
Spencer LaVere Smith’s laboratory has developed a two-photon microscope that provides unprecedented brain-imaging ability.
We are so excited to present our updated MVC Gallery Marketplace collection! Browse and purchase artworks by local artists Charlene Spiller, Ed Terpening, Gail Faulkner, Jacqueline Woods, Nash Rightmer, and Scott Gordon. The MVC Gallery Marketplace was created to help regional artists sell their works to collectors. The Museum has selected notable artists working in many media, who represent some of the finest work in our county.
To receive your new artwork we offer convenient “Pick-Up” or “UPS shipping” options. After you have made your order, a Museum staff member will contact you the next business day to make arrangements for either option. If you need the piece shipped, we will generate a shipping quote for you after receiving your mailing details.
Thank you for choosing to support the Museum of Ventura County and the talented artists of Ventura County!
Shop for unique holiday gifts crafted by artists and designers at MCASB’s Gift Studio Pop-Up Holiday Market.
This two-day event will feature FREE hands-on holiday craft workshops for the whole family, hot cocoa, and a guided tour of Rosha Yaghmai: Drifters. Don’t miss Happy Hour from 4:00-6:00 PM when you can shop with spiked festive drinks in hand, accompanied by a curated DJ set.
FEATURING: Augie’s Tequila – Camille K Jewelry – Demi Boelsterli – Monica Epstein – Madeleine Ignon – SlingShot Art Studio – SWEETZER Gourmet Popcorn – Yellow Rat – Rhys Zemeckis Read more >>
UCSB Arts & Lectures proudly presented She & Him: A Very She & Him Christmas Party on Thursday, December 2nd at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at Arlington Theatre. The performance is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Drawing inspiration from a shared love of vintage pop, “subtle and sophisticated” (Pitchfork) super-duo She & Him pairs indie-folk artist M. Ward and actress/singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel. Usher in the holiday season with the twosome’s “old-school studio-pop sensibility” (NPR) and Deschanel’s “perfectly airy and retro vocals” (Paste) as they celebrate the tenth anniversary of their 2011 album A Very She & Him Christmas.
Kaiser Permanente’s 2022 Rose Parade® float theme, “A Healthier Future,” celebrates the dedication and talents of our health care heroes and the possibilities that exist when passionate people come together to use their expertise for the greater good. The float embodies the 2022 Tournament of Roses® parade theme, “Dream. Believe. Achieve.,” a celebration that childhood dreams become careers that make the world a better place.
Kaiser Permanente has a total of 39 hospitals and 730 medical offices across its eight operating markets, including Market Street Medical Offices in Ventura, California.
There are only a few spots left in Thursday evening’s “One-of-a-kind Wrappings” class at the Santa Paula Art Museum’s Cole Creativity Center! Join teaching artist Kat Kaller to learn the elegant and easy suminagashi paper-marbling process and use it to create your own handmade wrapping papers. No experience is necessary, and all supplies will be provided. Preregistration is required.
United Way of Santa Barbara County (UWSBC) partners with She & Him and UCSB Arts & Lectures to launch United Way’s 2021 Holiday Gift Drive on Thursday, December 2nd at 8:00 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre.
Each year, UWSBC partners with community members and organizations to provide gifts to local children and families during the holidays. This year, they will be partnering with She & Him, a music duo that consists of holiday songs from indie-folk artist M. Ward and actress/singer-songwriter Zooey Deschanel and UCSB Arts & Lectures.
Thank you for supporting the Santa Paula Art Museum. Thank you for making moments like the one captured above possible. This year, SPAM donors, members and volunteers enabled us to reopen our doors after nearly a year of pandemic closures. You’ve empowered our education team to continue to serve the children in our community with thousands of free take-home art bags, classroom kits, virtual resources, and more. During a challenging year, you allowed the Museum to offer our community much-needed opportunities for creativity, connection, learning, and joy. Thank you.
The Moorpark College Theatre Arts Department will hold auditions for its spring 2022 production of the six-time Tony Award® Winning Best Musical “Kinky Boots.” Auditions for actors and musicians will be held Dec. 10-15 on campus. The play will run in March with evening and matinee performances.
“We are overjoyed to be returning to the Moorpark College main stage with a theatre arts performance for the first time in two years with ‘Kinky Boots,’” said director and theatre arts faculty member John Loprieno.
“It’s especially exciting because the rights for ‘Kinky Boots’ were just released, and we are honored to be one of the first non-professional theatres to be producing this hilarious and vibrant musical.”
I hate it. I hate it when folks start talking to me about “retirement”. I detest that word. It is euphuism for ‘OK you old fart go away and die, and make it quick. You and your sorry useless ass is costing us; everyone, the hood, the country, the world. And most of all the family, their valuable time, resources and most especially their hard earned money. The precious money that we just don’t have to waste on you wretched and demented carcass. So be done with it quick, retire and die!’
But they won’t let it go. I’ll be gone soon enough! When I insists that if I stop what I love doing that I will die. They will tell me ‘stop it anyway. You know that it has always annoyed us, your stupid and indulgent artista pendejadas’. That is the point I say, art keeps me alive. Loco pendejo! They respond, enraged that I am so broke, slow witted and not quite dead, yet I continue to try to create. Yeah, moron we want you to die. We never knew what the hell you were doing anyway. And now all you are is old, stubborn, and forgetful. Always into your stupid writings that no one reads. No one cares old man, and you have not made one penny from your ‘art’. Never, not a single penny, ever from your art!
Bowlero Corp, the world leader in bowling entertainment, is excited to unveil its stunning new location at The Collection in RiverPark. Bowlero’s new venue, the 43rd in the state of California, will offer the ultimate entertainment experience featuring the brand’s signature blacklight bowling, interactive arcade games, and extensive food and beverage offerings.
The state-of-the-art, 32,000 square-foot venue has been built into a sleek, one-stop entertainment destination where bowling is just the beginning. Immediately upon entry, guests will be in awe of the elevated retro-inspired interior design with intricate details like vintage light fixtures, rich Herringbone-patterned floors, and dramatic wall graphics.
Ventura County Arts Council invites you to submit proposals for art to be displayed in Ventura storefront windows.
What does a face reveal? What might it hide? How has masking affected our relationships? Portraiture explores identity through the lens of its time. Our long period of masking has unleashed new feelings and habits. Do we see ourselves and each other in new ways? “UNmasking” will take a look at portraiture now and what it can express representationally or abstractly.
Selected artists will conceive of each window as a diorama, a space in which an installation of accumulation, sculptural pieces, work in any medium uses the three-dimensional space dynamically.
Each window will be dedicated to a unified installation created by a single artist, or created as a collaborative project by more than one artist. The location of the exhibition space is on a busy section of Victoria Ave. at Moon Dr. in Ventura.
Join us for the premiere of The 13th Annual Art About Agriculture exhibition, featuring 66 fresh works of art by 61 distinct artists. Art About Agriculture is presented annually by the Ag Art Alliance to promote awareness of agriculture through art. Admission to the premiere party is free for everyone (face masks are required, but reservations are not). All of the artworks in the exhibit will be available for purchase. Art About Agriculture will be on view and online through March 6, 2022.
The City of Thousand Oaks has made a commitment to the Arts and Culture organizations of the Thousand Oaks area by setting aside $500,000 to be used for emergency COVID-19 relief.
“Access to the arts is a critical part of a well-rounded community. We understand how much the pandemic seriously affected many arts organizations. We want to help our wonderful arts groups get back on their feet, so that our community can experience the soothing and healing beauty of the arts again” says Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña.
After almost two years of offering only virtual classes, CSU Channel Islands’ (CSUCI) Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) is now holding in person and simultaneously live-streamed courses for its Fall II session.
OLLI will be using state-of-the-art streaming technology that improves the experience for those watching classes virtually.
“The technology is called ‘Hy-Flex’, and it’s really cool.” said Jeff Zisken, OLLI Marketing & Program Coordinator. “The camera is motion-sensored and follows the speaker around and is capable of zooming in and out.”
OLLI members can choose to attend in person or join online. Classes are also recorded and can be played back at a student’s convenience.
We’re celebrating Día de los Muertos with our community with an extra special, free Art To-Go Bag Giveaway. Drive by the Museum this Saturday at 9 a.m. to pick up free bags filled with fun art making materials (while supplies last). Kids will receive everything they need to create festive art projects at home likepapier maché sugar skulls, papel picado, calavera puppets, paper flowers, and more!
OPAC will put an inclusive spin on its annual Dia de Muertos Celebration which will be held this year on Friday, November 5th from 5 to 10 pm at the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center. Co-curating this year’s festivities is a new art collective, Oxnard Art Studio.
“We’re thrilled to partner up with OPAC on what may be the first Filipina/x/o and Chicana/x/o organized Dia De Muertos or Araw Ng Mga Patay in Oxnard. We’re excited to bring many emerging artists and cultural traditions to the festivities, including paying homage to the Filipino tradition. We love to see more endeavors of intercultural unity within our community!,” reflects the collective’s John del Rosario.
Holidays in the Village, A European Marketplace will celebrate the warmth and joy of the holiday season with lots of food, music, kids’ fun, and artisan and craft vendors–all with a European flair. The Marketplace is Sunday, December 12 from 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Lakeview Canyon Road and Agoura Road (adjacent to Stonehaus) in Westlake Village. It is being hosted by the two Rotary Clubs of Westlake Village.
“Our goal is to gather our community of friends and family to celebrate the holidays in a warm and joyful setting. We’ve created something unique in replicating a European village filled with festive food, drink, artisan vendors and seasonal entertainment for all to enjoy,” says Erin Culbertson, event co-chair and president-elect of the Rotary Club of Westlake Village.
Pierre Claeyssens Veterans Foundation (PCVF) is proud to present special guest speaker Francis Gary Powers, Jr. on Saturday, November 6th at the 24th Annual Military Ball to be held at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. He is the best selling author of Spy Pilot and a leading authority on Cold War history.Known for his #1 New York Times bestseller, the subject of the acclaimed major motion picture Bridge of Spies, directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Hanks.
The Museum of Ventura County is excited to announce a new installation; Women’s Qualities by New York-based artist Ghada Amer. The artwork can be viewed throughout historic Downtown Ventura (see below for detailed list of installations and locations). Women’s Qualities was originally commissioned for Desert X 2021 by Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and Co-curator César García-Alvarez and was installed at Sunnylands Center & Gardens in Rancho Mirage in the Coachella Valley.
Saturday, October 23, 2021
Member + VIP Walkthrough | 5-6 PM (Not a member? Click here to signup!)
Public Opening Reception | 6-8 PM
MCASB, 653 Paseo Nuevo, Upper Arts Terrace
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) is pleased to announce a solo exhibition of artist Rosha Yaghmai, entitled Drifters, on view from Saturday, October 23, 2021, to January 9, 2022.
Visual distortion and disorientation evoke sensations of altered perception in the work of Rosha Yaghmai in which she mines her personal, familial, and cultural histories to unearth embedded meaning. Her sculptural practice posits the generative ability of ambiguity to stimulate recall, epitomizing the expansive and transformational promise of psychedelia. Experimentation with materiality and representation constructs an uncanny universe informed by Persian miniatures, ancient Iranian myths, trippy blacklight posters, and 1990s surf aesthetic.
We’re excited to announce that the keynote speaker for our 2nd annual homelessness symposium will be Jessica Bruder, author of Nomadland—the book that is the basis for the Oscar-winning film. Please save the date for Friday, February 4, 2022 for this important virtual event.
It’s hard to believe that 2022 is just around the corner, but thanks to your continued generosity, your United Way has been able to navigate this incredibly challenging year. Because of your generosity, our programs have continued to serve those in need. Because of your generosity, our homelessness initiative has exceeded expectations since its launch almost two years ago—supporting individuals, families, seniors, and veterans. Our housing successes include: a veteran undergoing chemotherapy, a single mother seven months pregnant, a senior about to celebrate his birthday after spending the last several birthdays without a home, a mother one month away from reunification with her young son, and a family of six living in a car for months with a medically compromised child.
Cumbia de mi corazón, written by Toby Campion and directed by Robert Sánchez, offers an unflinching, intimate glimpse into the world of the beyond. Heriberto, an 80-year-old fisherman, although not condemned to punishment, has deprived himself of heaven for love, patiently waiting in purgatory until he reunites with his beloved wife, Maruca.
CSB Arts & Lectures (A&L), the Central and South Coasts’ premier cultural arts presenting organization, proudly presented Former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development and Presidential Candidate Julián Castro, who spoke Sunday, October 10th at 7:30 p.m. on Waking Up From My American Dream. Castro shared insights from his political journey and actionable ways we can effect change.
A former Democratic candidate for president, Julián Castro served as secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Obama from 2014 to 2017, and as mayor of San Antonio from 2009 to 2014. He made history in 2001 as San Antonio’s youngest city councilman at that time, and again in 2012 as the first Latino to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.
His memoir, An Unlikely Journey: Waking Up From My American Dream, published in 2018, is a candid account of race and poverty in America. Born to unmarried parents in a poverty-stricken neighborhood of a struggling city, Castro details his unlikely journey to becoming an emerging national icon.
This year, over 169 supporters came together to support Compassionate Care of Carpinteria’s (CCC) 3rd Annual The Light Shines Ahead virtual event, which raised $35,000 to help support CCC’s work throughout the Carpinteria area.
The Light Shines Ahead is the annual fundraiser for CCC, an initiative of Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) that offers programs and services, completely free of charge, to anyone in Carpinteria grieving the loss of a loved one or struggling with a life-threatening illness.
The free event featured nonprofit leader, adventure seeker, and author of My Wild and Precious Life, Keynote speaker,Cynder Sinclair, who gave an uplifting presentation of her life’s journey and how Hospice of Santa Barbara eased her grief after her father’s sudden death and provided support to her entire family while her son was dying of cancer and after his death.
In honor of Latinx Heritage Month, the County of Ventura Behavioral Health Logrando Bienestar program, in partnership with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion presents “Celebrando a Nuestra Gente – In Conversation with Graciela Casillas” a virtual event on October 13, 2021 at 6 pm.
Graciela Casillas, of Oxnard, a Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee, “Women of the Year,” has earned international acclaim as one of the world’s top martial artist, and as a teacher of the art of self-defense.
Art Class: Monotypes Using Gelatin Plates (Ages 16+)
Thursday, October 21, 2021, from 6 PM to 9 PM
Join teaching artist Mariann Romero inside the Museum’s Cole Creativity Center for a fast, fun, color-filled evening of printmaking! This class is perfect for all skill levels. You’ll learn how to make gelatin plates, and how to use a variety of tools to create expressive imagery in water-based inks. The cost of class is $45, and preregistration is required.
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce Sewjourners: TREES, now on view in the Museum’s third floor Barbara Goodall Education Center through January 16, 2022. The exhibition features 45 new quilts created by textile artists Isabel Downs, Linda Estrada, Carol Fay, Ranell Hansen, Pamela Holst, Patti Hunter, Susan Bullington Katz, Mary Maxwell, and Patty Six.
As you may know, we have been advocating that the County of Ventura set aside 1% of the American Rescue Plan Fund money they received from the federal government to support the arts.
They are making decisions on how to
spend this money TOMORROW!
Do you have time to submit a well-written comment to the supervisors (EMAIL HERE by 12 noon TODAY!) or provide verbal comment at their meeting on tomorrow (REGISTER HERE)? The meeting is virtual and begins at 8:30 a.m.
The Fall 2021 semester began on Aug. 23, providing students with several options for instruction: online, hybrid and in-person classes. While the on-campus experience is a bit different than it was prior to the pandemic, teaching and learning and the delivery of vital support services continues.
In an effort to keep students, faculty and staff safe, certain protocols have been established, including a requirement that all those wishing to enter a college building and/or attend in-person classes must be fully vaccinated by Oct. 1.
Learn more…
Click here for information about how SBCC is monitoring and responding to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here for specifics about coming to campus.
The Ventura Art and Street Painting Festival hosted its 12th annual event on September 11-12th with a highly successful attendance. Festival-goers, who were encouraged to wear masks, were able to spend the weekend at Ventura Harbor Village taking in beautiful marina front views and various vendor booths filled with fine art, professional photography, unique jewelry, and handmade crafts. A crowd favorite, 29 professional street artists filled the area with vibrant original works. Children were also encouraged to try their hand at their own creations, resulting in a collaborative and creative experience.
Join us on September 23 at 6:00 PM in our Zoom Room for a very special online performance in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month.
Core Ensemble’s mesmerizing Tres Vidas is a musical theatre work celebrating the life and work of three pioneering Latin American women – Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Salvadoran peasant activist Rufina Amaya and Argentine poet Alfonsina Storni.
The Santa Paula Art Museum’s fall exhibition schedule includes three original art shows featuring over 100 unique artists, and two of the exhibits are already on view! The exhibits can be enjoyed in person at the Museum, as well as online at www.santapaulaartmuseum.org.
The Museum’s newest exhibit, “Work From Home,” is on view now through January 9, 2022. The show features art created at home during the COVID pandemic by 50 distinct California artists. Delightfully diverse in media and genres, “Work From Home” illustrates how making art helped many artists through the darkest days of the pandemic and 2020.
The Museum of Ventura County presents the First Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration on Saturday, October 3rd from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Sponsored by Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), the event will take place at the Museum with light refreshments, live performances by the Youth Mariachi Band from Inlakech Cultural Center, and booths staffed by Ventura Unified School District and the Girl Scouts. Rounding out the celebratory event will be a variety of cultural family-friendly activities.
“We are excited to highlight Hispanic Heritage Month through different art forms and experiences,” commented
Ventura County Arts Council invites your submissions for
VALUE
Dark to Light | Principal and Principles
Exhibition dates: Friday, October 8th to Tuesday, November 16th
We are back to in-person art-on-walls exhibitions
Juried Competition, CASH PRIZES
Your opportunity to have your artwork in one of the largest and most visible art venues in Ventura County!
The Rebozo Festival Inc. has awarded grants up to $15,000 awarded to qualified non-profit organizations focusing on the Ventura County communities deeply affected during this difficult time.
In accordance with COVID-19 restrictions, the 2021 Rebozo Festival Inc .annual event has been postponed to May 15, 2022 and the application process is suspended.
The awarded non-profit organizations are:
Clinicas Del Camino Real Inc. — “Feeding the Frontlines”
Boys and Girls Club of Camarillo
Friends of Field Workers — “Grocery Security Network” (GSN)
The Mexican Consulate in Oxnard, with support from the Port of Hueneme and the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC), will celebrate numerous historical commemorations, including Mexican Independence Day, with the opening of two art exhibitions.
Twenty twenty-one marks the Bicentennial of the Consummation of Mexican Independence and 500 years of the historical Memory of Tenochtitlan, the fall of the Aztec empire. On September 15, 2021, the Consulate of Mexico in Oxnard presents two exhibitions of Mexican art that celebrate the past and connect us to the present with contemporary work. One exhibit brings visitors closer to the giants of mid-20th century Mexican Art, including Leopoldo Mendez, Rufino Tamayo, Clemente Orozco, Francisco Toledo, Jose luis Cuevas, Fanny Rabel, and others through the incredible Mexican Print Collection of Gil García and Marti Correa de García from Santa Barbara, CA.
Philanthropist, businesswoman and arts advocate Sara Miller McCune, co-founder and executive chair of SAGE Publishing, brings together an extraordinary production of the Tony Award®-winning musical KISMET with The Santa Barbara Symphony and State Street Ballet, all under the direction of New York’s acclaimed Lonny Price. Price is renowned for Broadway productions of Sunset Boulevard, Sweeney Todd, Company, and Sondheim! The Birthday Concert. The show is executive produced by two-time Tony® Award-winning theatre producer Ken Davenport, and regionally produced by Miller McCune.
KISMET’s unique, one weekend only run, comes to The Granada Theatre October 23-24, 2021 for three performances only.
First Annual
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration
Presented by SoCalGas
at the Museum of Ventura County
October 3
The Plaza, Courtyard, Children’s Garden, and Sculpture Garden at the Museum will be free and open to the public, registration is not required. Enjoy live music, drinks, cultural activities, and booths with our other community partners, including the Girl Scouts! Partake in and discover Latino traditions with activities for the whole family.
Class: Still Life in Oil – Essential Skills (Ages 16+)
Four consecutive Saturdays starting Saturday, September 4, 2021, from 11 AM to 2 PM
There are only a few spots left in the four-part Still Life in Oil – Essential Skills course starting Saturday, September 4, at the Santa Paula Art Museum. If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to oil paint, or are looking to improve your skills, this is the perfect class for you! Teaching artist Gabriel Islas will break down the theory and process, and provide you with one-on-one guidance. The cost of the four-part class series is $140. All materials will be provided. Preregistration is required.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L), the Central and South Coasts’ premier cultural arts presenting organization, proudly announces its 2021-2022 season of world-class events. Highlights include two new series, Soul of America and Justice for All; dazzling dance; revered musical superstars; several new commissions; a world premiere; and so much more! Series subscriptions go on sale Wed., Sept. 1 at 10 a.m. and single tickets go on sale the following week on Wed., Sept. 8 at 10 a.m.
Saturday, August 28, 2021, from 4 PM to 6 PM
There are only a few weeks left to enjoy NorCal artist Michelle Jung’s immersive exhibition, Making Waves, and Saturday, August 28, is the perfect time to see it. The artist will be on hand for the exhibit’s closing reception from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission to the event is free for everyone. Meet the artist and spend the evening meditating on the beauty and drama of the Pacific coast. Making Waves is on view now through September 12, 2021.