Laguna Beach art galleries

Where the galleries are

Laguna Beach grew into an art colony from 1903, when the painter Norman St. Clair arrived, and the Laguna Beach Historical Society’s timeline names William Wendt, Frank Cuprien and Edgar Payne among the early artists. The galleries that came after them cluster in three places.

North Coast Highway. Coast Highway takes this name north of Broadway, and more than half of the listings in the Art Walk directory have addresses here, in the 300 and 400 blocks. Galleries on the strip, including Sandstone and Lu Martin, call it Gallery Row, and the Art Walk organizer describes its member galleries as running up and down Coast Highway between Diamond Street and Myrtle Street. At the lower end sit the Laguna Art Museum at 307 Cliff Drive and, according to its own site, GW Contemporary directly opposite it. The streets behind it climb into North Laguna.

The Village. The Art Walk directory also lists galleries on Forest Avenue, Glenneyre Street, Ocean Avenue and Beach Street, which puts them among the shops and restaurants of the Village. That group includes the Laguna Beach Cultural Arts Center on Forest Avenue and Laguna College of Art and Design on Ocean Avenue.

South Coast Highway. The directory lists Artist Eye Gallery at 1294 S. Coast Highway, so the walk is not confined to the north end.

Laguna Canyon Road has a different kind of art venue. The summer shows there are seasonal festivals, not year-round galleries, and the events guide covers them. The Festival of Arts, for instance, has its grounds at 650 Laguna Canyon Road and shows work by more than 100 juried Orange County artists each summer.

What the hours look like

Hours belong to each gallery, and they differ. A few examples from the galleries’ own sites, which can change:

• Sandstone Gallery lists daily hours from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Lu Martin Galleries is open Wednesday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and closed Tuesdays except by appointment.
• Quorum Gallery is open Wednesday through Monday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed Tuesdays and holidays.
• Tamara Nelson Art Gallery says it is open seven days.

Check the gallery’s site or call before a special trip. The one fixed night is the First Thursdays Art Walk, when member galleries stay open from 6 to 9 p.m.

Buying and viewing at home

Galleries here sell original work, and some describe services beyond the wall. Lu Martin Galleries says all of its artworks are for sale and that local delivery and shipping are available. Sandstone Gallery says it can bring a piece to your home for a personal viewing, and Skidmore Contemporary Art lists art advisory services. Ask each gallery what it offers, since policies differ.

A sample of what is on offer

The table below lists eight member galleries and what each says it offers. It is a sample, not a ranking and not a complete list. The full member list, with addresses and websites, is on the Art Walk directory, and several galleries on it are not in the table.

The range is wide. Lu Martin Galleries and Skidmore Contemporary Art describe coastal scenes and California plein-air landscapes among their work, while GW Contemporary and La Bottega Gallery describe international programs that take in sculpture and photography. Sandstone Gallery is artist-owned, with resident artists and a monthly exhibition. GW Contemporary is curator-led, and La Bottega is family-run. Reading each gallery’s own “about” page is the quickest way to tell which fits what you want to see.

Getting there and parking

Coast Highway is the main road through the gallery district. Parking near the museum end is metered, with spaces on Cliff Drive and Coast Highway, according to the Laguna Art Museum. The city’s free Coastal Route trolley runs along Coast Highway between North Laguna and Heisler Park, downtown, South Laguna and Dana Point. Evening Art Walk trolley service, run by the organizer, is covered on the Art Walk page. Details on lots, meters and permits are in the parking guide, and routes and schedules are in getting around.

More on art in town

Outside the galleries, public art fills parks and street corners, and Laguna’s history explains why so many artists settled here. If rain cancels beach plans, the rainy-day page pulls the indoor options together.