Museum of Ventura County update for June 11

Join us tomorrow June 12 at 1 p.m. at the Museum of Ventura County for an entertaining and insightful afternoon with award-winning comicartist Sergio Aragonés as speaker for this month’s Speaking of VenturaSeries.

An Ojai resident, Aragonés is said to be the fastest cartoonist in the world today, and is certainly one of the most honored, having won every major award in the field, including the National Cartoonists Society’s Reuben Award, and the Will Eisner Hall of Fame Award.

Educated at the University of Mexico, studying architecture, his heart was always in cartooning, a craft he discovered in the third grade.

In 1962, he arrived in New York with only twenty dollars and a folder bulging with his cartoon work. His first contribution — “A Mad Look at the U.S. Space Effort” — appeared in Mad #76, in January 1963. He has been creating and working even since, appearing in every issue of Mad except for one, and co-producing, with wordsmith Mark Evanier, an acclaimed series of works that “trashes famous characters.” Admission is free for members, $5 for nonmembers.

Grab lunch and head over to the Museum, every Thursday between 11:30 and 1:30, for music and free entry to the galleries. Enjoy your lunch break in one of our colorful patio chairs while you listen to local musicians, then take a stroll through the museum’s rotating exhibits. This week’s artist is John Bardi. Entry is free. Feel free to tip the musicians!

The Museum of Ventura County is proud to present the U.S. premiere for the exhibit of prominent Cuban artist and educator Pedro González Pulido. This exhibit was first presented in Havana in December 2016, during musician Rachel Flower’sunforgettable 10-day journey to the Havana International Jazz Festival.

In 1997 Pulido was Artist–in-Residence at Ventura’s Art City Studios. He returned to Ventura in 2015 as a Featured Artist at the 2015 Art Walk. A longtime friend of Ventura filmmakerLorenzo DeStefano, Pedro became aware of Lorenzo’s work on “Hearing is Believing”, the feature documentary film about Rachel Flowers. After seeing a Spanish-subtitled version (“Oir es Creer”), Pulido was so inspired by Rachel’s story and her music he created this series of acrylic portraits.

The exhibit is on display in the Museum’s Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion, Tuesdays through Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. through June 24.

The Ventura Music Festival and the Museum of Ventura Countypresent Leonard Bernstein at 100, a tribute to an artist whose impact has transcended genres and generations, Sunday, June 24, in the Museum’s Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion.

Nuvi Mehta – the Janet & Mark L. Goldenson Artistic Director – is known for his informative and entertaining presentations on important composers. This presentation will celebrate the life of Leonard Bernstein, a great American composer, conductor, pianist and humanitarian during this, his centenary year. The reception starts at 3 p.m., with the program beginning at 4 p.m.

The cost is $20 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at www.venturamusicfestival.org. For more information, call 805-648-3146.

With two locations, the Museum of Ventura County serves as the region’s cultural center for the exploration and presentation of history and art.

Appreciation Weekends