All skill levels are welcome in classes at SPAM’s Cole Creativity Center, and all art supplies are provided in every class! Current SPAM members receive 10% off all classes: just use the discount code MEMBER during checkout.
Moorpark College, Oxnard College, Ventura College and Ventura College East Campus are holding free Cash 4 College workshops to help students apply for funds to help with college costs. Funds can be used for tuition, books, housing, transportation, childcare, computers and more.
In-person workshops are scheduled for Feb. 11 and 25. The workshops are free and open to the community; anyone may attend a workshop on either date and can drop in at any time during the events.
Vital issues surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion in Ventura County public schools are the focus of the third annual Ventura County Office of Education Equity Conference, which will be held in person for the first time. The conference will feature a wide variety of workshops on increasing opportunities and removing obstacles for students from marginalized communities.
“This year’s conference takes on added significance following the COVID-19 pandemic, which amplified existing inequities and challenges faced by many of our students,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “It’s more important than ever for schools, families, and the community to find solutions to longstanding issues that create barriers to success for too many kids.”
The Atkinson Gallery at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) is pleased to present an artist talk with alumnus Alberto Lule. Lule is the recipient of the LUM Art Prize (Issue 6), presented by LUM Art Magazine with the support of the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation. We are pleased to co-present this program with both organizations.
Lule began making art while serving a thirteen-year sentence in a California prison. He uses readymades and mixed media installations to examine and critique mass incarceration and the prison industrial complex in the United States, particularly the California prison system. Starting from his origins as a graffiti artist and writer, Lule draws on his own experiences in prison to create artworks that explore institutional roles of gatekeepers of knowledge, authorities of culture, and administrators of discipline and punishment.
“Art made the prison walls disappear, allowing me to overcome not only the prison I was physically in but also the mental prison I had placed myself in before my sentence,” said Lule. “By focusing on how institutional systems operate, I have come to notice the similarities between all institutions, from institutions of higher learning to correctional institutions. These similarities can be exposed and learned from, not only from a scientific point of view, but even more thoroughly through art.”
Addendum:
Due to the campus closure from Tuesday’s storm activity, our Superintendent/President candidate forums were rescheduled. See the revised version of the article “College announces selection of 3 finalists for position of Superintendent/President,” for a link with updated dates and times of the forums.
Read how to participate in the candidate forums (rescheduled due to the campus closure on Tuesday, March 14) – before, during and after the March 15 and 16 sessions, here.
The parody “Puffs or Seven Increasingly Eventful Years at a Certain School of Magic and Magic” was chosen for the CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) spring production because the Performing Arts program currently includes several students with a gift for making people laugh.
“We have some student actors with amazing comedy chops and wanted to give them a play where they would get a chance to shine,” said Performing Arts Lecturer Laura Covault, who teaches theater. “This play is fast-paced and hilarious.”
Performances start at 8 p.m. on March 10 and at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. on March 11 in Malibu Hall Room 140.
Girls Inc. of Carpinteria invites the community to its Women of Inspiration event on Monday, April 3 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm at the nonprofit’s campus at 5315 Foothill Road, which will feature an all-new format this year, the organization announced today. Held as a luncheon in previous years, the highly anticipated event will feature a half-day retreat and networking lunch designed to honor and empower a stronger, smarter, and bolder community.
Internationally-touring comedian, actress, author and creativity coach Katie Goodman will serve as this year’s keynote speaker. Ms. Goodman’s work in comedy has amassed over 3 million online views. She can be seen on Showtime, Impractical Jokers, and more often than she would admit, in line getting a mocha latte with extra, extra whipped cream. Ms. Goodman literally wrote the book on using improv comedy to improve your life.
Siblings Mary Alice and Minnie Lee Relf were 12 and 14 years old respectively when they were taken to a hospital in downtown Montgomery, Alabama, one summer day in 1973 and sterilized against their will.
It was part of a nationwide program to diminish poverty and it happened over and over again to poor women and girls of color all over the country until the Southern Poverty Law Center filed class-action lawsuit on behalf of the Relf sisters, bringing this government-sponsored abuse into the spotlight.
The work of fiction that New York Times bestselling author Dolen Perkins-Valdez based on this horrifying chapter in American history is this year’s choice for the CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Campus Reading Celebration.
Oxnard and Ventura colleges in partnership with the Ventura County Community Foundation, Ventura College Foundation, and other sponsors are proud to announce the 8th annual Diversity in Culture Festival, which will take place April 12-13. The festival is dedicated to promoting diversity, health, and wellness in the community and honoring civil rights advances.
The festival planning committee found inspiration for this year’s theme after realizing their own wellness had been neglected in the post-pandemic world. The festival activities will focus on encouraging the community to refocus and reclaim their health through diverse cultural lenses.
Dancers conveying the stories and identities of Mexican Americans through a combination of ballet and folklorico will present a free public performance in Oxnard and a master class for CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) and Oxnard College students.
Ballet Nepantla will perform “Valentina” on Thursday, April 13, at 6 p.m. in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Building (PAB). The master class for Dance Studies majors at CSUCI and Oxnard College students will be held the morning of April 13 at the University in Camarillo.
“Too often, art produced and performed by people of color is invisible, and the opportunity to offer this folklorico ballet performance to the community pushes back against that trend,” said CSUCI Vice Provost Jessica Lavariega Monforti.
There’s always something exciting, engaging, and new to discover and experience. Join costumed docents and staff for an opportunity to observe and participate in the craft activities that supplied the needs of the mission residents on April 15, 2023 from 11 AM…
CAMARILLO — Thirty girls will learn what it’s like to be a firefighter during the Ventura County Fire Department’s Girls Fire Camp April 15 and 16.
Reporters and photographers are invited to cover the event at the fire department’s Regional Training Center adjacent to the Camarillo Airport. Camp runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.
The camp is led and taught by female firefighters from VCFD and fire departments across the West Coast. The youth empowerment program is designed to showcase firefighting, and help them become “Girls with Grit” whether they pursue a firefighting career or not.
Ventura Charter School is pleased to once again present Earth Day EcoFest, a celebration of our planet for the community of Ventura. After a three-year hiatus, this family-friendly FREE event welcomes the community to enjoy live performances, exhibitions, food trucks, an electric vehicle expo, and more. Earth Day EcoFest will take place on Sunday April 16th, 2023, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Ventura Charter School campus, 2060 Cameron St., Ventura.
WEspeak is our annual presentation of OC students telling their own stories in their own words – live on stage! Discover what it means to meet life’s challenges, embrace who you are, and find your path forward.
Many teens have experienced the death of a loved one. This is a difficult time for anyone grieving a loss. Livingston’s Grief and Bereavement Program is providing a free support group for teens through April 20th on Thursdays 6 – 7 pm. For reservations contact 805-389-6870 or online at lmvna.org/grief. Space is limited.
This Spring, support People’s Self-Help Housing at their signature fundraiser – The Builder Games!
Cheer on teams building playhouses, as they race against the clock and face fun challenges. See who becomes this year’s ‘Builder Games Champion’, while enjoying gourmet food, fine wine, craft beer, and live music.
Five choruses totaling more than 100 singers will perform together April 22 and 23 in CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI)’s Choral Spectacular 2023.
The CSU Channel Islands University Chorus will be joined by the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus, Santa Paula High School Cardinal Concert Choir, Ventura High School Chorale and Rancho Campana High School Concert Choir as they sing a variety of musical pieces in several languages. The performance will also feature the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra (CHICO).
Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) will host its first annual Plantopia U Pick Transplant Fundraiser to celebrate Earth Day. The event, held on Earth Day, April 22, will raise funds to support SEEAG’s agricultural education programs where students learn about the farm origins of their food, water resources, soil health, entomology and locally grown fruits and vegetables.
ARTEMIS is an international ensemble of modern jazz masters named for the ancient Greek goddess of the hunt. Founded in 2017 under the banner of International Women’s Day, it made a memorable splash at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival, followed by a debut recording on Blue Note in 2020. Each member is a composer and bandleader in their own right, and the collective’s repertoire draws from new compositions written expressly for them, to classics by Lee Morgan, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Ada Limón on Tuesday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. For Ada Limón, poetry is elemental, necessary and deeply human. Known for “clear storytelling, vivid visuals, and a final turn that snaps you like a twig” (Guernica Magazine), Limón is the author of six books of poetry. The Carrying won the National Book Critics Circle Award. Bright Dead Thingswas nominated for the National Book Award. Her newest book of poetry, The Hurting Kind, was named one of The New York Times’ 100 Notable Books of 2022. The first woman of Mexican ancestry to be named U.S. poet laureate, Limón views identity – and poetry – as an avenue to greater possibilities.
It’s the roaring 20s and gender norms have started to shift. Four young women celebrate their new-found freedoms as employees of the Radium Dial Company, decorating watches and clockfaces with a new invention, glow-in-the-dark paint. As decades pass and a toxic truth begins to emerge, the women struggle to hold the company accountable for stealing their health by valuing profit over safety. Based on the true story of the Radium Girls, Melanie Marnich’s “These Shining Lives” illuminates the spirits of these ordinary women whose courageous battle for social justice continues to resonate in the laws that protect today’s worker.
The Southeast Ventura County YMCA is holding “Healthy Kids’ Day,” a free community event to inspire kids to keep their minds and bodies active during the summer. The Yarrow Family YMCA Healthy Kids’ Day in Westlake Village is Saturday, April 29 from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center celebrates its 55th anniversary this Spring! The Center’s nonprofit arm, the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC), is kickstarting the festivities with a Casino Night on Saturday, April 29 to raise funds for its community programs which provide 5,000 low-income students with free access to art and music education.
The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) will be presenting its latest exhibition, The Oxnard Union High School District Student Art Show, in its Brenda and Gary Farr Gallery through April 30.
Art is a strong, unifying element within the community and students will be showcasing their talents in a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional mediums.
“We are proud to host a show where students can share their creative expressions and lived experiences,” said CIMM’s Collections and Exhibitions Manager Olivia Williamson. “We invite you to come and witness the next generation of great artists.”
Cal Lutheran’s New Venture Fair (NVF) is back in person! The NVF 2023 showcases over 70 student-led startup projects, including those from Cal Lutheran’s undergraduate, graduate, and Executive MBA in Europe programs, in addition to high school teams from Bakersfield Christian High School, Newbury Park High School, Oaks Christian School, Thousand Oaks High School, and a middle school team from OCS.
The NVF is an expo-style event where each team furnishes its booth and demos its product. The community is invited to circulate the room, meet the teams, learn about their startup ideas, and vote for their favorites. Awards will be presented at the end of the evening.
Founder of Safe Passage Youth Foundation Tim Hagel is the keynote speaker at the Southeast Ventura County YMCA’s National Day of Prayer Breakfast, Thursday, May 4 at California Lutheran University’s Gilbert Sports Center in Thousand Oaks.
“Tim’s roots are deep in the Conejo Valley and he’s been an inspiration to the community for years,” says Ronnie Stone, Southeast Ventura County YMCA President/CEO. Hagel is the former Police Chief Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and is on the board of many community non-profits.
The Social Justice Fund invites you to join us on May 6th to learn more about the work of one of our Fellows, Brenda Heredia, and the movement for promoting health equity in Nyeland Acres!
Please click here to find more details and RSVP. We look forward to seeing you there!
As our SJFVC Fellows progress through their projects, the SJFVC wants to highlight the thoughtful and compassionate leadership displayed by these wonderful individuals. They demonstrate a form of leadership that prioritizes the voices and needs of the communities they work alongside. Thanks to supporters like you, our Fellows have the ability to address particular forms of inequity and deepen their support of their communities.
Santa Barbara City College (SBCC), in partnership with the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SB Unified), announces a special, invitation-only ceremony honoring and celebrating the promotion, culmination, graduation and transfer of Black students in south Santa Barbara county, from transitional kindergarten through City College.
The ceremony, hosted by the SBCC Umoja Community, is scheduled for Saturday, May 6, 1-3 p.m. at the Fe’ Bland Forum on SBCC’s West Campus. Graduating Black scholars in the Santa Barbara community will be honored by VIP guests including family members, administrators from local elementary, junior high and high schools, as well as administrators from the Santa Barbara and Goleta Union School Districts. SBCC Board members and selected local officials are also invited.
Studio Channel Islands Art Center (SCIART) presents a night of magic with Shawn McMaster. Shawn’s unequaled blend of sophisticated magic and hilarious comedy has made him a highly sought-after act all over the world.
After a three-year pause, the Cottage Mental Health Fair is back in person. The purpose of the fair is to provide information about mental illness, substance use disorders and services in the community.
This year’s fair will be held at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital on Saturday, May 6, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
The event will feature 15-20 community nonprofit agencies covering topics ranging from mental health and wellness, substance use disorders, community resources, wellness and recovery.
Oxnard College will host its second annual Family Festival on Sunday, May 7, 2023 from 12-4 p.m. This family-friendly event is free and open to the community; it will take place in front of the college’s Performing Arts Building and in tandem with the Oxnard College Foundation’s weekly Community Market.
“We’re proud to continue growing this tradition here in Oxnard,” shared Dr. Oscar Cobian, interim president of Oxnard College. “Our annual festival invites friends of Oxnard College to visit our beautiful campus for a day of fun and to learn about our award-winning programs. We hope young children attending the event will also begin thinking about their dreams and goals for attending college.”
The Art Department at Santa Barbara City College is pleased to present the 2023 Annual Student Exhibition. The exhibit includes the full range of media taught in the department including 2D design, 3D design, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics.
On Friday, May 12, Ventura College Chamber Music (Ashley Walters, Director) presents its talented chamber music students in organically-formed ensembles collaborating to perform highly varied repertoire spanning the classical era to present day. The program for this concert features music by composers including Clara Schumann, Henri Duparc and Francis Poulenc. One performance only!
On Saturday May, 13th the Ventura College Jazz Band pays tribute to legendary American saxophonist Wayne Shorter at 6pm in the Helen Yunker Auditorium. This concert will feature special guest artist tenor saxophonist Randal Fisher. One performance only!
Join Family Service Agency (FSA) of Santa Barbara County, as it turns compassion into action at its spring fundraiser, Dreams in Bloom. The event takes place on May 13, from 5-8 p.m. at the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club at Rockwood. Proceeds benefit the children, families, and seniors served by FSA—which includes Santa Maria Valley Youth & Family Center and Guadalupe’s Little House by the Park.
Dreams in Bloom celebrates the resilience and growth of the 28,000 people served by the nonprofit each year. The event features a cocktail hour, music, dinner, auction, and flowers galore! Last year, FSA’s spring fundraiser raised over $150,000 to support the agency’s provision of basic needs assistance, family support, and mental health counseling programs countywide.
This mother’s day join Ventura College Instrumental Ensembles for a very special concert. The Symphony & Chamber Orchestras will perform music including Tchaikovsky’s Serenade for Strings; Copland’s Rodeo, plus music by Duke Ellington. VC is proud to present Juan Pablo Conteras’s Mariachitlán. The composer has been working with VC’s student musicians on this piece and plans to join us for the concert.
After a three-year hiatus due to challenges brought on by the pandemic, the 37thAnnual California Strawberry Festival will take place Saturday and Sunday, May 20-21. For the first time, the event will be held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds (10 W. Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001). Festivalgoers can indulge in strawberry treats from over 50 food and beverage booths. The festival features artists and crafters, a Ninja Nation obstacle course, live entertainment on two stages, Strawberryland for kids and “build-your-own” strawberry shortcake.
The Wildling Museum is pleased to announce that tickets are on sale now for the 2023 Wilderness Spirit Brunch, taking place Sunday, May 21st at Craft House at Corque in Solvang. This year’s Wilderness Spirit Award recipients are Beth Pratt and cougar P-22.
VIP ticket holders will enjoy a pre-reception mixer with Pratt before savoring a delicious brunch buffet, complete with a Bloody Mary and mimosa bar. Attendees will also enjoy a spirited live auction supporting the Wildling Museum with opportunities to bid on getaways, including a once-in-a-lifetime Alaskan cruise, Santa Ynez Valley experiences, one-of-a-kind artworks, and more.
UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents a conversation with Jonathan Greenblatt on Monday, May 22 at 7:30 p.m. at Campbell Hall. As the chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League, the world’s leading anti-hate organization, Jonathan Greenblatt has created innovative approaches to carry out what has been ADL’s mission since its founding in 1913: to fight the defamation of the Jewish people, and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. His recent book, It Could Happen Here, warns that hate and systemic violence are gathering momentum in the U.S. Drawing on ADL’s decades of experience in fighting hate through investigative research, education programs and legislative victories, as well as his own personal story and his background in business and government, Greenblatt offers a bracing primer on how we can strike back against hate.
