Now in its 92nd year, Pageant of the Masters, a summer-long theatrical production that transforms art into elaborately enacted “living pictures,” returns to Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach this July with yet another novel theme: “Gold Coast: Treasures of California.” It marks a new chapter for the pageant, featuring artworks found in California’s most prominent museums and public spaces, as well as pieces by contemporary artists whose work may one day be in the collections of those very institutions.
Performances take place nightly, with music by a live symphony orchestra and theatrical storytelling, in an open air amphitheater on the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach grounds. Photo credit: Kyle Fierro.
It is difficult to describe Pageant of the Masters for those who haven’t seen the spectacle in person, but a selection of paintings, sculpture and antiques are brought to life by carefully-posed, costumed actors with props and scenery, and arranged under theatrical lighting to create a stunning human-sized likeness of the original. One by one they roll across the stage, accompanied by a live symphony orchestra and engaging narration, under the stars in an open-air amphitheater.
Hundreds of volunteers come together to make the pageant a reality each year, including a talented group of costume, set and make-up designers. Photo credit: Christopher Allwine.
To curate the 39 works in the 2025 production, pageant director Diane Challis Davy and her team conducted countless hours of research, and traveled around the state to view many prospects in-person. “California is home to exceptional art museums and landmarks, each one offering treasures that tell the story of our state,” says Challis Davy. “After visiting the Hilbert Museum, I felt inspired to celebrate California’s artistic contributions and to encourage audiences to explore the gems in their own backyard.”
“Gold Coast” will showcase a variety of California’s most famous works of art and landmarks including Claude Monet’s In the Woods at Giverny, in the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), and Douglas Tilden’s massive bronze, Mechanics Monument, which resides on the streets of San Francisco. Edgar Degas’ famous Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen, in the holdings of the Norton Simon Museum, will be recreated in the show, as well as Hearst Castle’s Emmaneul Frémiet gilt bronze Chariot of Minerva,and the Roman Pool sculptures, designed by Julia Morgan.
Lee Blair’s (1911-1993) Mary by the Sea, Overlooking Palos Verdes, 1934, is one of the artworks to be re-created in the 2025 Pageant of the Masters. Image courtesy of The Hilbert Museum of California Art at Chapman University, Orange, CA.
In celebration of the contemporary artists that carry on California’s art historical legacy, Pageant of the Masters commences with an enlivening of works by longtime Festival of Arts exhibitor and Golden State native Susan Hoehn, who has a series depicting people in the museum environment, as in Blue Dog, a scene from the Broad in Los Angeles. “As we were considering the many roles museums play, we thought Susan’s artwork was the perfect way to introduce our theme,” says Challis Davy. “It will be exciting to showcase her work on the pageant stage.”
Susan Hoehn, Blue Dog, oil on canvas, 16 x 20"
Works by contemporary California artists Bradford Salamon and Bill Limebrook, also exhibitors at the Festival of Arts of Laguna Beach Fine Art Show, which runs concurrently with the pageant, will also be featured in this year’s production.
“This is a elebration of the abundance of magnificent art in California,” says Challis Davy. “You won’t believe that they are real people in our living pictures. Pageant of the Masters is a show made with love by hundreds of volunteers. Come see the show, be entertained, and we hope we will inspire you to visit an art museum near you!”
Performances take place nightly from July 5 to August 29. Tickets can be purchased at www.pageanttickets.com or by calling (800) 487-3378. —
Pageant of the Masters
July 5-August 29, 2025
650 Laguna Canyon Road
Laguna Beach, CA 92651
(800) 487-3378, www.foapom.com
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