Museum of Ventura County — Let’s appreci-eight new events in May!

Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal
with Bob Eubanks
Thursday, April 28th from 6:30-8pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
Free for members
$10 for non-members in-person
$5 for non-members on Zoom
Many recognize Bob Eubanks as a TV personality and game show host, best known for hosting the explosively popular “The Newlywed Game.” In this fun evening, you will learn so much more about Bob, including the little-known story of how meeting the Beatles helped launch his career, and all the twists and turns that recently earned him a Lifetime Achievement Emmy Award.
Click here to RSVP and learn more.
Life Drawing Sessions
May 4th, 11th, and 25th
from 6:30-8:30pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
Fee for all three sessions:
$50 for MVC members and students
$65 for non-members
Join us for a series of three drawing sessions with nude and clothed models, organized by artists Cathy Day Barroca and Barbara Brown.
Every experience level is welcome! Chairs and easels will be provided but artists must bring their own supplies. Only 10-35 participants per session. Last day to sign-up is this Friday, April 29th, click here to RSVP!
Story Time
at the Museum
Friday May 6th from 3-4pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
Free
The Museum of Ventura County has been partnering with the Ventura County Library to bring bilingual (in English and Spanish) in-person Story Time every first Friday of the month at 3pm. That way kids will have time to come right after school. This month’s theme is SPACE. Join us for stories, then play and learn in the Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Chumash Children’s Garden, a fabulous and FREE outing for ALL!
Click here to learn more.
El Oz:
Book Signing & Author Reading
Friday May 6th from 3-4pm
at the Agriculture Museum
Free
Farmworker rights activist David Damian Figueroa debuts El Oz, a new children’s book for ages 8 and up that centers around Dolores, a young Mexican girl from the fictitious town of El Pueblito de los Milagros, and her chihuahua named Pepito who find themselves in a strange land after a violent rainstorm. There, they encounter a series of fantastical characters and wild adventures as they seek the elusive El Oz to help them return to their home.
El Oz is already #11 in the Fiction Bestseller List at Publisher Lulu.com, the largest independent bookstore in the world.
Books sold at the event will be donated by Mr. Figueroa to the Museum. Click here to learn more.
Environmental Education Exhibition
Monday, May 9th from 4:30-6pm
at the Agriculture Museum
Free
Learn about environmental field trips, classroom presentations, green schools, and more! Connecting K-12 teachers to community-based partners and environmental education opportunities with a county-wide showcase of relevant education programs and green schools.
Click here to learn more.
Local History Happy Hour with John Krist
Thursday, May 12th from 5-6:30pm
at the Agriculture Museum
Free for members
$10 for non-members in-person
$5 for non-members on Zoom
Join host Elena Brokaw for a chat and drink with John Krist, an author, award-winning photojournalist and former CEO of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, the region’s oldest and largest agricultural association. John’s most recent book, Living Legacy: The Story of Ventura County Agriculture, is at once a local history, a photo essay and a vital lesson in modern farming. Living Legacy is available at the Agriculture Museum store, with all proceeds to benefit MVC and the Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.
Click here to RSVP and learn more.
Made possible in part by the generous support of
Ventura Spirits and
Friends Ranches
VCOE Student Art Gallery: What do Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Mean to You?
Thursday, May 19th, 2022 –
Sunday June 5th, 2022
at the Agriculture Museum
Free
The VCOE Student Art Gallery was inspired by the Ventura County Office of Education Annual Equity Conference, which provides free workshops on a variety of topics, including anti-racism, implicit bias, the importance of preschool, preparing for college, supporting students with disabilities, gender diversity, and more. K-12 students from VCOE Schools and Programs created artwork illustrating what diversity, equity, and inclusion means to them.
Click here to learn more.
Plein Air Painting
at Santa Cruz Island
with Margaret Garcia
Saturday, May 21st from 8-4:30pm
on the Santa Cruz Islands
$125 for members
$175 for non-members
Enjoy a one of a kind day trip to Santa Cruz Island to paint with acclaimed artist Margaret Garcia and naturalist Cliff Rodrigues! We will provide a box lunch from Peirano’s for attendees. All participants should bring their water bottles and art supplies. Participants are welcome to create with oil paints, watercolors, ink, pencils, or take photographs! This event is limited to 30 adult attendees.
Click here to RSVP and learn more.
Made possible in part by
The Port of Hueneme
Poesia Para la Gente
Sunday, May 22nd from 3-5pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
Free with RSVP
An ekphrastic reading by Latinx women poets in honor of Arte Para la Gente: The Collected Works of Margaret Garcia. This special intimate event will be hosted by the prolific Marsha de la O, with readings by Melina Palacio, Crystal AC Salas, Emma Trelles, Luzmarie Espinosa, and Corinne Contreras.
Click here to RSVP and learn more.
VUSD Districtwide Student Art Show Opening Reception
Thursday, June 2nd from 5-8pm
at the Museum of Ventura County
Free
This juried art show will highlight our incredibly talented high school, middle school and elementary school student artists. In total, over 50 works by high school students have been selected from hundreds of submitted pieces: including watercolors, photography, acrylic paintings, mixed media, and pencil drawings.
Click here to learn more.
Join us on TikTok!
Your Museum has just joined TikTok, you can follow us by searching for @museumofventuracounty.
Watch the latest short-form videos showcasing our Museum’s artwork, county artifacts from our collections, and more.
April Meme Contest
Submissions due Friday, April 29th
Write your own text to go with the featured image for your chance to win a Museum of Ventura County mug, a collection of our custom pens, or an artistic magnet showcasing a famous painting by Margaret Garcia! The Museum of Ventura County’s Meme Contest is our way of making your local history free, accessible, and engaging for people of all ages.
Click here to join the fun.
Digital Jigsaw Puzzles
April Showers
Please take a moment to relax with our new online jigsaw puzzles featuring rainy seasons from 1914 to 1969. Click here to enjoy!
Brought to you in part by the
generous support of
Ellen Brokaw and
Al Lowe Construction
Journal Flashback
Paradise in Port Hueneme
Spring is in the air and in this Journal Flashback we’re sharing an article about the Bard family’s garden at Berylwood. The Bard family was instrumental in the development and growth of Ventura County, and Port Hueneme in particular. Berylwood was the family home in Port Hueneme and once hosted a small paradise. While the grounds have changed a lot since the Navy took over the mansion, remnants of the garden remain. This special double issue was originally published by the Museum of Ventura County with the Friends of the Bard Mansion.
Click here to read more.
MVC Then
The Water Witch of Simi
Water witching is centuries old. The first written references date to 16th century Europe. The practice of dowsing was commonplace in the late 1800s in Simi Valley when new settlers needed to find a reliable source of water. Almost everyone gave it a try, but few had Grandpa Stones’ touch.
Click here to read more.
Brought to you in part by the generous support of
Ventura County Credit Union and Chrisman Estate
Latin Social Dance Class
Thursday, April 28th from 7-8pm
at the NAMBA Performing Arts Space
Ballet Hispánico Dance Company, the largest Latinx cultural organization in the country and one of America’s Cultural Treasures, will be offering a FREE workshop on Latin Social Dance. This is a community event.
No dance experience necessary.
All ages are welcome.
Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures in collaboration with NAMBA Arts and Flamenco805.
For reservations and information,
call Wendy with Flamenco805 at
(818) 620-0690.
The Museum of Ventura County and the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula are open Thursday—Sunday from 11am to 5pm. Admission to both Museums is now FREE.
Come join us for the 2022 Exhibits Opening Reception on
Saturday, June 18th, from 3-5pm!
Arte Para la Gente:
The Collected Works of Margaret Garcia
at the Museum of Ventura County
Exhibit ends Sunday, May 29th
Arte Para la Gente explores artist Margaret Garcia’s vast work that captures and encapsulates the culture, family, and urban life. Over the past four decades, Margaret Garcia has been a leader in the L.A. Chicano Art Movement, championing women, the community, and individuals marginalized by society. Her most recent works, many shown here for the first time, were painted in Ventura County.
Learn more here.
Sponsored by
Lazer Media
KXLM 102.9 • KLJR 96.7 • KOXR 102.1
and The Port of Hueneme
Crossing Borders
at the Museum of Ventura County
Exhibit ends Sunday, May 29th
Crossing Borders features select works from the Museum collection along with works by artists in the community who have immigrated to the US, sometimes as refugees in search of a safe haven, bringing their talent and creative
ideas with them.
Learn more here.
America’s Revolution
George Stuart Historical Figures®
at the Museum of Ventura County
Exhibit ends Sunday, May 8th
Through these intensely
researched and intricately created Historical Figures®, George Stuart captures the colorful personalities involved in America’s struggle for independence.
Learn more here.
Funding provided by the
Fred W. Smith Gallery Fund
Behind the Curtain:
An Insider’s Look at The George Stuart Historical Figures®
at the Museum of Ventura County
Exhibit opens Thursday, May 12th
People argue about whether the Figures are works of art, historical objects, or maybe something else entirely. Mr. Stuart himself objects to both the titles of Artist and Historian. Investigate each Figure closely so that you can decide for yourself.
Learn more here.
Funding provided by the
Fred W. Smith Gallery Fund
Tomols to Trains:
County Transportation
through the 1900s
at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula
Tomols to Trains explores how transportation played a role in Ventura County’s history. Visit the communities that struggled with the changes brought about by new modes of transportation.
See how towns and cities changed, how suburbs grew, and how our farms and other industries became part of regional, national, and international economies. Learn more here.
Made possible by the
Heritage Fund at VCCF
Farm to Market
at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula
An interactive exhibit promoting healthy lifestyles through role-play, the Ag Market is an immersive environment where children and families identify healthy food choices in a market-like atmosphere.
Learn more about what the
Agriculture Museum has to offer here.
Special thanks to
Santa Paula’s Mayor Carlos Juarez for volunteering his time and
talent in building our
fun-filled indoor market
Watch Season 3 of
MVC Insider!
Explore over a dozen virtual and 3D exhibits, including Nordic Myths & Legends, Huelga! Photographs from the Frontlines, California Cool, and more!
Engage with us on social media, where you’ll find our latest news and incredible artifacts, reels, and art from our collections!
Museum of Ventura County Business Club members are community leaders who are committed to the region’s history, art, and stories.
MVC thanks our current
for their support:
Major funding for these programs is made possible by the City of
San Buenaventura, the County of Ventura and private and community donors.
Museum of Ventura County • 100 East Main St. Ventura, CA 93001 • 805.653.0323
Agriculture Museum • 926 Railroad Ave. Santa Paula, CA 93060 • 805.525.3100