The Art Star Awards is an annual award ceremony hosted by the Laguna Beach Art Alliance to recognize excellence in outstanding achievements and contributions in the arts in Laguna Beach. The award categories are Best Arts Program, Arts Patron of the Year, Outstanding Arts Collaboration and Artist of the Year. A special award for Lifetime Achievement in the Arts is also presented. The various category winners are given one-of-a-kind sculptures (Louies) created by local artist and celebrity Louis Longi. The Louies are created specifically for the Art Star Awards with no molds or editions. The awards ceremony was first held on March 21, 2007, and featured guest speaker Robert Lynch, Americans for the Arts President and CEO. Since then, keynote speakers have included Donald McKayle, Michael Ramirez, Wylie Aitken, Lee Rocker, Dana Gioia, Rita Rudner, Carl St. Clair, Joe Mantegna, Joely Fisher, Marcia Gay Harden and Melissa Manchester.
2026 ART STAR AWARDS
FESTIVAL OF ARTS
Highlights and award winners
On Thursday, April 23, in true Academy-award style, over 200 community and cultural leaders came together to celebrate the 18th annual Art Star Awards. Held on the Festival of Arts grounds and sponsored by the Festival of the Arts, the reception and ceremony treated guests to a festive evening filled with KXFM 104.7’s Rockin’ Red Carpet, live music by Laguna JaZz with vocalist Ginger Hatfield, demonstrations by artists from Laguna College of Art + Design and the Sawdust Art Festival, and a Gallery Walk organized by First Thursdays Art Start and Christy Miller of Art Partners featuring FOA artists Carol Boller, Tom Lamb, Mike Tauber and Wendy Wirth. Guests enjoyed catering by Starfish and Prosecco donated by Regal Wines and Sawdust Art Festival.
The program featured Master of Ceremonies Roxanna Ward and LBAA members who announced the award winners. New to this year’s ceremony were live performances by Opera Laguna, Lagunatics, and Lani Yamanaka of Laguna Dance. The evening concluded with a special surprise performance of “In God’s Good Hands” by Beth and Steve Wood.
The 2026 Art Star Award recipients are:
KXFM 104.7
The Quilter Family
Laguna Community Concert Band and LagunaTunes Community Chorus – Holiday Concert
Arnold Livingston Geis and Oriana Geis-Fella
Beth and Steve Wood
Photos by Eric Stoner.
Laguna Beach Arts Alliance is open to all non-profit 501(c)(3) art-orientated organizations located in Laguna Beach.
For more information, please contact us at [email protected]
