LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. – April 10, 2016 – In honor of the installation of Laguna Beach’s first sculptural bicycle rack, Sawdust Art & Craft Festival—a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting art created in Laguna Beach—announced today it is hosting a public art dedication and reception on April 16 at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Sawdust at 935 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach.
Entitled “Bicycle Garden,” the unique and functional art piece was designed and constructed by up-and-coming Sawdust artist Liz Avalon after being commissioned by the Sawdust board of directors. With funding provided by the Sawdust Art Festival, Avalon worked alongside Chris Prelitz and Billy Fried from the board of directors of Transition Laguna and advocates for bicycle safety in Laguna Beach; and Sian Poeschl, cultural arts leader for the city. Installed last Wednesday in front of the Sawdust grounds, the team intends for the whimsical bike rack, which is made of metal and formed to look like large flowers, to not only serve as a beautiful art piece, but to also make a statement on the importance of making Laguna Beach a pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly city.
“I decided on the garden theme and to title my design ‘Bicycle Garden’ because it expresses connection to the natural world, environmentally conscious lifestyles and the planet-friendly practice of using bicycles for transportation,” says Avalon.
Having grown up in Lake Forest, Calif., Avalon was a frequent Sawdust visitor as a child, and started exhibiting at the Sawdust Art Festival in the summer of 2012. While she mostly works with glass, she constantly looks for ways to expand her medias to provide visually pleasing and engaging pieces. This project coincides with Avalon’s greater mission to not just be a decorative artist, but to make pieces that are focused as much on people’s experiences with them, as how they look.
Sawdust Art & Craft Festival invites the public and media to attend the public art dedication of “Bicycle Garden” in front of the Sawdust on April 16th at 10:30 a.m., and to visit Avalon at the Sawdust Art Festival’s 50th Celebration, open from June 24 to August 28!
For more information, please visit www.sawdustartfestival.org
About Sawdust Art & Craft Festival: Founded in 1967, the Sawdust Art & Craft Festival is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting art created in Laguna Beach. Best known for offering two highly attended seasonal festivals, the organization also hosts a variety of workshops and classes throughout the year. Sawdust’s legendary summer festival is a nine-week summer celebration of fine art and craft – the largest in Southern California – with more than 200 Laguna Beach artists who exhibit and sell their original art and handcrafted items. The festival also offers live entertainment, fashion shows, artist demonstrations, hands-on art workshops for all ages, and a variety of food & drink offerings. Sawdust’s Annual Winter Fantasy Festival occurs for five weekends leading up to the holiday season, and boasts an international collection of over 175 artisans who create, showcase, and sell their original, handcrafted artwork on the Sawdust grounds, which are lavishly decorated to resemble a winter wonderland. Special activities include “Winter Art Series” classes, where guests can create holiday-themed works, and a highly anticipated Annual Community Tree Lighting Ceremony. Throughout the remainder of the year, the organization continues to provide its Sawdust Studio Art Classes in a variety of mediums, on-site and off-site. For more information, visit: