Hello Back Bay Buntings, happy Friday!

We heard that Mark Wahlberg will be opening his new Mexican food spot, Flecha Cantina, in the old Whaler spot on PCH. Please join us there in September for some Marky Margs.

To our new readers—welcome! The Back Bay Buzz delivers just the right amount of news and events for locals in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa. No crime, no politics, no spam—just the good stuff. We scan newspapers, blogs, social media, business journals, and Google alerts so you don’t have to.

In today’s Buzz:

— Jon Dougher, Publisher, Back Bay Buzz

Local artist Ellen Gladis has just brought a classic piece of Newport Harbor history back to Via Lido Plaza, and it is already triggering a major wave of neighborhood nostalgia.

Her massive new 8-by-17-foot mural, titled “Sabot Regatta,” is a gorgeous nod to local harbor life. If the style looks familiar, it’s because plaza owner Fritz Duda commissioned Gladis to recreate the spirit of a beloved mural she painted 30 years ago for the old Pavilions grocery store that used to anchor the center. Transforming the textured plaster wall required some serious prep work, but Gladis pulled it off beautifully using standard exterior flats for the backdrop and fine acrylics for the vibrant details.

The piece depicts a fleet of sabots—the small, iconic dinghies that generations of Newport kids used to learn how to sail. It’s a massive hit with locals and business owners alike. Neighbors are already stopping by to snap photos, and longtime locals are visiting just to search the canvas for their childhood sail numbers.

To protect the artwork from all the new foot traffic, Duda is leaning into the nautical theme. He hired the crew at Swift Slip Dock & Pier Builders to build a faux, Newport-style dock with a railing right in front of the wall, which will eventually be topped with a collection of brass sea otters.

It’s all part of a larger, community-focused vision for Via Lido Plaza. Duda is planning a whole lineup of fresh artistic touches for the neighborhood hub, including a courtyard refresh over by Bear Flag, a new sundial sculpture, and a fountain makeover.

Last year, a Van Gogh painting reportedly sold for $200 million. A Rothko for $195 million. A Frida Kahlo for $150 million. None of these transactions are in auction records or any public database.

For years, top auction houses like Sotheby’s and Christie’s have been quietly running invitation-only private auctions for their wealthiest clients.

These huge transactions don't happen in a vacuum. This invisible market often influences the asking range for comparable works in the larger art market. 

That said, you don't need an invite to a private auction. Masterworks lets you invest in shares of blue-chip artwork. Their track record to-date:

Skip the waitlist here →

^{*Investing involves risk. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. See important Reg A disclosures at masterworks.com/cd.}

🌊 Water temp = 64º
Suit Rec: Spring suit 3/2

Thanks! Please ignore any typos, our editor rose-bushed himself putting up patriotic buntings.

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