Laguna and go for a walk. Once the sun has gone down you’ll find yourself ready for dinner and then on to some pre-​weekend drinking at Saloon or one of the other fine bars nearby.
Art walk? Glorified pre-​cursor to long weekend of debauchery. I’ll be there every month.