Mabel George Haig (1894 โ 1977), and her husband Myron, moved to Whittier, California in 1914. Mabel pursued her art, becoming involved with the art colony in Laguna Beach. She became close friends with Anna Hills, who cofounded the Laguna Beach Art Association with Edgar Payne in 1918. Mabel exhibited at the Laguna Beach Art Gallery at least 28 times, beginning in 1921.
Mabel and Myron Haig spend the day “enjoying the beauties” of Laguna Beach.
The Hotel Laguna, and separate pavilion building, were owned by Mr. Yoch.
The old hotel pavilion in Laguna Beach is being remodeled under the direction of Edgar Payne, “to meet the needs
of an exhibition”. It will be known as the Laguna Art Gallery”.
Edgar Payne “completed a studio bungalow” in Laguna Beach in 1918.ย Under his direction, the old Laguna Hotel pavilionย was remodeled to “meet the needs of an exhibition and club room”. This photo of Edgar Payne, was taken
in his Paris studio during his paintingย trip to Europe, c. 1922-1924.
The Laguna Beach Art Gallery opened in 1918. The gallery was managed by the Laguna Beach Art Association
that formed soon after the galleryโs opening.ย Edgar Payne was the Associationโs first president, and Anna Hills,
the first vice president.
โIn Laguna Beachโฆthe old pavilion was converted to a gallery managed by the artists themselvesโฆa permanent association has been formed.”
In 1920, about 300 people lived in Laguna Beach. People could โmotorโ to Laguna Beach by driving through
Laguna Canyon. Pacific Coast Highway from Newport Beach to Laguna was not completed until 1926.
Laguna Beach Art Association members exhibit at the Whittier Womanโs club house. Artists include Anna Hills, Hanson Puthuff, Edgar Payne, Karl Yens, Guy Rose, Sam Hyde Harris, and others.
Mabel Haig exhibits her water color painting โMorning Mistโ in a competitive exhibit at the Southwest Museum,
in Los Angeles.
The Southwest Museum, located in Los Angeles, was constructed 1912 โ 1914.
Mabel Haig exhibits in the August Anniversary exhibition of the Laguna Beach Art Association. Among the other exhibiting artists are Benjamin Brown, Frank Cuprien, Henri DeKruif, William Griffith, and Anna Hills.
Mabel George Haig is accepted as a member of the California Watercolor Society. She will exhibit with the group
in January at the Franklin Galleries in Hollywood.
Mabel spends a week with Anna Hills in Laguna at her home in Laguna Beach.
Mabel Haig is accepted as one of the first 20 members of the California Water Color Society. She exhibits with
the groupโs artists including, Edouard Vysekal, Karl Yens, Marion Kavanagh Wachtel, and Carl Borg.
Mabel Haig speaks about California Painters to a local womenโs PEO group. The article mentions, โThe fact that
Mrs. Haig is personally acquainted with many of these artists made it especially interesting. She predicted that California would some day be one of the great art centers of the world.โ
Mabel Haig is honored as a finalist in a national House Beautiful Magazine cover design contest. โHer picture with others chosen for display, has been on exhibition at the Boston Public Library, and the Art Center in New York City, and will be shown in several other cities throughout the East, and in Chicagoโฆโ
Anna Hills of Laguna Beach teaches an art sketching class at the Whittier Womanโs club house. An exhibition and
tea are planned. โ. . . Gentlemen will be welcomed at the exhibition.”
Thirty small water color paintings by Anna Hills and 100 sketches, the work of her sketch class students will be exhibited at the Whittier Womanโs clubhouse.
Anna Hills and her students exhibit at Whittier Womanโs clubhouse. Ten students, including Mrs. Myron J. Haig (Mabel Haig), exhibit water colors and oils.
Anna Hills, president of the Laguna Beach Art Association, teaches bi-monthly sketch class at the Whittier Womanโs club house.
Photo of Anna Hills, 1922
Laguna Beach Recognized Art Colony of West Coast
โThe dream chasing artistsโ of the Laguna Beach Art Association see work on their new gallery begin. The new
gallery to be built on a high site overlooking the Pacificโ.
The newly constructed Laguna Beach Art Gallery opened on February 16, 1929.
The prosperous Roaring Twenties came to an abrupt end with the stock market crash, October 24, 1929.
The Laguna Beach Art Association occurred some debt. The Art Association’s artists held three art auctions to
raise funds to pay-off the debt. Both Mabel Haig and her close friend, Anna Hills, donated paintings to be sold for
the benefit of the Art Association.
Anna Hills of Laguna Beach, internationally known landscapist, dies of a heart attack.
Memorial Exhibition of paintings by the late Anna Hills was shown at the Fern Burford Galleries in Hotel Laguna throughout May of 1931.ย Mabel Haig served as a hostess for the exhibitionโs opening reception.
Mabel George Haig exhibits at the Laguna Beach Art Gallery in July, 1930. Her water color painting, Shanty Town
is entry #18. Some of the other participating artists are George Brandriff, Benjamin Brown, Frank Cuprien, Elanor Colburn, Phil Dike, Clyde Forsythe, William Griffith, Anna A. Hills, Joseph Kleitsch, Hanson Puthuff, Edgar Payne,
and Donna Schuster.
The Laguna Beach Art Gallery exhibits 76 canvases in the 12th Anniversary show. Some of the exhibiting artists
were William Wendt, Joseph Kleitsch, William A. Griffith, Mabel George Haig, Karl Yens, Frank Cuprien, and
Clyde Forsythe.
Mabel Haig speaks about how Frank Cuprien โpainted his last picture of the sea, and left his entire estate to the Laguna [Beach] Art Associationโ.
Note: See 1951, October 11, Whittier News.