Bringing Classic Artworks to Life — and Raising Millions for Charity

A publicity stunt that helped struggling painters attract visitors to an art show during the Great Depression has turned into a popular theatrical performance that has raised more than $4-million for arts causes since 1971.

The Pageant of the Masters, which runs through the end of August in Laguna Beach, Calif., is a living-history art show in which hundreds of volunteers dress in costume and makeup and then pose for exactly 90 seconds inside huge frames as they re-create famous works of art by masters such as Diego Velázquez, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Frederic Remington, and Leonardo da Vinci. During the show, an orchestra plays music and an announcer tells audience members factual information about the classic artworks, which include paintings, sculptures, statues, porcelain figurines, ships’ figureheads, and famous movie posters.

The success of the event depends heavily on volunteers. More than 800 people responded to a casting call in January, and 450 were selected to serve as cast members or in other volunteer roles, such as makeup artists and backstage assistants.

Rehearsals began in February. By the end of the summer, volunteers will have donated more than 60,000 hours of their time.

Paul Goldie, who is posing in a re-creation of William Griffith’s painting “William Wendt at Work,” estimates that he has been in about 20 different pieces in eight years.

Mr. Goldie, who is a manager for artists in Laguna Beach, says many of the volunteers form friendships that last well beyond the summer events. “We keep an e-mail list, and occasionally we’ll plan a bus trip or a barbecue,” he says. “We went to L.A. to see The Lion King, and about 150 people came. People get a little depressed when the show’s over because you feel like you’re all family.”

The pageant, which now takes place in a high-tech amphitheater with sophisticated lighting called the Irvine Bowl, couldn’t have been more low-tech when it began more than 70 years ago.

During the Great Depression a group of artists tried to find a way to sell some of their artwork. In 1932, 25 artists hung their paintings on fences, trees, and buildings along Laguna Beach’s main street hoping to lure tourists to the first Festival of Arts. The next year, in an attempt to draw more attention to the exhibits, they donned makeup and costumes, and stood still inside life-size picture frames as they attempted to re-create famous works of art. Their efforts were so successful that organizers decided to turn it into a full-blown performance.

People who buy tickets to the Pageant of the Masters also gain admission to the Festival of Arts, an outdoor art show at Irvine Bowl Park. This year’s exhibit features the work of 143 artists, including painters, sculptors, ceramists, jewelers, and photographers from the coastal cities of Orange County. The exhibition also features art workshops, education classes, demonstrations, art tours, music and dance performances, and many special events. More than 200,000 people are expected to attend.

The primary financing for these events comes from the sale of Pageant of Masters tickets, which sell for $15 to $80, depending on the seat location and day of the week. Last year the pageant and festival earned $112,273 after expenses. Since 1971, the events have generated more than $2.7-million in scholarships for arts students and more than $1.5-million for local art and cultural organizations.

From September through May, the Festival of Arts also runs an art-education program that includes workshops on ceramics, printmaking, and design skills.

Although the classes have been subsidized largely by ticket revenue, the nonprofit organization that oversees the arts events is now trying to raise $100,000 annually to sustain them. In addition, the group is in the process of raising $13.5-million for capital improvements. The $3-million Pageant of the Masters production studios were recently completed, and the next phase of the project will include a renovation of the art-exhibition space and facade.