California Treasures

Pageant of the Masters breathes life into the artwork of the Golden State past and present.

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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.

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.

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.