Festival grant money boosts school arts

Thurston Middle School and Laguna Beach High were the recipients of grants from the Laguna Beach Festival of Arts Foundation.

Laguna Beach High received $14,450, according to a news release. The money will be spent on equipment and supplies for band, ceramics, dance, performing and visual arts, and photography. Thurston’s multimedia department received $1,500.

Donations are invaluable, theater director Mark Dressler said in the release. Dressler is retiring in June after 25 years with the Laguna Beach Unified School District.

“Now that I am at the end of my tenure as the director of the [high school] drama program, I clearly understand the link between our success and the direct support of our artistic community,” Dressler said. “The Festival of Arts Foundation grants have consistently buttressed and fostered excellence with donations that have provided fantastic sets, costumes and other materials that have made it possible for us to produce dazzling professional performing art in the Artists’ Theatre.”

Laguna Beach High art and photography teacher Bridget Beaudry-Porter will spend the money on pencils, brushes, canvasses, paint, ink and paper, the release says.

The school’s dance department will use its share on a guest choreographer and artist in residence to offer students the opportunity to work with professionals and consider dance as a career option, according to the release.

At Laguna Beach High, band, ceramics, dance and performing and visual arts each received $2,500, and photography earned $1,950.

—Bryce Alderton

Twitter: @AldertonBryce