LAGUNA BEACH, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 12/10/12 -- The Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, home of the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters, is pleased to announce the launch of their newly redesigned website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org. The new site, the first major redesign since 2002, is envisioned to encompass everything about the Festival and its programming in a user-friendly and visually stunning way that is reflective of its brand. With new social media integration, a radically revised event calendar, an expansive artist database and more, the new website aims to engage fans and supporters like never before. The redesign incorporates classic colors and graphics and completely new navigational tools with enhanced search functionality.

"After months of development with our website designers, we're very excited to unveil the new website in conjunction with the Festival's and Pageant's 80th Anniversary celebration," said Sharbie Higuchi, director of marketing and PR for the Festival of Arts and Pageant of the Masters. "Technology has really changed in the last ten years, it was important for us to keep up with the times and elevate our online presence."

The website features exclusive content on the two major summer events, the Festival of Arts Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters, as well as giving a home to year-round exhibits and ongoing projects. Multimedia has also integrated into the website including videos, event slideshows, an interactive calendar and other visual content from last year's season as well as archival footage from the Festival's early days. Membership registration can now be accomplished without leaving the website. Also, entirely new are sections dedicated to the Festival's permanent art collection with a gallery of selected pieces from the Festival's collection, spotlight pages, and "Outreach" with the ability to apply for Festival scholarships and grants. "Visitor info" features tips on planning a visit with links to the Laguna Beach Visitors and Conference Bureau. "About Us" gives an overview about the organization and its purpose. Visitors can also purchase Festival merchandise online at the "Shop," find out about the latest news from the Festival and Pageant, and explore volunteer and employment opportunities at the Festival and Pageant. Donations may be gifted to the non-profit organization with the click of a button through the website and Pageant tickets may be purchased securely.

Also getting the most dramatic face-lift, the exhibitor gallery has been updated to be user-friendlier, giving visitors the opportunity to sort the 140 exhibiting artists by medium, name and view popular tags. Each artist's page features a slideshow of their work, contact information and links to their social media pages.

"It's always been our mission to raise awareness about the talented array of artists at the Festival of Arts. Now, with the launch of the new website, we're able to give our artists an additional platform to reach art collectors and art enthusiasts everywhere," said Higuchi.

Though the redesign has been applied to most major sections of the site, some additional sections are to come, including blogs, a searchable database of the Festival's permanent art collection, online exhibitor application, bios and photos of exhibitors, and multi-platform compatibilities.

"In today's data and technology driven society, it's important to keep the website content updated, fresh and ever changing. It's an ambitious website plan that now has a solid -- and stylish -- foundation," concluded Higuchi.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL OF ARTS
The Festival of Arts Fine Art Show will run June 30 - August 31, 2013. The Pageant of the Masters "The Big Picture" will run July 7 - August 31, 2013. The event is located at 650 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach, California.

The Festival of Arts is a non-profit organization that produces The Festival of Arts - California's Premier Fine Art Show and the Pageant of the Masters. For general information, call (949) 494-1145 or visit the website at www.LagunaFestivalofArts.org. Tickets to the 2013 Pageant of the Masters are available now. Proceeds support the arts and art education in and about Laguna Beach.

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