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Museum of Ventura County — Proximity to Water Exhibit – Join us for Thirsty Thursday!

by Community Contributor • July 25, 2023 • Comments Off

MVC NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Vote MVC for Best of VC

June 30 – July 31

Museum of Ventura County was nominated for Best Art Gallery – option #3 and Best Museum – option #65 in VC Reporter’s 2023 Best of Ventura County Awards.

Your support counts, please click HERE and vote MVC!

COMMUNITY EVENTS

150th Anniversary Pop-Up Celebration

Friday August 4

12:00 pm – 11:00 pm

@Ventura County Fair

10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura

Join us at the Fair for our first Pop-Up Celebration at Ventura County Fair’s “Youth Day.” MVC’s interactive festival in a tent offers games, giveaways, a touch of our County’s history, and a preview of upcoming 150th Anniversary Events! Community partners will be onsite to host educational art projects. For information on the Ventura County Fair, click HERE.

Honeybee Day

Saturday, August 19

11:00 am – 2:00 pm

@Agriculture Museum

926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula

Join us to celebrate Honeybee Day! This family-friendly event offers an interactive bee demo, beeswax products for sale, honey tasting, crafts, story time, artist demo, pollinator talk and more. Buzz by and learn how to help protect these invaluable, tiny friends. Limited space, register for free HERE.

Exhibit Spotlight: Ventura County Land Use Panel Discussion

Thursday, August 24

6:00 pm – 7:30 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

In connection to the contentious issues highlighted in our new exhibit, The Murder of Tom More: A True Crime Story, MVC will host a panel discussion on past and current land use in Ventura County. Moderated by Maureen McGuire, CEO of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, representatives from agriculture, economic development, land conservation, and the Chumash will discuss the past, present, and future of Ventura County’s land. Register for free HERE.

Playdate in the Children’s Garden

Thursday, August 31

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Join the Ventura Fish and Wildlife Office for an afternoon learning about pollinators and the life cycle of a monarch butterfly! We will learn about different native plants and how they benefit pollinators, and take home some native seeds to plant at home to help pollinators thrive! Elementary school children of all ages welcome. Free admission, no registration needed. Parent supervision is required.

CLICK TO VIEW ALL EVENTS

150th CELEBRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

150th Celebration Save the Dates!

October 21, 2023 – The History of Ventura County 150th Anniversary Exhibit Opening at the Agriculture Museum

October 21, 2023 – Family Fair and Music Festival at the Agriculture Museum

November 2, 2023 – 150th State of the County at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library

Online Games & Interactives Introduced Monthly

Pop-Up Festivals: Ventura County Fair on Aug. 4 • Strathearn Historical Park on Sept. 16 • Port Hueneme Banana Festival on Sept. 30 • Moorpark Country Days on Oct. 7 • Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Center on Nov. 11

There is much more to be planned – stay tuned!

Click to view 150th event flyers in SPANISH and ENGLISH.

Exhibits

MUSEUM OF VENTURA COUNTY

The Murder of Tom More:

A True Crime Story

In the early hours of March 24th 1877, a mob of angry settlers set fire to Thomas More’s barn and shot him at least 10 times. Motivated by a passionate battle over land ownership and water rights turned deadly, news of his murder rippled through California.

Amid the rubble of lies, perjuries, briberies, and omissions in the historical record, there are puzzles regarding his death that remain forever unsolved. His story stands today as a warning about the strong emotions unleashed over our limited natural resources.

This exhibit is made possible by

the John Hammer Family

Proximity to Water: Works from MVC’s Permanent Collection

Just in time for summer, come be inspired by the ever-changing coast captured by our regional artists.

From plein air painting to photography, the mutable coast provides an endless supply of inspiration. Art helps us admire, respect, and revere our region, reminding us of our own place in the natural world. Proximity means a closeness in space, time, or relationship. These artworks from the Museum’s permanent collection bring us closer to the water, both visually and in feeling.

This exhibit is made possible by the Esther and Thomas Wachtell Family Fund, the Paul and Anne Leavens Family Fund and the Bonita McFarland Fund

Spin Cycle: Unfolding the

Science of Laundry

Everybody’s clothes get dirty, so we all must deal with the dreaded laundry. Through the years people have tried different ways to clean their clothes, and now we have the science to explain why some of those methods actually work!

Using 19th and early 20th century laundry items from MVC’s historical collection, visitors will learn about the “how” and “who” behind everyone’s least favorite chore. Let’s explore how our everyday world works together.

This exhibit is made possible by the

Ventura County Credit Union

Exhibits

AGRICULTURE MUSEUM

Exhibits From the

Smithsonian Gardens:

Pollination Investigation –

The Essential Role of Pollinators in the Natural World

Nearly 90% of flowering plants rely on approximately 200,000 species of pollinators for fertilization. Explore the essential role pollinators play in the natural world in the Smithsonian poster exhibition, Pollination Investigation.

Through “pollinator profiles” visitors can learn about different pollinators—from butterflies and hummingbirds to bats and the wind—and their favorite flowers based on floral characteristics like flower shape, color, scent, and more. The set of 14 posters is bilingual (Spanish and English) and designed to educate and inspire people to explore the natural world looking at flowers and insects. Learn more HERE.

Tomols to Trains:

County Transportation

through the 1900s

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 became part of our economies. Learn more HERE.

Made possible by the

Heritage Fund at VCCF

The Farm to Market Children’s Hands-On Exhibit

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 fun, market-like atmosphere.

Learn more about what the Agriculture Museum has to offer HERE.

Special thanks to

Santa Paula’s former mayor, Carlos Juarez for volunteering his time and

talent in building our fun-filled market

CLICK TO VIEW ALL EXHIBITS

Explore More Exclusive

MVC ONLINE CONTENT

Watch history buff and Museum Docent, Andy Ludlum talk about the Prohibition era in

Ventura County.

Explore over a dozen virtual and 3D exhibits, including Amendment 19: Votes for Women, Patterns o n the Land, and Arte Forastero.

Engage with us on social media, where you’ll find our latest news and incredible artifacts, reels, and art from our collections!

MVC RECOMMENDS

Free Webinar

George Meléndez Wright: The Fight for Wildlife and Wilderness in the National Parks

Tuesday August 22, 2023 5:30 pm PST

In this free webinar, conservationist and writer Jerry Emory discusses his recently published biography “George Meléndez Wright: The Fight for Wildlife and Wilderness in the National Parks.” Twenty-three-year-old George Meléndez Wright arrived in Yosemite National Park in 1927 to work as a ranger naturalist. He went on to become a visionary biologist who brought new ideas to his role at the National Park Service (NPS), organizing the first science-based wildlife survey of the western parks, and forever changing how the agency would manage public lands and natural resources. Register for this event HERE.