The Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach has successfully kicked off its 44th annual season, open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through August 29th.

Over 200 Laguna Beach artists, including 22 first-timers, excitedly celebrate a fresh summer season of creating, exhibiting and selling unique artwork - all in the picturesque setting of a cool eucalyptus grove. A wide variety of art media, including glass, wood, jewelry, painting, sculpture, photography, ceramics, textiles, mixed media and more are represented at the show. On the festival grounds, you will also find live entertainment on three stages, four outdoor restaurant cafés with a variety of menu offerings, the Sawdust Saloon, the Sawdust souvenir shop, interactive art classes and demonstrations, and the famous glass-blowing booth.

The Sawdust Art Festival strives to be different from other art shows, visualizing itself as an artists’ “happening” rather than a stuffy exhibit. The artists themselves build a unique village of individual booths from the ground up each summer. The architectural designs are as varied and interesting as the work they showcase. Once the booths are finished, the sawdust goes down, the landscaping goes in, music fills the air and once again the Sawdust Art Festival magically returns for another season. It is truly a unique experience in the arts that brings visitors back year after year.

New to the Festival is the “Original Collectors’ Panels” fundraiser in support of the Sawdust Art Education Fund. Over 70 impressively decorated 12” x 30” x 2” panels created by Sawdust artists are on display around the Festival and in artist booths. The panels are available for bid during the run of show and a final live auction will take place on Sunday, August 22nd from 3-5 p.m. on the Main Entertainment Deck. Proceeds benefit the Sawdust Art Education Fund and the “Original Collectors’ Panels” can be purchased as tax-deductible donations.

The Sawdust Art Festival has partnered with American Honda as the title sponsor for the 2010 show. Two Honda hybrid vehicles are on display, one of which (a 2011 Honda CR-Z) will be raffled off with proceeds benefitting the Sawdust Art Festival’s education programs. Raffle tickets are sold daily during the show season for $5 per ticket or 5 tickets for $20.

Sawdust artists have lent their creative talents to the car displays. Acrylic painter and muralist, Doug Miller, painted a scenic forest mural and Ryan Gourley, acrylic painter and mixed-media artist, painted a vintage Woody design over the white vinyl-wrapped 2010 Honda Insight. The winner of the 2011 Honda CR-Z will be announced at the official raffle drawing on Sunday, August 29th at 4 p.m. on the Main Entertainment Deck.

Don’t miss the diversity in character, creativity and action at the Sawdust! For more information and a complete calendar of events, please visit www.sawdustartfestival.org or call 949.494.3030.