Peak Summer by Anne Ward. Courtesy image.
Premiere Reception: Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Exhibition on view from March 15, 2025, to July 6, 2025
SANTA PAULA — The Santa Paula Art Museum will mark the start of spring with the premiere of “Painted Seasons,” a stunning solo exhibition by Ojai artist Anne Ward. The exhibit will open with a premiere party on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Admission to the premiere event is $5.00 for SPAM members and $10.00 for non-members. “Painted Seasons” will be on view from March 15, 2025, to July 6, 2025.
Anne Ward is obsessed with the intersection of light, color, and pattern. Her garden is her favorite subject, and, like it, Ward’s paintings are teeming with energy and joy. Amidst the noise of modern life, she finds inspiration and reassurance in the seasons: of the year, of the day, of her life. “By slowing down to observe the ordinary things in our lives, we soon discover there are extraordinary things all around us always,” she says. It’s these extraordinary, ordinary moments that fill Ward’s paintings with a resounding sense of calm, hope, and optimism. The upcoming exhibit features over 50 paintings executed in oil, acrylic, and gouache. The majority of the artworks will be available for purchase.
Anne Ward grew up in the Westchester neighborhood of Los Angeles and studied at UCLA. It was while working in France as assistant to the director on the film “French Kiss” that Anne realized her love of painting outdoors. Primarily self-taught, she has been painting and exhibiting her work for over 30 years. Ward is a Signature Member of California Art Club and an Artist Member of Oil Painters of America. Her paintings reside in many private collections. She lives and paints in Ojai with her husband, writer/painter Ian Roberts.
About the Santa Paula Art Museum:
The Santa Paula Art Museum occupies two historic buildings located at 117 N 10th Street and 123 N 10th Street in downtown Santa Paula. The Museum features rotating exhibitions of historic and contemporary art, art classes for children and adults, creative community events, a well-curated gift shop, and more. Regular museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Regular admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, and free for kids, students, and SPAM members.