Andrea Vargas in Studio. Courtesy photo.
Premiere Reception: Saturday, May 13, 2023, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Exhibition on view from May 13, 2023, to Sept. 10, 2023
SANTA PAULA — 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.
Andrea Vargas is something of a traveling artist. Born and raised in California, Vargas has spent the last ten years living and working in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but family ties often draw her back to Ventura County. Her travels have afforded her plenty of opportunity to study and paint the Western landscape, from the New Mexico desert to the California coast, but there is one place she treasures the most. “Santa Paula,” Vargas says, “is the foundation of my inspiration.”
Roberto Vargas, Andrea’s father, grew up on 12th Street in Santa Paula. As a child, Roberto’s uncles would tell him stories about Santa Paula’s South Mountain. The mountain, they said, was a sleeping princess protecting the valley. Andrea now shares her father’s lifelong reverence for the local landscape, and South Mountain is the main subject in several paintings in Vargas’ upcoming exhibition. There’s also her “Ode to Douglas,” a beautifully rendered oak tree in the style of historic Santa Paula painter Douglas Shively (1896-1991).
The exhibit is punctuated by an expressionistic series of painted wildflowers and California poppies that Andrea was grateful to see emerge from the ashes of the 2017 Thomas Fire. (Her parents’ home near Ventura’s Arroyo Verde Park narrowly survived the fire.) “‘On the Ranch’ honors home,” says Vargas. “It’s about bearing witness to nature and the elements, and acknowledging the sublime in our own backyard.”
More About Andrea Vargas:
Since receiving her BA (pre-law) from UC Berkeley, Andrea Vargas has enjoyed a successful career as a full-time artist. She is represented by King Galleries in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Scottsdale, Arizona. Her exhibition history includes the Santa Paula Art Museum; Oakland Museum of California; and Ontario Museum of History and Art. Andrea’s work is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Ventura County.
Website: www.andreavargasfineart.com
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 students and museum members.