40th Annual California Cool Art Auction Returns To Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — As we all know, there is no shortage of cool art in Laguna Beach. Laguna Art Museum wants to help you take some of that cool art home.

Laguna Art Museum announced the return of its 40th annual California Cool Art Auction on Monday, and Laguna Beach residents can join in on the auction by participating in both online and in-person auction events.

Registration for the online auction will begin via Artsy on Wednesday with bidding starting Feb. 5, organizers said. The in-person event takes place at Laguna Art Museum on March 5, and tickets are $160 per resident.

“This is Laguna Art Museum’s most anticipated and lively event of the year. From contemporary artworks to plein air painting, the 40th Annual California Cool Art Auction will showcase emerging, as well as seasoned California-based artists,” Laguna Art Museum Executive Director Julie Perlin Lee said in a news statement. “Through the past four decades of curating the Art Auction, the museum has cultivated artists like Kim Abeles and Scot Heywood who have made their way to the forefront of the California art scene, and we are pleased to offer such an array of impactful work to the community.”

The museum-curated auction features works by over 100 of California's most influential artists, including Maria Bertran, Judy Chicago, Alex Couwenberg and Woods Davy — among many others.

On the day of the in-person auction, hundreds of competitive bidding art collectors will enjoy a hosted bar with "creative cocktails" and hors d'oeuvres crafted by Kora Kroep and West Coast Event Productions. The live auction will be presented by auctioneer Aaron Bastian from Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers & Valuers.

Proceeds from the annual event go toward supporting Laguna Art Museum's mission of collecting and preserving California art, providing prolific and critically acclaimed exhibitions and expanding art education for all ages, organizers said.

Sponsors are still being sought for the 40th Annual California Cool Art Auction. For more information, residents are asked to contact the office of Julie Perlin Lee via email.