Book of the Month Happy Valentine’s Day! “Sense will always have attractions to me that sensibility cannot.” — Elinor Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen was published in 1811. It was Jane Austen’s first novel and a sharp exploration of love, reason, emotion, and social expectations in early 19th-century England. This story about the dichotomy of two sisters, Marianne and Elinor Dashwood’s personalities. The book explores societal customs, courtship, and friendship. It offers great prose and believable characters. We recommend reading this classic with a cup of tea. Austen’s timeless work will inspire your own Valentine’s Day celebration. She had an uncanny ability to write about her…

We wish you a wonderful Christmas season! We are honored to preserve the Sawdust Art Festival history. As the 60th anniversary author and historian of the forthcoming book, we are digitizing their archive. Be a part of this story and submit a piece to our team today! Sawdust Art Festival, 1960s Learn about the history of this 3-acre eucalyptus festival grounds, filled with a community of over 180 artists today. This photo of the historic entrance was taken in the 1960s when the festival was just starting. Artists of the Month Celebrate the season at the 35th annual Winter Fantasy in Laguna Beach! It is open every Friday, Saturday and…

Happy Thanksgiving! We are grateful for you. 70° curated the Taiwanese American History Museum in Irvine which you can explore via Matterport. TAH hosted a national conference which successfully brought together representatives from numerous Taiwanese American organizations across the country. This exhibit is titled Journeys to honor the transnational heritage of the community. The Taiwanese American Oral History Series Project is integrated in our virtual tour. From the Archives November is dedicated to National Novel Writing Month. We encourage you to write your own story! Have you documented your experiences in a journal? This month we are hosting a webinar with Southwest Oral History Association and raffling off a memoir…

October is Arts & Culture Month. UC Irvine is proud to announce the completion of its acquisition of the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMA). This is a bold new chapter for the arts in our region. As alumnae, we celebrate this milestone moment for UCI.      With the transaction complete, UC Irvine assumes stewardship of OCMA’s 53,000-square-foot, $98 million facility within the Segerstrom Center for the Arts campus. Since opening in its current location in 2022, the Costa Mesa-based museum has quickly become a destination for contemporary art enthusiasts around the nation. Moving forward, the space will also showcase UC Irvine’s celebrated Gerald Buck Collection and Irvine Museum…

Laguna Beach is where Southern California’s artistic community is known to capture the Pacific Ocean’s natural splendor. This city has seven miles of pristine coastline, tidepools, and coves. It has long-drawn painters (William Wendt to Wyland), writers (John Steinbeck to Kate Buckley), and filmmakers (Charlie Chaplin to MacGillivray) inspired by the landscape. Founded as an artists’ colony in the early 1900s, Laguna continues to thrive as a cultural destination with the world-famous Pageant of the Masters, Sawdust Art Festival, and a vibrant gallery scene.  Beyond the arts, Laguna Beach is a community deeply rooted in conservation. With more than 20,000 acres of protected wilderness, residents and visitors alike hike, bike,…