Museum of Ventura County — Fresh new offerings coming right up!

The 8th Annual Labor Day Vintage Tractor Fair

Monday, September 5th from 11am-2pm

The 8th Annual Labor Day Vintage Tractor Fair was a major (and sizzling hot) success with over a thousand attendees. Thank you for coming to your Museum to celebrate our agricultural heritage, our community, and this important holiday for all. We hope to see you next year.

Oaktober

Sunday, October 2nd from 10am-2pm

at the Museum of Ventura County

Free

Feel connected to your county’s environmental community with the local leaders and creatives creating a more sustainable future.

Celebrate and learn more about oaks and native plants with Dr. David White of Once Upon a Watershed, Jenn Rodriguez of Growing Works, Katie Tilford of TinyPlants, and author Melina Watts of Tree, in partnership with Melissa Baffa of Ventura Land Trust. TinyPlants and Growing Workswill also be selling beautiful native plants. So join us, get some gorgeous plants and go wild.  Click here to learn more.

Made possible in part by

ArtsVentura

Life Drawing Sessions

Oct. 12, Oct. 26, and Nov. 9

from 6:30pm-8:30pm

at the Museum of Ventura County

$50 for MVC members and students, $65 for non-members.

Join other artists for a series of open model drawing sessions. Models will be clothed and nude. Organized by artists Cathy Barroca and Barbara Brown. Note: this is not an instructional class. This is a great opportunity for artists of all skill levels. 10-35 participants per session.

Must receive 10 RSVPs by October 7th or sessions are cancelled.

Click here to RSVP.

Dia de los Muertos

Sunday, October 30th from 3-6pm

at the Agriculture Museum

Free

We are thrilled to partner with the Santa Paula Art Museum and Pierce Brothers Cemetery to present a community-wide celebration! As one of three celebratory sites located in the Santa Paula, the Agriculture Museum will host cultural dance performances, display ofrendas created by the community, provide fun craft activities, and face-painting. We will also serve horchata and pan de muerto. Click here to learn more.
Your Museum’s value statements are Inclusivity, Boldness, Empathy, and Integrity. Here we highlight a champion of the community who embodies one of these aspirational qualities.

Cerisa House Wesley:

Empathy

Cerisa House Wesley’s birth in 1898 was the first recorded birth of an African American child in the city of Ventura. Her story is an example of selflessness and courage, caring for the sick during the deadly Spanish flu. Since she was labeled as a “Negro” she was unable to find a job as a hospital nurse. Instead, Cerisa worked with poor and dying influenza patients in their homes in Oxnard. Click here to learn more about her.

The Boutique @ MVC is open Thursday—Sunday from 11am to 5pm.

Shot Glass

by Zodax

$8

After stopping by your Museum to see the Prohibition era exhibit All That Glitters Is Not Gold, bring an artfully designed souvenir home with a shot glass from The Boutique. This shot glass is timeless, with a gold rim and an elegantly rippled glass surface.

Meme Contest

The Ventura County Meme Contest is back! Write your own text to go with the image for your chance to win a Museum mug, three of our popular paintbrush pens, or a unique magnet with a vintage photograph of Ventura, from the Research Library.

Check out our other winning entries on the Meme Hall of Fame. Together we make our history free, accessible, and engaging for all.

Click here to submit your entry.

MVC Then:

When Cars Came

to Ventura County

In this month’s MVC Then blog, learn about the 15-year period when Ventura County began the contentious transition from horses to automobiles, and the development of our coastal highway.

Click here to read more.

Digital Jigsaw Puzzles:

Back to School

September signals back to the classroom for many of us and our families, bringing a sense of nostalgia and anticipation of school activities, sports, and learning. Through these images, revisit the excitement that the start of a new school year brings.

Click here to enjoy.

Brought to you in part by the

generous support of

Ellen Brokaw and

Al Lowe Construction

Journal Flashback:
Part 2 of “In the Curl:
The Evolution of Surfing
in Ventura County”
In this month’s Journal Flashback we continue with “In the Curl: The Evolution of Surfing in Ventura County.” Last month we learned about the introduction of surfing to Southern California. Part 2 features local surfers, their fondest memories of learning to surf, and how surfing has changed over the years.
Click here to read more.
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.

All That Glitters

Is Not Gold

A surprising history of the 1920s and Prohibition in Ventura County. As population and wealth boomed, creativity flourished – but so did a tide of repression and exclusion. This exhibit tells the local story of the jazz age through our collections and archives.
This exhibit made possible in part by the generous support of:
The John Hammer Family,
The Heritage Fund at VCCF,
The DeArkland Family, and
Chrisman Estate Co.

Chromatic:

The Museum in Six Colors

MVC’s permanent collection, amassed over 100 years, ranges from everyday items belonging to real people who lived and worked in the county, to rarities and precious works of art. Each object has a story to tell, and this exhibit opens the door to those stories.
This exhibit made possible in part by the generous support of:
and Pierpont Racquet Club

Always Keep Creating:

The Resiliency of Carol Rosenak

Renowned local artist Carol Rosenak (1925-2002) was known for her still life paintings featuring exquisite textures and intricate details. Spanning over 30 years of her career, this exhibit highlights her early printmaking, still lifes, and the abstract style she adopted later in life.
This exhibit made possible in part by the generous support of:
The Bonita McFarland
Endowment Fund

Behind the Curtain:

An Insider’s Look at The George Stuart Historical Figures®

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
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