LAGUNA BEACH ART WALK — SEPTEMBER 3, 2026 (1st Thursdays)
It’s been a long while since I personally attended Laguna Beach’s First Thursday Art Walk. COVID was rough on my psyche, I guess. The space we had in Laguna, right next to the museum, shuttered in 2020, and after that I never really felt the pull to return—especially once we were offered a practically free, massive space at The Shops at Mission Viejo.
That most recent LagunaART.com project kept us busy for the better part of five—almost six—years. And when you’re operating inside a mall, you’re open when the mall is open. There’s really no flexibility; close early or miss hours, and you get fined. So between the demands of that space and everything else going on, Laguna’s Art Walk slowly fell off my radar.
Enough excuses...
Last night we returned to Art Walk, starting at the Laguna Art Museum at 6 p.m. sharp. Somehow, we even found a great parking spot. It was me, Dwayne Downing and collector Dr. Reiff, with Brad Smith joining us later in the evening.
Our first stop was the Frank Cuprien exhibition at Laguna Art Museum, which closes September 7. This was my third visit to the exhibition, and I still find something new every time.
Cuprien was one of the early pioneers of the Laguna Beach art community and the Laguna Beach Art Association. One of my favorite parts of the exhibition is the miniature cabin populated with tiny representations of artists from the 1930s and ’40s. But the amazing detail is the miniature paintings surrounding the figures—the tiny works were actually painted by the artists themselves. It’s a wonderful little time capsule of Laguna’s artistic history.
Next door, coinciding with Cuprien, is Andy Moses. A nice, clean contemporary take that inevitably brings to mind the legacy of his father, Ed Moses. I’ll leave it at that.
From there, we crossed the street to Urth Caffé, grabbed coffees to go, and started walking north toward the galleries.
First up was Skidmore Contemporary Art, formerly in Palm Springs. I was hoping to meet Skidmore, but instead found an artist sprawled out in front of works that appeared to incorporate collages and imagery from early California. If I remember the artist’s name, I’ll edit this post.
Next was Sue Greenwood Fine Art, with a great collection of what I like to call contemporary plein air—large, almost Impressionistic works with bold, thick strokes and, naturally, plenty of inspiration from the ocean.
Next door was JoAnne Artman Gallery. It was closed, but through the windows you could see the gallery’s unmistakable Pop sensibility, with America Martin seemingly everywhere. I was especially happy to spot at least one of Todd Kenyon’s circle paintings in the window. Todd once had a studio in this section of Laguna.
A couple more galleries followed around Adam Neeley Fine Art Jewelry. Nothing that particularly grabbed me, so we kept moving.
Then we hit Lu Martin Galleries.
This was the life of Art Walk.
Looking at new and earlier works by Greg Martin, Dasha Gilliam and Brooke Harker, I was instantly reminded of Laguna Beach Art Walks around 2016.
That’s one of the strange things about art. Time almost stops existing.
Like hearing a piece of music or catching a familiar smell, an artwork can suddenly transport you back ten years. For a moment, it felt like nothing had changed.
Next was Studio 7, filled with plein-air painters from Laguna Beach and throughout Orange County. A lively show with a live singer / guitarist playing the Beetles tune "imagine". I was happy to see that Laguna’s plein-air roots are still very much alive. That history matters. Artists helped establish Laguna’s identity in the early 1900s, and I think it’s important that the city never forgets why this place became an arts community in the first place.
I sometimes wish Laguna Art Museum would stay closer to those roots, although I understand the desire to bring contemporary artists and younger generations through the doors. There should be room for both.
Our final gallery stop was GW Contemporary, and it was one of the highlights of the night.
Their current exhibition, Where We Meet, brings together emerging and established contemporary artists in a beautifully clean presentation. The exhibition felt young, alive and refreshingly minimal.
And this has absolutely nothing to do with LagunaART.com occupying this same space for five years.
Okay… maybe a little.
But Genevieve and GW Contemporary have genuinely brought the space to another level. This is where having a real director/curator’s eye becomes obvious. Not a light or artwork label felt misplaced. The new, clean concrete floor finishes the space beautifully, and the exhibition breathes.
Five stars from me.
I applaud Genevieve for putting together such a thoughtful, precise show. It reminded me how powerful a gallery can feel when the artwork, architecture, lighting and curation are all working together rather than competing with one another.
We finally called it a night at Las Brisas around 9:30 p.m., overlooking the same coastline that has been inspiring Laguna artists for more than a century.
After being away from Art Walk for so long, it felt good to walk those streets again.
Galleries change. Artists come and go. Spaces get reinvented. But on the first Thursday night of the month, there are still moments when you can feel the old Laguna—the artists, collectors, conversations, ocean air and history—all mixed together.
Maybe that’s why we keep coming back.
First Thursday Art Walk — Laguna Beach
First Thursday of every month
6–9 p.m.
Check the monthly participating gallery list before heading out.
— Shane Townley,
founder / artist
LagunaART.com