Steven D. Lavine, president of California Institute of the Arts in Valencia, was inducted Friday night into the Court of the Lord Chamberlain at the LA SummerFest at Rivendale.

A production of the nonprofit Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival, LA SummerFest is a four-weekend-long series of plays and concerts, ranging from The Bard to Blues. Events are Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and some Thursdays through mid-August.

The kickoff event was the second annual induction, a ceremony honoring patrons of the arts. Taking a cue from Shakespeare’s day when lords and ladies were the benefactors who made the arts possible, Lavine was “knighted” for his leadership of CalArts for the past 27 years and for infusing the SCV with CalArts alumni – including David Stears, the director of the Shakespeare Festival and producer of the SummerFest.

“For centuries, the Lord Chamberlain has been the symbol of arts patronage for kingdoms, countries, and communities,” Stears said. “Each year we honor a special person in our community: someone who has made a significant contribution to the arts in Santa Clarita, to our organization, and the festival.”

Last year’s inductees were L.A. County Supervisors Michael D. Antonovich and Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste.

A number of CalArts students were among the entertainers Friday night, including the CalArts African Ensemble.

Located at the City of Santa Clarita’s Rivendale Park at Towsley Canyon, the LA SummerFest village features a vendor fair of crafts, artisans, food and workshops.

For the complete programming lineup, visit LASummerFest.org.