Category: Cultural

Enrollment opens for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers program

by Community Contributor • February 22, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA COUNTY — The California Bountiful Foundation, the 501(c)3 science, research and education nonprofit organization of the California Farm Bureau, will begin enrollment Feb. 21 for a new program called Expanding Our Roots: Beginning Farmers and Ranchers Mentorship Program.

The program has a website where beginning farmers and ranchers with one to 10 years of farming and ranching experience in California may enroll for free in the mentorship program.

Farmers and ranchers interested in serving as mentors may also sign up via the webpage. Mentors are financially compensated for providing six hours of mentoring services to beginning farmers and ranchers.

Bilingual report — County of Ventura, Ventura County Community Foundation, and Ventura Arts Council announce the Arts and Culture Investment Fund grant opportunity

by Community Contributor • February 22, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA —The County of Ventura, in partnership with the Ventura County Community Foundation and the Ventura County Arts Council, has announced the Arts and Culture Investment Fund grant opportunity to support Ventura County-based arts and culture organizations and independent artists.

A total of $800,000 in funding will be available through this program, making it one of the largest arts and culture specific grant programs offered by local government in Ventura County. Of this funding, a total of $700,000 is available to nonprofit art organizations, independent artists, and arts projects. The remaining $100,000 will be dedicated to providing matching funds from the County to support arts and culture organizations applying for grant opportunities where a grant match is required.

CSUCI and the West Ventura County Business Alliance host the inaugural Women’s Business Conference 2024 on March 8

by Community Contributor • February 21, 2024 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — According to Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), there are 13 million U.S. businesses owned by women, representing 42% of all American businesses. And a 2024 Wells Fargo Newsroom report indicated that women-owned businesses surged at almost double the rate of men’s from 2019-2023.

Local women business owners who are a part of this nationwide sisterhood or others in the business community who support women business owners can enjoy a day of inspiration and networking from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, March 8 on the CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) campus at the inaugural “Women’s Business Conference 2024” co-hosted by CSUCI and the West Ventura County Business Alliance (WVCBA).

Museum of Ventura County — Exhibit Opening This Thursday – Napoleon: Revolution, Romance, and Rivalries, more events

by Community Contributor • February 21, 2024 • Comments Off

Explore the complex life of Napoleon Bonaparte in a new exhibition of George Stuart Historical Figures®. As a charismatic leader, military strategist, and political figure, Napoleon rose to power during the tumultuous aftermath of the French Revolution. Immerse yourself in his journey, from the forces that propelled him to prominence, his marriages, and his entwined destinies with other global leaders. Through George Stuart’s intricate creations, experience Napoleon Bonaparte’s significant impact on the course of history.

Bilingual report — Allan Hancock College’s Fine Arts Faculty Showcase Talent with New Exhibit

by Community Contributor • February 20, 2024 • Comments Off

SANTA MARIA — Allan Hancock College’s talented fine?arts?instructors are?showcasing?a wide range of creative work during the college’s Fine?Arts?Faculty?Art?Show.

The?exhibit?is currently running at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery on Hancock’s Santa Maria campus through March 14 and is free and open to the public.

The?show?features a variety of artwork by Hancock’s fine?arts?faculty, who represent multiple disciplines including art history, painting, drawing, 3D design, ceramics, photography, media arts, dance, music and more.

“As artists, our faculty have their own art-making practices both within their scope of teaching and beyond,” said Gallery Director Laura-Susan Thomas.?“This exhibit showcases the variety of their works and the breadth of their talents.”

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at CSU Channel Islands Announces New Spring Catalog

by Community Contributor • February 20, 2024 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at CSU Channel Islands is offering exciting new classes for Spring II, 2024. This session, you can explore the works of California’s prominent architects, learn about the diversity of invertebrates, discover the cultural jewels of the Stuart Dynasty…and much more! We have a wide range of exciting courses to offer!

Classes begin March 25, 2024. Registration opens March 4, 2024. Classes are offered throughout Ventura County in-person and on Zoom.

UCSB — The Current – “Earl Louis Stewart’s ‘Homage to Swing’ recognized by American Prize Competition” and more events, news

by Community Contributor • February 20, 2024 • Comments Off

The College of Creative Studies and Black studies professor emeritus described the work as a “tribute to the tradition of swing” and “an exercise in contemplative jazz.”

CLU — Last Chance to Register for ‘Separating Myths From Realities — Challenges Undocumented Immigrants Face and Their Economic Impact in California’ on Feb. 22

by Community Contributor • February 19, 2024 • Comments Off

Join, explore, and participate in discussions on the social and economic challenges undocumented families face in California and their irreplaceable value for the entire state, organized by the Center for Economics of Social Issues.

Museum of Ventura County — Survey: Why Does History, Art, and Culture Matter to You?

by Community Contributor • February 16, 2024 • Comments Off

We at Museum of Ventura County care deeply about making the history and art we share with you, our community, and our visitors, meaningful.

But we need your help. We want to better understand our visitors’ different needs and values so we can best serve you. Museums (like ours!) strive to encourage and expand learning while also addressing the challenges facing our society, and we need to hear your thoughts.

To do this, we are participating in a national survey of museum-goers, sponsored by the American Alliance of Museums. This survey will provide us with data from our visitors, as well as from visitors to museums nationwide, helping us be more effective in the coming months and in the communities we serve.

Bilingual commentary — Roman Numerals and the Super Bowl

by Community Contributor • February 16, 2024 • Comments Off

The first Super Bowl, which could have been known as “Super Bowl No. 1,” was played the year I graduated from high school in 1967. “Super Bowl No. 2” followed in 1968, and so on, until we got to “Super Bowl No. 4” in 1970.

The “footballerati” started to think that this numbering system for the Super Bowl games was getting a bit “boring.” Lamar Hunt, the late owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, decided that the Super Bowl needed a more eloquent numbering system…something that would make it sound more important, dignified, and even “magisterial.”

Ventura County Civic Alliance Livable Communities Newsletter – Feb. 15, 2024

by Community Contributor • February 15, 2024 • Comments Off

This quarter’s Livable Communities Newsletter offers more information from the recently published State of the Region report. This data is packaged to shed light on the Ventura County Civic Alliance 3Es: the Economy, the Environment, and social Equity. Special Thanks go to Tony Biasotti for his write-ups, to David Maron for the graphics, and to Kerry Roscoe for the final assembly of the newsletter.

UCSB — The Current — ‘Art installation examines Vietnamese refugee history’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • February 15, 2024 • Comments Off

At O’Hare International Airport’s Terminal 5, art lecturer H??ng Ngô and collaborator H?ng-n Tr??ng reimagine concepts of citizenship and safe passage in a newly commissioned piece.

Bilingual commentary — Ventura County Board of Supervisors ratify declaration of local emergency for Ventura County following February storms

by Community Contributor • February 14, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — On Tuesday, February 13, the Board of Supervisors, voted to ratify the proclamation of a local emergency put forth by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Services to secure federal disaster assistance in relation to the storms that affected the county beginning on February 4. The vote to ratify occurred following the date of the proclamation since the Board of Supervisors was not in session on the date the proclamation was authored.

“The prospective funding that we would receive from FEMA is essential to our ability as a county to support residents as we perform repairs to local infrastructure that sustained major damage,” said Kelly Long, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We hope these funds can quickly become available to assist the County in covering the costs related to the most recent storms.”

Teatro de las Américas — Casting Call | Karaoke Night | RIP Ludwig Pineda | Taller de Cine 2024

by Community Contributor • February 14, 2024 • Comments Off

Casting Call | Karaoke Night | RIP Ludwig Pineda | Taller de Cine 2024

Bilingual report — February news from People’s Self-Help Housing (PSHHC)

by Community Contributor • February 14, 2024 • Comments Off

The 1950’s housing boom, subsidized by the federal government, paid builders on the condition that no homes be sold to African Americans.

This uncomfortable truth, which sits uneasily in our national psyche, has now been compounded by three generations. Along with the ensuing inability to accrue wealth through home ownership, and the subsequent inability to transfer that wealth to their heirs, it is the single most important factor in the wealth gap and the reason for the incessant poverty of many people of color.

During this Black History month, if you have:

Southeast Ventura County YMCA Launches Annual Fundraising Campaign And Celebrates Its 60th Anniversary

by Community Contributor • February 14, 2024 • Comments Off

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — The Southeast Ventura County YMCA has launched its 2024 annual fundraising campaign. Now until March 15, the Y’s goal is to raise $200,000 so it can continue to offer its programs to all community members, regardless of an ability to pay. The Southeast Ventura County YMCA is also celebrating its 60thanniversary in 2024.

The YMCA‘s two no-cost signature programs are supported solely by donations. Find My Genius closes the learning gap that often occurs during summer, especially for children in low- to middle-income households. In 2023, Find My Genius enrolled 575 young scholars in its summer program and 287 took part in its year-round afterschool program.

United Way of Ventura County provides permanent homes for over 400 residents

by Community Contributor • February 13, 2024 • Comments Off

VENTURA — United Way of Ventura County’s Landlord Engagement Program has officially provided permanent housing for over 400 people with a 97.4% retention rate. This means 434 individuals, including 74 veterans, 54 seniors, and 153 children, now have a place to call home in our Ventura County community.

Homelessness and housing challenges are continuing to rise due to limited affordable housing supply, extremely low vacancy rates, and rising rents which all elevate the critical nature of this program. UWVC’s Landlord Engagement Program (LEP) advocates for and supports those prioritized for housing vouchers and housing subsidies provided by local jurisdictions and community partners.

“In today’s competitive housing market, many people are struggling to find affordable places to live,” said Mitchel Sloan, president, and CEO of UWVC. “Our Landlord Engagement Program is helping provide a safe place to call home for our community’s most vulnerable individuals, families, seniors and veterans.”

UCSB — The Current — ‘Embracing single life: Love, intimacy and family beyond the couple’ and more news, events

by Community Contributor • February 13, 2024 • Comments Off

View this email online February 13, 2024 Top News Embracing single life: Love, intimacy and family beyond the couple Using survey data from more than 20,000 people from over 100 countries, and drawing from research by other social scientists, Bella…

Uplift releases report examining economic data and perspectives of Central Coast residents

by Community Contributor • February 12, 2024 • Comments Off

“The community played a pivotal role in creating this report as well as the 33 governance committee members who collaborated on and helped shape and inform the plan and work to date,” said Quinn Brady, Project Director of Uplift. “We are excited to share the outcomes of this collective effort.”

Economic Development Collaborative (EDC) free event and webinar schedule

by Community Contributor • February 12, 2024 • Comments Off

DEMYSTIFYING THE FDA MOCRA 2022 COSMETICS RULES: WHAT BEAUTY BRANDS NEED TO KNOW

February 28 @ 10:00 am

Join Women in International Trade Orange County (WITOC) and the Economic Development Collaborative Go Global Trade Program (EDC GGTP) as we partner with Krieger Worldwide for an informative webinar explaining the key provisions of the forthcoming Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022 (MoCRA) and how it establishes new requirements for the importation of cosmetics. This legislation introduces new requirements for cosmetic safety substantiation, supply chain transparency and labeling. Experts from Krieger Worldwide will provide clarity on the act’s scope, compliance timelines and strategies for company readiness.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CSUCI highlights Hispanic culture with a Chicana/o Studies quinceañera fundraiser and a lowrider car show on Feb. 10

by Community Contributor • February 9, 2024 • Comments Off

CAMARILLO — The CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) campus will be alive with two Latina/o cultural celebrations from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 10, and the public is invited to join in.

Just as it is customary to honor a Latina’s 15th birthday with a grand celebration including music, dancing, food, tiaras and elaborate gowns, the Chicana/o Studies program is celebrating its 15th birthday with a big party in the Grand Salon with longtime Chicana/o activist Carlos Montes and his daughter, artist/activist/educator Felicia Montes, as keynote speakers.

“The quinceañera in Latina/o culture marks an important time of transitioning from a girl into a woman,” said Professor of Chicana/o Studies José Alamillo. “It’s acknowledging the next stage of life and the fact that the young woman will be doing big things. Our department is also becoming more mature and we’re also going to do some big things involving social justice and scholarship.”

Bilingual commentary — Is a College Education Affordable?

by Community Contributor • February 9, 2024 • Comments Off

Who can afford college?

This question is uncomfortably popping up more frequently lately. There has been much chatter about student debt, upward-spiraling tuition, lower wages for college graduates, and employers’ increasing willingness to hire people without college degrees. This discussion has led young people to more seriously weigh their options after high school.

The specter of near-lifetime student debt looms large in young people’s decisions.

Early Summer Camp Registration Begins At Southeast Ventura County YMCA Branches

by Community Contributor • February 9, 2024 • Comments Off

WESTLAKE VILLAGE — Southeast Ventura County YMCA branches are taking early registrations for their summer camps. Camp is from June 17 to August 16 through the Yarrow Family YMCA and from June 10 to August 8 through the Simi Valley Family YMCA.

Campers in TK to 5th grade can attend day camp full-time (four to five days a week) or part-time (two to three days a week) for the entire camp session or selected weeks.