Courtesy photo.
VENTURA — The Museum of Ventura County will host an opening reception from 2 – 4 p.m., Sept. 29, for the pop-up exhibit, Joe Cardella and ARTLIFE Magazine, celebrating the life of Ventura artist and publisher Joe Cardella. Joe Cardella and ARTLIFE Magazine presents a retrospective of Cardella’s life as an artist, sculptor and carver, as well as his role as publisher of ARTLIFE Limited Editions, the internationally recognized fine art publication he produced by hand from 1981 to 2006. Cardella, an integral part of Ventura’s arts community, recently passed away from cancer.
Immediately following the opening, ARTLIFE magazine contributors will come together from 4 – 7 p.m. to honor Cardella’s legacy in shared poetry as published in the periodical between 1981-2006. The reading will be hosted by Friday Gretchen and Ventura County Poet Laureate Phil Taggart, who was also a contributor and collaborating editor for ARTLIFE Magazine.
Born in 1945 in New Britain, Connecticut, Cardella spent an early stint in the U. S. Navy that took him to Greece and Mykonos and made a lasting impression. He eventually made the southern California coast his home to evoke that idyllic sun-lit ocean place of myth, art and creative energy. Settling in Ventura in 1988, Cardella helped transform the local art scene into an innovative community, inspiring local artists and helping to form the Ventura Artist Union. Most prominently, Cardella published ARTLIFE 11 times a year, assembling by hand collages, photographs, drawings and poetry from artists around the world. While ARTLIFE shines as Cardella’s great legacy, his own art, and that which he collected throughout his 72 years, also contributed a diverse array of creative ideas to the art community.
Both events take place in the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.venturamuseum.org.
About the Museum: The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. The museum has two locations. The main museum is located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 and is open Tuesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., 805-653-0323. The Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, CA 93060 and is open Wednesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., 805-525-3100. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org