150th CELEBRATION ANNOUNCEMENTS

Feast or Flop

Episode #4 Spanish Liver

“Feast or Flop” is an engaging online cooking show that combines the culinary world with the treasures of the Museum of Ventura County’s archives. Each episode takes viewers on a journey through our local history as the Museum’s Collections Manager Renee Tallent uncovers recipes that have been tucked away for years.

Episode 4 features Renee working with Chef Luis, Owner and Chef of Mouthful Eatery in Thousand Oaks—see how they fare testing a recipe for Spanish Liver! Stay up to date and watch it HERE!

November Digital Puzzles

Featuring Thousand Oaks!

Take a moment or two to relax with an online jigsaw puzzle which have been created using photographs from the Museum’s digital collection. The monthly puzzles may remind you of areas in our County where you have happy memories, or inspire you to visit a yet discovered place. Browse the puzzles HERE.

Oral History Symposium Ventura – Our Collective Memory

November 14, 16 & 18

@Ventura College Guthrie Hall

4667 Telegraph Rd., Ventura

Join Ventura College and the Ventura College Foundation as student historians, faculty, and special guest speakers present an oral history of our beautiful and fascinating county. Take a walk down memory lane, learn about culture, politics, development of the land, and our agriculture and people. Click HERE for daily start times and schedule of presentations.

MVC NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

George Stuart Historical Figures® Exhibit Opening of “Winter”

Friday, November 24

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Welcome to “Winter,” our new exhibition of the George Stuart Historical Figures®. Delving into the enchanting world of winter, the exhibition explores the myriad ways in which people have sought to make the most of this season. Winter is the time of year when the days are shortest, and the nights are long and cold, affecting both our bodies and our moods. In response to the challenges of winter, people across the globe have crafted annual traditions to create their own warmth and find connection.

Join us on a global journey through the art of George Stuart Historical Figures® as we uncover the diverse winter symbolism, customs, and celebrations that connect people to nature and, more importantly, to each other. Winter, with all its challenges, remains a season of warmth, unity, and wonder across the world. For more information, click HERE.

Small Business Saturday at the Agriculture Museum

Saturday, November 25

11:00 am – 5:00 pm

@Agriculture Museum

926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula

Come “Shop Small, Support Big” at the Agriculture Museum on Small Business Saturday. Enjoy 15% off all inventory, complimentary hot apple cider, and shop the selection of locally sourced gifts at the Museum Store. Don’t forget to check out the all-new Ventura County, The Place We Call Home – Community Experience while you’re there! Click HEREfor more information.

Sip ‘n Shop: Members-Only

Wednesday, December 6

4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

The Boutique @ MVC

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Come support the Museum and shop our collection of unique gifts, jewelry, glassware, and much more; all while sipping champagne and enjoying some holiday inspired music. You will also have the opportunity to give the gift of Museum membership with all new member benefits in 2024! Members enjoy 10% off all inventory. Click HERE for more information.

Sip ‘n Shop: Everyone

Welcome to Attend

Saturday, December 9

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

The Boutique @ MVC

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Come support the Museum and shop our collection of unique gifts, jewelry, glassware, and much more; all while sipping champagne and enjoying some holiday inspired music. You will also have the opportunity to give the gift of Museum membership with all new member benefits in 2024! Click HERE for more information.

Home for the Holidays

Saturday, December 9

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Celebrate the holidays in style at the Museum of Ventura County, where we’ve put together a festive experience just for you! Enjoy the sounds of your favorite songs, sung by the talented Jade Hendrix as you check off your holiday shopping list, and don’t forget to capture those heartwarming holiday photos next to our magnificent tree. While you shop, peruse the galleries, and create cherished memories; be sure to explore our latest exhibition, ‘Winter,’ featuring the captivating George Stuart Historical Figures®. So come on over and be a part of the holiday spirit at the Museum of Ventura County! Click HERE for more information.

What Does “Home for the Holidays” Mean to You?

In connection with exhibit, Ventura County, The Place We Call Home – A Community Experience and the approaching holiday season, we invite you to send in a photographand/or a song that describes what “home for the holidays” means to you! Photographs and song selections will be used as part of the ‘Home for the Holidays’ program. Please email your submissions to abrinkhoff@venturamuseum.org or send via message on our Facebook or Instagram accounts.

MVC School Squad:

Welcome Education Interns!

Welcome to our 2023/2024 school year interns! When you are visiting, please be sure to offer a warm hello, as many of us know how large of an impact these individuals make on the Museum in the short time they are with us.

Amihan Franada (they, them) joins the MVC team from Ventura College. “When I graduated with my B.A. in Art History in 2021, I knew I wanted to work with museums, and I’ve been working with the education department of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History since…engaging with their science-focused curriculum through leading in-person field trips through the galleries, supporting nature education programs, and even sharing my more artistic pursuits as a Nature Adventures camp instructor” states Amihan. They are preparing to apply for a formal teaching credential, and expresses excitement to bring all they have learned to the Ventura community.

Cecilia Lopez (she, her) is a senior at California Lutheran University studying environmental science. “I’m enthusiastic about conservation, the importance of native environments, impactful everyday actions, and science communication throughout all life, not just in academia.” she shares. Cecilia thoroughly enjoys learning environments outside the traditional classroom and is looking forward to sharing some of the intimate understanding she gained of some of the Chumash environment while working over the summer in the Santa Monica Mountains.

Sam Ponce (he, him) is an undergraduate at California State University Channel Islands studying Environmental Science & Resource Management. He plans to pursue a career in the National Park Service as a Park Interpreter. Sam is also a familiar face, as he joined the MVC team in September 2022 ,and we are fortunate to have him with us for another school semester after which he hopes to continue his role with the Docent council. In his role as a museum educator, he has educated 1,876 students K-12^th across 67 tours from 30 schools & organizations and has been the face of many teaching moments in MVC programs.

We are off to a wonderful start to the school tour season and are grateful to have such a knowledgeable group of interns engaging with us all!

Exhibits

AGRICULTURE MUSEUM

Ventura County: The Place

We Call Home

The Museum of Ventura County (MVC) celebrates the County’s 150th anniversary with Ventura County, The Place We Call Home – A Community Experience that highlights the diversity of our communities by featuring different interpretations of Ventura County as ‘Home.’ Some people perceive home as a physical place where they grew up. For others, family and those they share their lives with are what make them ‘feel at home.’ The taste of food, beloved objects, and fond memories are other ways that people define what home means to them.

The exhibition utilizes both historical and contemporary photographs to compare and contrast, over time, the lives of the people connected to Ventura County and their relationship to nature, the land, and each other. Read more HERE.

Co-presented by the County of Ventura and Ventura County Community Foundation.

 This exhibit made possible by California Humanities, the City of Santa Paula,

the City of Simi Valley, Harrison Industries, Limoneira, Meissner,

the Port of Hueneme, TOLD Corporation, Ventura County Credit Union,

Ventura County Community College District, and many more.

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.

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 in

building our fun-filled market.

Exhibits

MUSEUM OF VENTURA COUNTY

Proximity to Water: Works from MVC’s Permanent Collection

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 C. 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

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 mysteries 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

Explore More Exclusive

MVC ONLINE CONTENT

MVC RECOMMENDS

New Exhibition at Los Angeles County Museum of Art

Painting in the River of Angels: Judy Baca and The Great Wall

For the first time in her practice, Judy Baca transforms a museum into a studio. She and artists from the Social and Public Art Resource Center expand The Great Wall of Los Angeles into the 21st century, painting two sections of the mural at LACMA. LACMA’s exhibition presents murals from the 1960s depicting the Chicano Movement, Watts Renaissance, and archival materials that have never been exhibited, revealing Baca’s process and innovations to muralism. Baca conceived The Great Wall (1975) as a monument to the people of California, featuring moments from prehistoric times to the 1950s. She collaborated with 400 youth and community members to design and paint the mural on the walls of the L.A. River to tell history from the perspective of those erased from it. After the artists complete the paintings at LACMA, they will add them to The Great Wall, creating a mile of visual history. Learn more by clicking HERE.

A Special Thanks to Our

150th Anniversary Sponsors!