Laguna Beach Has a British Sister

From the city of Laguna Beach:

On Tuesday, Aug. 19, the Laguna Beach City Council officially adopted St. Ives, England as a Sister City. It was formerly a Friendship City to Laguna Beach since Sept. 2012.

In celebration of this momentous occasion, a delegation organized by Laguna Art Museum and Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association was comprised of local notables and art enthusiasts from Laguna Beach embarking on an exciting 10-day trip to England from Aug. 31-Sept. 10.

Participants include Linda Banks, Nancy and Gary Beverage, Nadine and Bob Hall, Jane and Joe Hanauer, Barbara Hoag, Betsy and Gary Jenkins, Lucetta and Stan Kallis, Colleen McHugh and Ed Postal (who visited Cornwall and St. Ives in 2011 and organized the trip), Suzanne and Jim Mellor, Pam and Alex Metherell, Michele and Emil Monda, Ellen and Lindy Narver, Carol Nilsen, Mary and Jon Nord, Karyn Philippsen, Malcolm and Sara Warner, Roxanne Willinger and Jennifer Yelland.

Among the the trip highlights were tours of Tate Britain, Courtauld Gallery in Somerset House, the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, and Bond Street art dealers and Christie’s auction house, led by Malcolm Warner, executive director of Laguna Art Museum; a behind-the-scenes tour of Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle with Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Surveyor of the Queen’s Pictures; a visit to Tate St. Ives and the Barbara Hepworth Museum; and a bus tour to the Eden Project, home to the world’s largest greenhouse with two gigantic geodesic conservatories.

An official Sister Cities recognition ceremony took place on Sunday, Sept. 7. Laguna Beach Mayor Elizabeth Pearson signed the proclamation; and Cllr. Linda Taylor, Mayor, will sign it in St. Ives.

“We are thrilled to expand our Sister Cities reach to St. Ives,” said Karyn Philippsen, president of the Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association. “This trip to England is the springboard for a deeper understanding and appreciation of our mutual goals of increasing cultural, educational and business exchange.”

Why St. Ives? When researching candidates for Sister Cities, the mission is to promote global understanding and cooperation at the local level. Both Laguna Beach and St. Ives are small artist communities with a tourism-based economy; they are beautiful seaside villages sharing a common surfing industry and similar climate; they have links to local artists and institutions; offer museums and theaters where art exchanges can take place; and are in proximity to large cultural centers and attractions, among other similarities. Fun Fact: William Wendt, an early California Plein Air painter in Laguna Beach traveled to and painted in St. Ives.

About Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association: Our three Sister Cities are Menton, France; San Jose del Cabo, Mexico; and St. Ives, Cornwall, England. Since its inception, Laguna Beach Sister Cities, established in 2008, has been focused on cultural, educational and social exchanges. It is a broad-based, Laguna Beach City Council approved, all volunteer, non-profit organization. Contact information: P.O. Box 1011, Laguna Beach, Calif. 92652. Call 949.492.0883, or visit http://lagunabeachsistercities.com/.

PHOTO L-R: Steven Taylor, husband of the mayor of St. Ives; Glyn Macey, artist, presenting Karyn Philippsen with an original scene of St. Ives; Mayor of St. Ives Linda Taylor; Karyn Philippsen, president of Laguna Beach Sister Cities Association; Ron Tulley, St. Ives past mayor and current town council member.