Summer of Arts

By LANCE VARGAS

In La Jolla, summer is the season. It's when tourist flock to our coastal locale to take in the beach and village setting. It's when locals venture out to the Shores or the Cove and revel in the splendor of the community.

Summer is also the time when local art organizations roll out their finest festivals, exhibits and productions. From the Athenaeum's Mozart Festival to the annual Concerts by the Sea series at Scripps park, art-loving La Jollans will find their schedules full if they attempt to attend everything under the Jewel's sun this summer.

To make things easier, La Jolla Light has compiled a short list of summer arts events happening now through September. Take a look and see what you fancy. Or, if you consider yourself an true arts addict, attend them all. Either way, there is a plethora of creative endeavors available all summer long.

Concerts by the sea

Kicking off June 1 will be La Jolla Concerts by the Sea. Staging free concerts at Scripps Park in the heart of La Jolla has been the tradition of this volunteer organization for the last two decades.

"Our stated mission is to provide free concerts to the public in the summertime, to get people out and doing things, entertainment things," said Nancy J. Miller, president of La Jolla Concerts by the Sea.

Among the acts performing at the free weekly concert series at Scripps Park will be oldies group The Corvettes on June 1, rock and R&B group Liquid Blue on June 15, Mariachi Real de San Diego on July 27 and Polyester Express performing 1970s disco Aug. 24.

Miller said that the essential moments of the series are when the crowds are big, the weather is perfect and everyone is having a good time.

"The greatest factor that effects the size of our crowds seems to be the weather," she said. "As long as we have sun in the afternoon, we usually have people. The best times are when we have a lot of volunteers. It really is nice to have good music and have everyone having a good time and the volunteers are having a good time and the sun is out and it is just wonderful."

The concerts are from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Sunday starting June 1. For a schedule or more information on the series, visit www.ljconcertsbythesea.com.