In celebration of spring, students from Laguna Beach High School, under the guidance of art teacher Jamie Kough, will be creating a unique pop-up floral mural and photo opportunity on the Forest Avenue Promenade in Laguna Beach. The art installation project, funded by SchoolPower, aims to integrate the study of public works with environment-focused art, inviting the public to reflect on beauty, consumerism, and the human impact on the local environment. Students have partnered with local artists, businesses, and the City of Laguna Beach to create a collaborative project that combines floral art with recycled material art, culminating in a gift to the community that reminds people to enjoy the little things and the beauty all around them.
As part of the planning process, the students scouted locations for the installation, created design proposals for approval by the Laguna Beach City Arts Commission, and developed the project budget. The project involves a multitude of partners, including Faye Baglin of the Cultural Art Project (CAP), Irvine-based recycling center Terra Verde, artist Adam Schwerner, and floral designer Laura Williams.
The installation will be open to the public from May 4 to May 6. Students will be working all day on May 4 to install sculptures on Forest Avenue and adorn them with flowers and greenery. The floral mural will be unveiled at 4 p.m., in time for First Thursday Art Walk, and will be displayed for 48 hours for the community to enjoy as a photo opportunity. Kough hopes that this project provides students with a fresh outlook amid hectic end-of-year school demands and gives them invaluable real-world experience as they are exposed to the process of public art-making and collaboration. The public can take home flowers from the installation at noon on May 6.
