Congratulations to the winners of our annual, all-ages competitive art show for Ventura County employees, retirees and their family members. The show is hosted in partnership with the County of Ventura and is generously sponsored by the National Arts Program.
You can see the show now through Friday, February 3, 2023during business hours in our Atrium Gallery inside the Ventura County Government Center Hall of Administration located 800 S. Victoria Ave., Ventura, CA 93009.
The 37th Annual California Strawberry Festival, taking place May 20 and 21, is seeking corporate sponsors and commercial exhibitors. After a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the festival is back at a new location, the Ventura County Fairgrounds in Ventura.
The family-friendly festival attracts over 57,000 visitors and pays tribute to Ventura County’s number one crop: strawberries. Festivalgoers come from throughout Southern California including Los Angeles, Ventura, San Bernardino, Kern, Santa Barbara and Orange counties. They enjoy over 40 strawberry-themed food and beverage stands, up to 200 fine arts and craft vendors, strawberry-themed contests for all ages, a Ninja Nation obstacle course, live entertainment on three stages, fair-style carnival rides and a “build-your-own” strawberry shortcake tent. An estimated 1.5 million strawberries, picked fresh locally, will be eaten during the two-day festival.
Finding the Light:
Works from MVC’s
Permanent Collection
Now Open
at the Museum of Ventura County
Finding the Light explores how artists use light not only to influence shape and color, but also to impart deep meaning. The exhibit, featuring works by renowned and diverse regional artists including Guy Webster, Andrea Vargas, Henry Chapman Ford, and Susan Petty, is the first exhibit installed in the new Esther and Thomas Wachtell Family Gallery.
This gallery has been created through a generous endowment from the Esther and Thomas Wachtell Family Fund and is designed to showcase the Museum of Ventura County’s permanent collection.
Learn more about Finding the Light here.
Kids Workshop
Adventures in Theater with Ms. Alina
WHEN:
Wednesdays
January 18 – March 22, 4:30pm – 6pm
(Jan 18, 25, Feb 1, 8, Mar 1, 8, 15)
(No class Feb 15 and 22)
Show: Mar. 22, 5:30pm
Auditions are now open for singers who would like to join the CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) University Chorus and be part of the Spring 2023 “Choral Spectacular!
Anyone wishing to audition is invited to send an email to University Chorus Artistic Director KuanFen Liu at downbeatplus@gmail.com to make an appointment for an audition from now until January 20.
Auditions are open to singers of all vocal ranges, ages 18 and up, and anyone on the CSUCI campus or in the surrounding community is welcome to audition. Liu is especially hoping to add more male singers to give the chorus more tenor, bass and baritone.
After a three-year hiatus due to challenges brought on by the pandemic, the 2023 California Strawberry Festival will take place May 20-21. For the first time ever, the event will be held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
“We are thrilled to relaunch the California Strawberry Festival in 2023 at the Fairgrounds,” says Dean Kato, Chairman of the California Strawberry Festival Board of Directors. “We realized that the event had outgrown the available space at our longtime venue, Oxnard’s College Park. It’s our ‘comeback’ year – and we want to come out bigger and better than ever.”
Behind the Curtain
George Stuart Historical Figures®
New videos series!
The “Behind the Curtain: An Insider’s Look at The George Stuart Historical Figures®” exhibit offers visitors the opportunity to investigate each of George Stuart’s figures closely so that they can decide if they’re works of art, historical objects, or something else entirely. This new video series offers viewers the very same opportunity from the comfort of home. Watch more here.
Santa Maria High School Spanish Teacher Enedina Castañeda recently joined more than 60 artists from the United States and Mexico to perform two poems at the Cultural Center of Tijuana (CECUT), Mexico.
Castañeda, who is a member of the 3rd Binational Congress for Mexican Artists Residing in the United States, was accompanied by the music of guitarist and tenor Iván Orellana.
Castañeda presented two poems on stage, Paz and La Tierra Distante. Along with her poem, Peace (Paz), she exhibited the banner of peace during the performance. The Distant Land (La Tierra Distante) is a nostalgic poem conveying the feeling of missing your country when you’re standing on a foreign land. Castañeda recited that piece holding dirt from Mother Earth.
The PAB comes alive with incredible acrobatics, energizing African drumming, dancing and gravity-defying stunts! Celebrate Black History Month with this amazing performance of a 2000-year-old cultural tradition from East Africa. This interactive 90-minute show includes human pyramids, dish spinning, stick balance, contortion, juggling, hand to hand balance, pole acts, music, comedy, and much much more. Join us on campus Thursday night!
Visit our website and online box office!
Juguetones de la Calle 6
Presented By Teatro De Las Americas
Feb 25th 2023, 3:00 PM
Feb 25th 2023, 7:00 PM
Feb 26th 2023, 3:00 PM
Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to bring this production to life. Break a leg!
Taller de Cine del Teatro de las Américas
Presented By Teatro De Las Americas
United by blood and through music, Hermanos Herrera is a musical group consisting of five brothers and their younger sister. The group plays various styles of traditional Mexican music such as Son Huasteco, Son Jarocho, and Musica Norteña. They perform with an aggressive and energetic style that is both passionate and exhilarating.
The Carsey-Wolf Center at UCSB will present “Listening to Cumbia,” a program of two short documentaries that examine the vibrant culture of cumbia and cumbia sonidera in Los Angeles and Mexico City, at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 11 at the the Pollock Theater on the UCSB campus.
We will be screening Joyce García’s Yo No Soy Guapo (US premiere), and Alvaro Parra’s “Sonidero Metropolis” (premiere). Following the films, García and Parra will join us for a discussion and Q&A about their films. This event is free to attend and open to the public, so your community of readers is warmly invited to join us.
SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) is back with its next free community event. Relive the vintage sounds of the Golden Era of Mexican Cinema with three free performances by the musical trio, Tres Souls. Viva is a collaboration…
The Santa Paula Art Museum is pleased to present “On the Ranch,” a solo exhibition by Santa Fe artist and longtime Ventura County resident Andrea Vargas. Featuring over 40 all-new paintings and drawings, “On the Ranch” honors the places at the heart of Vargas’ life and art: her familial homes in Santa Paula and Ventura, California. Meet the artist during the exhibit premiere party on Saturday, May 13, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission to the premiere reception is $5 for SPAM members and $10 for non-members. Wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres will be served. “On the Ranch” will be on view at the Santa Paula Art Museum from May 13, 2023, to September 10, 2023. All of the artworks are available for purchase.
Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) is inviting the public to attend its annual Oxnard Guelaguetza Festival on June 25th, 2023, from 11 a.m to 5 p.m at Plaza Park in Oxnard: 500 S. C Street, Oxnard, CA, 93030.
MICOP (Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project) was founded in 2001 “to support, organize and empower the Indigenous immigrant community in California’s Central Coast.” MICOP serves over 12,000 unduplicated Indigenous migrant men, women, and children annually. MICOP organizes and trains the indigenous migrant community to become self-sufficient and successful members of the broader community. MICOP programs and advocacy in California’s Central Coast have created the state’s most advanced network of services available to indigenous farm workers.
On Friday, August 4th, the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) will hold its twelfth annual Night in Oaxaca. Throughout the years, Night in Oaxaca has become the largest and most sought-after fundraiser that helps MICOP continue our mission of supporting, organizing, and empowering the indigenous migrant community on California’s Central Coast.
Your attendance and participation during Night in Oaxaca enable us to provide vital resources to our community, including crucial services such as case management, system navigation, community organizing, and policy advocacy. Together, we can ensure our community’s voice is heard loud and clear. Let’s celebrate the vibrant indigenous culture and help us advance our important work.
Congratulations to everyone who has worked so hard to bring this production to life. Break a leg!
Entre Pancho Villa y una mujer desnuda
Presented By Teatro De Las Americas
Aug 11th 2023, 7:00 PM
Aug 12th 2023, 7:00 PM
SANTA BARBARA — ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva) is back with the first event of its spectacular 2023-2024 season. The season will launch with a free community performance by grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla. A collaboration between UCSB Arts & Lectures, The Marjorie Luke Theatre, the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center, and the Isla Vista School Parent Teacher Association, Viva is dedicated to bringing the rich cultural heritage of Latin America to Santa Barbara County students and community members.
OXNARD — Making its post-COVID debut is OPAC’s annual arts festival scheduled for Sunday, October 1 from 11 am to 6 pm at picturesque Heritage Square, but with a twist. Once known as “PACC the Arts Festival,” the event has been rebranded as “CHELITA: Arts, Music, and Miches Festival” and will continue to showcase local culture and creativity.
“COVID provided arts organizations an opportunity to reevaluate what we do and how we can best serve our community. PACC the Arts no longer felt on-brand for us, but CHELITA certainly does,” reflects OPAC’s Executive Director Carolyn Merino Mullin. “The concept: If Coachella and a Michelada Festival had a baby in Oxnard, it’d be CHELITA.”
CHELITA is set to transform Heritage Square into a dynamic hub of creativity, fostering an environment where art, music, and gastronomy collide to create an unforgettable experience for attendees of all ages.
SANTA BARBARA — The nation’s premier Mexican folk dance company, Ballet Folklórico de Los Ángeles, will hold three free public performances in Santa Barbara County October 13-15, 2023. The performances are a part of ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara! (Viva), a program dedicated to sharing the rich cultural heritage of Latin America to Santa Barbara County students and community members.
Theatrikos brings the romantic comedy Stage Kiss to the Flagstaff stage. A kiss is not just a kiss in this whirlwind knockabout farce. When two actors with a history are thrown together as leads in a 1930s romantic comedy, they quickly lose touch with reality.
“This play is so much fun for the cast, as they get to play both real-life actors and characters in a play-within-a-play. When the actors really enjoy doing a play, the audience enjoys it, too. You can expect to have a rollicking good time at the theatre,” said director Stan Sutherland.
SANTA BARBARA — Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present a “Día de los Muertos” Free Family Day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 22 at 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.
For the 34th year, the Museum honors the Mexican tradition of remembering the dead with a display of altars created by students in the Museum’s outreach programs and community groups. Día de los Muertos inspired art activities for all ages will be offered on the Front Terrace and in the Family Resource Center. New this year, end the event at 3:45 pm with a procession down State Street to the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) with Latinx Indigenous immigrant community members and traditional dances and music from the Mixtec and Zapotec region of Oaxaca.
For the procession, costumed participation (Catarinas, Calaveras, and skull or skeleton and human and animal inspired designs) is encouraged.
SANTA BARBARA — The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present “Self-Portrait En La Cherry: In Conversation with Artist Narsiso Martinez” at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.
In conjunction with the exhibition Inside/Outside, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art is pleased to welcome back Narsiso Martinez for a public presentation. Martinez takes the produce boxes from grocery stores and paints portraits of the agricultural laborers many of whom are undocumented and subjected to terrible working conditions. These poignant images bring to the fore all the unseen labor that supports agribusiness and come from his experience as a worker in the fields up and down the West Coast.
SANTA BARBARA — A Plática with Maestro Manuel Unzueta hosted by ¡Raíces: First Year and Beyond! will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 26 at Santa Barbara City College.
Internationally acclaimed artist Manuel Unzueta will discuss his career as a muralist, educator, and community activist by highlighting the “Metamorphosis of Reality” mural he painted on Santa Barbara City College’s East Campus Center building in 1976 with SBCC students.
Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) would like to cordially invite you to join us on Saturday, October 28th, 2023, for an evening where we honor our ancestors through the ancient indigenous Mexican celebration of Dia de los Muertos that celebrates death as part of the cycle of life. The evening will feature performances by Ópera Mixe and Ballet Folklórico Nueva Antequera, as well as a selection of artisanal vendors, free community altars, and more!
OXNARD — Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) invites the public to attend its Day of the Dead concert celebration in collaboration with Oxnard College on October 28, 2023, from 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM. We are incredibly honored to be able to host this fantastic event in person for the first time in a few years! Joining us tonight is the incredibly talented Ópera Mixe, an ensemble made up of María Reyna and Joaquín Garzón, as we commemorate the indigenous celebration of death as part of the cycle of life.
OXNARD — Julieta Venegas to peform at the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center on Monday, Oct. 30, 800 Hobson Way, Oxnard.Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show at 8 p.m.
Venegas is one of the greatest exponents of Latin pop music. Composer, singer and Mexican musician, she has established herself as a Latin reference worldwide.
Her great versatility and talent have led her to perform in biggest stages and festivals worldwide, obtaining the recognition of Gold and Platinum Disc in countries such as Mexico, USA, Italy, Argentina, Brazil and Spain.
OXNARD — The Inlakech Cultural Arts Center and Garcia Mortuary will present the 42nd annual “Dia de Los Muertos Monarch Butterfly Celebration” from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Masonic Cemetery, 2242 E. Pleasant Valley, Oxnard.
A FREE Family Event.
The event includes ofrendas / altars honoring the dead, guest speakers, entertainment by Luzma Espinoza, Danza Tonantzin and California State University Channel Islands’ Teatro Dept.’s “El Gran Fandango de la Muerte.”
Call 805-469-9303 for more information.
OXNARD — Oxnard College will present a Día de los Muertos celebration from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 2 at the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building, 4000 S. Rose Ave., Oxnard.
A FREE Family Event!
Sponsored by The Port of Hueneme, Oxnard College, the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center, Vida Newspaper and the League of United Latin American Citizens.
CAMARILLO — The 42nd annual “Día de los Muertos — The Grand Fandango De La Muerte” celebration will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Nov. 4 at Conejo Mountain Funeral Home, Memorial Park & Crematory at 2052 Howard Road, Camarillo.
The event is FREE to the public.
Presented by Conejo Mountain and the Inlakech Cultural Arts Center in Oxnard, the event will feature, 50 vendors, ofrendas-altar- art exhibitions, lowrider car showcase, art workshops for the community, Prizes for the best depiction of the spirit of the dead, and cultural performances by performing artists, including Caliente 805, In Stone, and the Inlakech singers. CSUCI students will be performing a theatrical production called “El Gran Fandango de La Muerte.”
Danza Azteca Tonantzin will lead a ceremonial procession honoring those buried at the cemetery with the public participating in the spiritual walk. Guest and relatives will be encouraged to adorn their burial plots with food, prayer and love.
Cortometraje en español con subtítulos en inglés realizado durante el Taller de Cine del Teatro de las Américas.
Short Film in Spanish with English subtitles made during the Film Workshop of the Teatro de las Américas.
With the winter solstice debuting this month, what better time than now to take a midweek/weekend getaway to view a spectacular winter sunset on California’s Central Coast.
Here are Lompoc California’s Top 4 Picks to view a tranquil one-of-a-kind winter sunset:
The Santa Paula Art Museum presents “Field Trip: 30 Days at a Higher Elevation,” a solo exhibition by Ojai mixed media artist Mary Neville. Featuring all-new abstract paintings and works on paper, “Field Trip” tells the story of Neville’s recent, month-long artist residency at Ghost Ranch in northern New Mexico, once home to legendary artist Georgia O’Keeffe. Meet artist Mary Neville during the exhibit premiere on Saturday, January 14, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission to the premiere reception is $5 for SPAM members and $10 for non-members. Wine, beer, and hors d’oeuvres will be served. “Field Trip: 30 Days at a Higher Elevation” will be on view at the Santa Paula Art Museum from January 14, 2023, to May 7, 2023. Many of the artworks will be available for purchase.
During this holiday season, we have been asking our community to tell us their favorite highlight from the Museum. Elena Brokaw, The Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director of the Museum of Ventura County, recently shared her favorite MVC highlight and her son added his emphatic favorite as well.
We would love to hear what you love about the Museum. Please consider enhancing the cultural life of our region with your support for our exhibits, collections, and programs. You can donate by clicking on the button below. Please be sure to note your favorite MVC highlight on the donation page.
Las Posadas
?Saturday, December 17th from 6-8pm
at the Agriculture Museum
Free
Las Posadas (The Inns in Spanish) is a Latinx traditional holiday that commemorates the biblical journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem in search of lodging and a safe refuge for Mary to give birth to Jesus. After nine days of searching for lodging (Las Posadas are celebrated December 16th through 24th, representing the nine days), an Innkeeper gave Mary and Joseph shelter in a stable as there was no room at the inns.
Former Ballet Hispánico leader Kiri Avelar takes a borderlands approach to understanding the American dance archive as a doctoral research fellow.
… During the lunch program, BBSVC CEO Danica Selvaggio shared the importance of youth mentoring in Ventura County, and the impact the agency has had on the community. Big & Little Sisters of The Year 2022 for Ventura County and California Statewide, Karyn and Marcie, shared their story of their long and happy mentoring relationship while sharing photos from the lifetime of their match.
All proceeds from the Bags, Bling & Bubbly champagne luncheon went towards providing the financial support BBSVC needs to help serve youth in Ventura County schools and the greater community.
Clinicas del Camino Real, Inc. will continue its annual holiday tradition to distribute toys to its pediatric patients during this year’s holiday season. This year Clinicas plans on distributing approximately 4,500 toys for its patients.
The holidays can be an especially difficult time for families in need and Clinicas is happy to help support the community. This annual tradition is very meaningful to Clinicas because it offers staff an opportunity to not only thank patients but also help create joy and contributes to patients’ health and well-being.
Traveling with children is an adventure in itself, so this holiday season Metrolink is sharing a few tips for smooth travel with children on our trains.
Plan where you’ll go in advance. There are many holiday event destinations accessible by Metrolink trains. The EXPLORE page on our website shares many of this season’s best. Pro tip: Metrolink has free and convenient connections to many transit agencies throughout our service area, including L.A. Metro, making it easy to travel car-free.
Purchase tickets with ease. Download the Metrolink mobile app to a smart phone to easily access routes, schedules, fares and stress-free purchases all in the palm of your hand. Pro tip: up to three kids ride free on weekends with a paying adult, and with the Weekend Day Pass, the adult fare is just $10 all day, anywhere we go.
Alison Cerezo leads a program evaluation team for California’s $17.5 million LBTQ Health Equity Initiative.
Researchers create visible-to-near-infrared-light lasers on silicon chips, paving the way for scientific and consumer applications.
The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) is delighted to announce that it will be hosting a celebration and book launch on Saturday, February 4, 2023, for the new book Coyote Saves Hawk by local author and tribal elder Alan Salazar “Puchuk Ya?ia?c.”
Coyote Rescues Hawk is based on a Chumash story dating back at least 300 years. Mr. Salazar brings humor and insights from twenty-five years of experience in bringing back the traditional Chumash canoe culture to a tale sure to delight readers of all ages. Mr. Salazar will be on hand for storytelling and book signing, followed by time for questions and answers from the audience.
Research shows that the more ?’s people get when retweeting negative fake news stories, the more they agreed with its content.
The Agriculture Museum will once again partner with De Colores Multicultural Folk Art, Inc. on their traditional Las Posadas procession. As the last stop of the night, the Ag Museum will host a nativity scene and musical performance before inviting everyone inside to enjoy refreshments and piñatas!
As Sedgwick Reserve marks 25 years of groundbreaking science, an upcoming art show will benefit the UCSB Natural Reserve System.
The Rebozo Festival Inc. is pleased to announce that grants of up to $20,000 were awarded to qualified non-profit organizations that focus on the cultural, social and/or educational needs of the Ventura County community.
The 2023 Rebozo Festival Inc. grantees are Amino Theatre Company and Parents Against Santa Susana Lab-PSSFL (Fiscal Sponsor: Physicians for Social Responsibility, LA Chapter). The grantees will be honored at the 19th annual Rebozo Festival on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at the Camarillo Ranch.
Six years after ‘the Blob’ rolled through the Santa Barbara Channel, lasting effects are seen in the kelp forest communities.
WE’RE BACK FROM THE PANDEMIC!
Please join us for our annual holiday reception! Visit with friends and colleagues, enjoy appetizers and wine, and learn more about the Ventura County Civic Alliance.
