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Santa Paula Art Museum — Inbox Art Exhibit: Andrea Vargas’ ‘On the Ranch’ on view through Sept. 10

by Community Contributor • September 8, 2023 • Comments Off

“Libertad (Liberty)” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Acrylic on wood, 8 x 8 inches, Available for purchase.

Andrea Vargas:

On the Ranch

On view now through Sunday, September 10

“On the Ranch” is a joyful solo exhibition by Santa Fe artist (and longtime Ventura County resident) Andrea Vargas. Featuring 40 mixed media paintings and drawings, the exhibit honors the places at the heart of Vargas’ life and art: the ranches and valley of Santa Paula, and the open spaces near Ventura’s Arroyo Verde Park where her parents’ home survived the Thomas Fire in 2017.

While we highly recommend experiencing Andrea’s art in person, we hope you enjoy this abbreviated look at her exhibit in your inbox!

After achieving her BA (pre-law) from UC Berkeley, Vargas pivoted to a successful career as a full-time artist. She is currently 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.

Watch our video interview with Andrea:

“The theme for this show is ‘On the Ranch,’ and it’s special for me because it gave me the chance to come back home and be in the places that I’ve always loved.”

– Andrea Vargas

“Valor, Amor, Compasión (Courage, Love, Compassion)” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Oil on canvas, 40 x 28 inches, Available for purchase.

“Nueva Vida (New Life)” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Mixed media

on paper, 11 x 9 inches, Available for purchase.

“Arroyo Verde (Plein Air)” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Mixed media on canvas, 10 x 20 inches, Available for purchase.

The Santa Paula Connection

“Family Stays Together” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Oil on canvas, 10 x 20 inches, Available for purchase.

Andrea’s father, Roberto, grew up on 12th Street in Santa Paula, not far from where the Santa Paula Art Museum now stands on 10th Street. For Andrea, Santa Paula has always been a font of inspiration thanks to its natural beauty and its historic artists like Jessie Arms Botke (1873-1971) and Douglas Shively (1896-1991). The mid-century painters’ impressionistic portrayals of the Santa Clara River Valley continue to inspire Vargas’ handling of paint and subject matter.

“Passing Clouds (Santa Paula)” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Oil on canvas, 12 x 36 inches, Available for purchase.

“From the Ashes #1” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Pastel on paper, 32 x 20 inches, Available for purchase.

“S.H.” by Andrea Vargas, 2023, Mixed media on canvas,

24 x 18 inches, Available for purchase.

“I’m grateful that mentors in my life encouraged me to stay faithful to what was a very natural and passionate purpose in my life, which was to paint and to draw.”

– Andrea Vargas

“Roberto’s Apples #1” by

Andrea Vargas, 2023, Oil on canvas,

20 x 10 inches, Available for

purchase.

“Roberto’s Apples #2” by

Andrea Vargas, 2023, Oil on canvas,

20 x 10 inches, Available for

purchase.

“Roberto’s Apples #3” by

Andrea Vargas, 2023, Oil on canvas,

20 x 10 inches, Available for

purchase.

We marked the final days of Andrea’s exhibition with a gallery talk led by her father, Dr. Roberto Vargas, a longtime leadership coach for community advocacy and service organizations. Last weekend, Roberto and Andrea discussed the significance of Andrea’s art as porvida art, or art that extols life, love, and positive joy. The pair concluded their talk with this piece of counsel: “Allow yourself to connect with what inspires you, ask why it inspires you, and then lean into it.”