Category: Events

Teatro de las Américas announces Santa Paula Theater Center Auditions

FRIENDLY VALLEY will play from April 8th-April 24th, 2022 with performances on Friday and Saturday Evenings at 8:00 PM and Sunday Matinees at 2:30 PM. No appointments necessary, cold readings from the script. This is a non- equity production. THERE IS NO PAY. Inquiries about auditions and play may be directed to Elixeo Flores at elixeo@gmail.com.

*All personnel, including actors, must be vaccinated to enter the theater.

Museum of Ventura County — Blast off into February!

This month, celebrate Black History Month by learning about the contributions of African-American scientists and doing your own fun experiments: commemorate one of the first African-American female chemists, Bettye Washington Greene, by making your very own slime. You can make your slime glitter, glow-in-the-dark, foam, or maybe even a combination! Then, test how fast your eyes adjust to different images thanks to the discoveries of ophthalmologist, inventor, and UCLA professor, Dr. Patricia Bath.

Santa Paula Art Museum — You’re Going to LOVE February

Join teaching artist Mariann Romero at SPAM’s Cole Creativity Center for our most heartfelt $5 Craft Nightyet! We’ll supply everything you need to create adorable, stuffed felt hearts. Give them away as valentines, or string them together to make a cute garland decoration! Space is limited and preregistration is required.

Ventura Port District Inks Deal with Aarmark Beer Gardens, Inc. for New Ventura Harbor Village Entertainment & Restaurant Venue

A state-of-the-art family entertainment venue, managed by Aarmark Beer Gardens, Inc., will join the seaside attraction mix at the Ventura Harbor Village with the approval of a multi-year lease on January 19, 2022 by the Ventura Port District Board of Port Commissioners.  The 5,736 square foot venue, with plans to open in 2023 and its official name still to be announced, will specialize in artisan food, top-rated international beers, a legendary wine list, and multitude of entertainment activities. 

Early Bird Registration: CERF Ventura County Forecast Event rescheduled to March 8

The California Lutheran University Center for Economic Research and Forecasting (CERF) Annual Ventura County Economic Forecast will be back in person! This premier networking and forecast event will include an in-depth analysis of the county’s economic performance and an assessment of its economic and demographic future. The program will also include detailed analysis and forecasts for the United States and California economies. Speakers will include: CERF Executive Director, Matthew Fienup and Featured Speaker Danielle DiMartino-Booth. See www.clucerf.org for more details.
 
Early bird ticket price – $75 until March 4th, $95 after March 4th or at event; free with CLU ID. For more information, contact Victoria Young or Ashley Freas at vyoung@callutheran.edu or freas@callutheran.edu.

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — TAC IS BACK

MCASB’s Teen Arts Collective (TAC) is a hands-on program that makes the contemporary art world accessible for Santa Barbara students ages 15-18. Over the course of the program, TAC members develop visual literacy skills, strengthen leadership abilities, and begin cultivating their own creative networks through exposure to practicing artists and arts institutions in the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles areas.

This will be accomplished through:
Meeting with locally and internationally acclaimed leaders in the arts
Field trips to local galleries, artists’ studios, and distinguished regional arts institutions
Workshops and discussions in weekly, after-school meetings
Planning and curating a culminating exhibition of TAC participants’ artwork

New three-year Arnhold A&L Education Initiative fosters education, entertainment and inspiration

The major gift to UCSB Arts & Lectures from UCSB alumnus John and his wife Jody Arnhold will support residencies with world-renowned artists, which in the 2021-2022 season include Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and more

January News from People’s Self-Help Housing

The Day of Service this month, dedicated to volunteering in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, is especially germane for us to acknowledge and celebrate here at People’s Self-Help Housing. Daily, our organization and residents benefit from the numerous and compassionate efforts from volunteers throughout the Central Coast. They include those who serve alongside us at our learning centers, at events, support us in public settings, and serve to guide our governance.
 
You continually inspire and encourage us in your volunteerism, and that same spirit in turn runs through the personal lives of many of our employees. Team members volunteer on other nonprofits boards, support youth groups, and participant in community events. They serve on city councils, planning commissions, local service clubs, as well as in their places of worship. 

Ventura County Arts Council — Employee Art Show Winners, Free Online Trainings, Art in the Community

Greetings! A new year has begun, and though we collectively find ourselves facing new challenges and closures due to the pandemic, there are still many arts opportunities to enjoy in our community. Below you’ll find various events, news, grants and educational resources for artists, arts organizations and arts supporters. We hope you are continuing to make, enjoy and support art!

OPAC receives prestigious Nat’l Endowment for the Arts grant

OPAC has been approved for a $35,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support OPAC Studios, a new initiative that provides a creative space for underserved Oxnard teens, including BIPOC, indigenous, at-promise, and those experiencing homelessness. Under the framework of Creative Youth Development, this program offers ongoing free classes that are well-rounded, in-depth experiences in a variety of visual artistic mediums including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, textile arts, and more. 

The #BettyWhiteChallenge comes to Ventura County Animal Services and NBC4! Jan. 14-16

Betty White was a national treasure. She broke barriers and entertained millions spanning multiple generations. In addition to her illustrious career in entertainment, Betty White was a staunch supporter of animal rights. She was an advocate for the fair treatment of animals both domestic and exotic. Thus, it is only fitting that the #BettyWhiteChallenge focus on support for local animal welfare organizations who care for stray and surrendered animals.

Ventura County Animal Services is a proud participant in this challenge and your $5.00 donation will help us care for the thousands of animals who enter our shelter each year!

Please consider being a part of this movement and donating today at www.vcas.us/donate. In celebration of Betty White’s life and legacy, we are also sponsoring all pet adoption fees from January 14th – 16th.

Teatro de las Américas — Casting Call- High Street Arts Center in Moorpark

The High Street Arts Center in Moorpark
Click Here
is currently looking to cast several roles in their production of
In the Heights
Kevin Rosario – Baritone (to E4) – Late 30’s to early 50’s.
Abuela Claudia – Alto belter (F#3 to C5) In her late 60’s to 70’s, but can be played by a younger actor in 40s-50s and aged up to look older.
Also casting, Men’s dancing ensemble ages 18-30s.

Take To The Great Outdoors With Island Packers Winter Whale Watching & Excursions To the Channel Islands National Park 

Island Packers, the official boat concessionaire to the Channel Islands National Park, has daily departures to the Channel Islands National Park from Ventura Harbor Village and is now offering Winter Whale Watching excursions.  Book your spot today to view these magnificent mammals at www.islandpackers.com. 

A winter Whale Watch is a perfect way to gather with family and friends to view Pacific Gray whales migrating through the Santa Barbara Channel from their feeding grounds in Alaska to their breeding grounds in Baja. Pacific Gray Whales are normally sighted in the National Marine Sanctuary near Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island continues through April 23, 2022. Thismammoth migration of over 20,000 whales and 6,000 miles twice a year remains a major attraction in Southern California. 

Santa Barbara First District Supervisor Das Williams — Volunteer for Point In Time Count, 1/9 Remembrance Event, COVID-19 Info & More

I want to wish you a healthy and happy New Year, and encourage you to live with less worry. I believe that living without worry is not about ignoring dangers, it is about controlling what you can control, taking precautions, but also living your life and not putting energy into what is outside our control.

“If you have a piece of truth, do not hide it like a treasure, but hang it on a shingle for the world to see.”

The Collection offers law enforcement discount at The Annex Food Hall

In honor of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, The Collection at RiverPark is offering Ventura County law enforcement a 20% discount on food and beverages at the Annex Food Hall. This month-long program to recognize and thank law enforcement for their many contributions to the community will begin on Jan. 9 and continue through Feb. 9, 2022.

All law enforcement employees from any police department, sheriff’s office or highway patrol office in Ventura County are invited to take advantage of the discount with proof of employment at any of the participating locations at The Annex.

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — Rosha Yaghmai: Drifters | Final Days

There are only four days remaining to view Rosha Yaghmai: Drifters at MCASB before it’s gone.  Join us for the final days of this exhibition! 

It has been an honor to host Rosha Yaghmai at MCASB and we are so grateful to our community for welcoming this exhibition. Thank you to all who have visited in person; your continued support makes it all possible. Click here to view our hours >>>  

We are looking forward to seeing you at our next exhibition!

Bilingual report — Update: Jan. 4, 2022 — At Home Test Kit Distribution

Good Morning – While supplies last a limited amount of COVID-19 home testing kits will be distributed at no cost by Ventura County Public Health today.

What: Drive through at home Covid-19 testing distribution
Where: Freedom Park, 275 E Pleasant Valley Road, Camarillo 93010 (Enter at Freedom Park Dr past the baseball fields)
When: Tuesday, January 4 from 1-3 pm
*Supplies limited *No cost

There will be NO distribution at Solar Drive in Oxnard. Only for Ventura County residents. Please be prepared to show ID.

Museum of Ventura County — New Year, New Museum Happenings

MVC Insider Season 3
Episode 3: Lucy Hicks Anderson
Friday, January 7, 2022 @ 10am
On Facebook Live

Get to know your local trans icon and trailblazer Lucy Hicks Anderson! Lucy was the first trans woman in history to fight for marriage equality in court, was an award winning baker, and ran a bordello here in Ventura County. That’s just in a nutshell– you won’t want to miss this MVC Insider! Mark your calendars and tune-in on Facebook for the next five Fridays at 10am. Check out all upcoming MVC Insiders here.

Clinicas del Camino Real Inc. celebrates Annual Toy Distribution 2021

As 2021 comes to a close, we look back at the immense challenges we’ve all faced this year. This year has without a doubt been difficult and a little different for everyone. Keeping in mind the patients and their families who put their trust in Clinicas; we recognize that creating joy during the holiday season is just as important as providing quality health care to our community.

Kaiser Permanente makes changes to ‘A Healthier Future’ Rose Parade float participation due to rising COVID-19 positivity rate

Taking into consideration that our Southern California region is experiencing a 26% COVID-19 positivity rate, and Los Angeles County currently has a 17.6% positivity rate and in consultation with our infectious disease experts, we have decided to continue to have our “A Healthier Future” float participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade.?Unfortunately, we will not feature our 20 front-line medical heroes as float riders and “out-walkers.” We must prioritize the health and safety of our front-line medical staff and ensure we are able to treat patients during this recent surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant.  

Jan. 6 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present Art Matters Lecture ‘Buried by Vesuvius: Conserving a Monumental Drunken Satyr Bronze Statue from Herculaneum’

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present Art Matters Lecture
“Buried by Vesuvius: Conserving a Monumental Drunken Satyr Bronze Statue from Herculaneum,” with Erik Risser, Associate Conservator of Antiquities, J. Paul Getty Museum, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022.

In advance of the international loan exhibition Buried by Vesuvius: Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri at the Getty Villa in Los Angeles in 2019, the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Napoli (MANN) generously lent the bronze statue of a Drunken Satyr for study, analysis, and conservation.

CANCELED — Jan. 7 — Channel Islands Maritime Museum announces live Coast Guard Demonstration event

The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) is pleased to announce a US Coast Guard Live Rescue Demonstration on Friday, January 7 at 2:00 pm. The Coast Guard Demonstration will take place on the water in Channel Islands Harbor directly in front of the Maritime Museum which is located at 3900 BlueFin Circle. This outdoor event is free and open to the public. Visitors may also watch the demonstration from the two inside floors of the Museum. However, the purchase of Museum admission is required for those who would like to view the demonstration from inside of the Museum. (Masks are required for those visitors who wish to view the event from inside the Museum).

Jan. 19 — Channel Islands Maritime Museum Speaker Series Welcomes Award-Winning Artist Karen Loew

The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) is proud to host a Coast Guard Art Program (COGAP) presentation featuring award-winning artist Karen Loew at its Speaker Series on January 19, 2022. This evening will also be the opening reception for the Museum’s latest temporary exhibition “Coast Guard Art” in the Museum’s Brenda and Gary Farr Gallery.

Ms. Loew will be illustrating her presentation with images of selected works from the COGAP Collection. As chair of the Coast Guard Art Program, Ms. Loew has traveled across the globe to document activities of the Coast Guard and display her work. A recipient of the Coast Guard Distinguished Public Service Award, the highest recognition given to those who have made outstanding contributions in advancing the Coast Guard’s missions, Ms. Loew has had thirty paintings accepted into the Coast Guard Art Program Collection. Ms. Loew as an artist has received COGAP’s top honor, the George Gary Award for Artistic Excellence, for her work “Harbor Rendezvous” (shown below).

Jan. 20 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative Journalist Andrea Elliott on ‘Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City’ (Rescheduled to March 9)

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott on Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City, Wednesday, March 9 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. The presentation is part of the Justice For All series, featured in the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Andrea Elliott puts a human face to topics ranging from child poverty to Muslim life in the U.S. Her recent five-part series,Invisible Child, examined homelessness through the lens of an 11-year-old Brooklyn girl. The series won a George Polk Award, helped reignite a conversation about the dire state of poverty in America and inspired a bestselling book of the same name. Previously, Elliott’s coverage of Islam in America broke new ground in the study of radicalization and earned her a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.

Jan. 23 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Parallel Stories Controlling the Narrative: Both/And

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present “Parallel Stories Controlling the Narrative: Both/And” at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 23.

In a conversation and reading, Emily Rapp Black, award-winning author of Poster Child: A Memoir and The Still Point of the Turning World, a New York Times bestseller, explores art and disability in her most recent book Frida Kahlo and My Left Leg. With elegance, tenderness, and zero sentimentality, she deconstructs the mythologies of words like bravery and resilience and recognizes in Kahlo a twin at the art of creating to silence pain. Joining her is colleague Alex Espinoza, Tomás Rivera Endowed Chair of Creative Writing at UC Riverside and author of novels Still Water Saints and The Five Acts of Diego Léon, and the recent nonfiction book Cruising: An Intimate History of a Radical Pastime.

Jan. 26 — ‘Coffee With A Black Guy’ presents ‘Processing Loss: A conversation on mental health and the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 deaths on BIPOC communities’

“Coffee With A Black Guy” presents “Processing Loss: A conversation on mental health and the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 deaths on BIPOC communities” via Zoom at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26.

CWABG founder James Joyce III, will be joined in conversation by Michael Cruse, Bereavement Services Manager for Hospice of Santa Barbara who will offer a “Human” perspective and the role of “Culture” on the subject of bereavement and mourning.  That couple with the impacts of several highly visible cultural losses and the processing of loss throughout our history – think Strange Fruit, provides context for an engaging and enlightening conversation about processing loss and grief. 

Jan. 27 — Santa Paula Art Museum — Clubs, Classes, and Collabs!

Premiere Party: En Plein Air: An Exploration of Malibu and Ventura County

Presented by California Art Club

Saturday, January 15, 2022, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Free admission

An exhibition of plein air scenes from Malibu and Ventura County by 32 artist members of the famed, century-old California Art Club. All of the artworks are for sale. En Plein Air will be on view through May 8, 2022.

Jan. 30 — Central Coast photographer Nic Stover to lead January workshop focusing on image review at the Wildling Museum

The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce an upcoming workshop with Central Coast photographer Nic Stover on Sunday, January 30, 2021, 2 – 4:30 p.m. Stover will lead a photography critique and image review session designed for photographers of all skill levels looking to improve their editing skills and take their work to the next level.

“In this session, class participants will see how the most impactful and compelling images are the those that have the proper balance of technique, vision, and processing,” says Nic Stover. “All of these skills need to be developed and continually refined through our own artistic and creative processes.”