Laguna Beach : Expansion to Force Museum to Close Its Doors for a Year

Art lovers in Laguna Beach will soon find themselves without a museum--temporarily. But after a $1-million renovation and expansion project is completed at the Laguna Beach Museum of Art, they will be able to savor its 700 paintings and sculptures in a facility twice as large.

With a $1.5-million fund drive near its goal and California Coastal Commission approval, expansion of the 8,500-square-foot museum will begin next month. A spokeswoman for the museum said $1.2 million has been raised, and ground -breaking ceremonies for the 8,500-square-foot wing will be held May 22.

The museum’s management is still seeking bids on the project.

The construction work will force the museum to close for about a year. Art connoisseurs need not fret, however. Since October, the museum has been operating a “satellite” gallery in 3,000 square feet of donated space at South Coast Plaza, and it will do so for the duration of the renovation.