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Spring Fever at the Museum of Ventura County!

by Community Contributor • April 16, 2025 • Comments Off

Title: Santa Susana Pass

Identifier: 14071- From the MVC Research Library Digitized Photographs

UPCOMING MVC EVENTS

Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal with Paul Harris

Thursday, April 17

6:30 pm – 8:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Enjoy a captivating evening featuring legendary photographer Paul Harris, interviewed by Ivor Davis. Doors open at 6 PM for refreshments.

From presidents to movie stars, rock legends to eccentric geniuses, Paul has been behind the lens for history-making moments. Now, he’s ready to share the fascinating inside stories behind his photographs.

Tickets are on sale: free for members, $10 non-members, $5 non-member Zoom. For more information and to purchase tickets to this event, click HERE.

Play Date in the Garden

Friday, April 18

2:00 pm – 4:00 pm

@Agriculture Museum

926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula

Join us for a special Play Date in the Garden featuring Chumash Elder Ernestine Ygnacio-DeSoto reading her enchanting children’s book, The Sugar Bear Story. This free outdoor program also includes more storytelling adventures with the Ventura County Mobile Library. Designed for young children, the event blends cultural connection, nature, and fun! Families can enjoy a lively morning of reading and exploration in a beautiful garden setting. Registration is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome. Don’t miss this opportunity for your kids to engage with stories and nature in a memorable way. Free registration requested HERE.

Poetry in the Gallery – SOLD OUT

Wednesday, April 16

6:00 pm – 8:30 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main St., Ventura

Celebrate the power of poetry and art with six distinguished Ventura County poets: Mary Kay Rummel, Phil Taggart, Luzmaria Espinosa, Mary Ann McFadden, Marsha de la O, and Sean Colletti. Each poet will present original works inspired by the exhibition What is Beauty? Rethinking Women’s Portraiture in Art. Their readings will offer unique perspectives and creative interpretations of the artwork on display.

The program includes an hour of poetry, followed by a reception where guests can engage with the poets and continue the conversation. For free registration, click HERE.

Opening Reception – Picturing the Past, How Photography Tells Our Stories AND Moments of Rest: A Visual Sanctuary

Saturday, June 7

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

@Museum of Ventura County

100 E. Main Street., Ventura

Join us for a historic evening celebrating the opening of two powerful new exhibitions at the Museum of Ventura County.

Picturing the Past, How Photography Tells Our Stories invites you to reflect on how we come to understand history. Photographs are among the many tools we use to piece together the past—capturing faces, places, and fleeting moments. But do they tell the whole story? This exhibition explores the evolving, interwoven nature of historical narratives and the role of photography in shaping what we remember.

Moments of Rest: A Visual Sanctuary offers a gentle counterbalance—an invitation to slow down. Featuring landscape paintings from the Museum’s permanent collection, this serene exhibition creates space for stillness and reflection. Let golden light, ocean waves, and imagined horizons help you pause, breathe, and recharge.

Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, a cash bar, and live folk music as you explore the galleries. Mingle with fellow art and history lovers and be among the first to experience these meaningful exhibitions. Free and open to the public. RSVP encouraged HERE.

MVC NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Opening June 7 – Picturing the Past: How Photography Tells Our Stories

How do we truly know what happened in the past? History is a collection of stories—interwoven, evolving, and shaped by the evidence left behind. Photographs are one of the many tools that help us understand the past, capturing faces, places, and moments frozen in time. But do they always tell the full story?

This engaging exhibition explores the power of photography to record our history. Through images, artifacts, and interactive displays, visitors will discover how historians use photographs to uncover hidden narratives, challenge assumptions, and bring history to life. Join us in exploring the early history of photography in Ventura County, how photos shape our understanding of the past, and how the photos we take today tell tomorrow’s story. More information HERE!

Opening June 7 – Moments of Rest: A Visual Sanctuary

Rest is not a luxury—it is essential. In a world that glorifies busyness, art offers a space for stillness and reflection.

This serene exhibition invites you to slow down and experience rest through landscape paintings from the Museum of Ventura County’s permanent collection. Let the calming ocean waves, the golden valley light, and the dreamy haze of imagined horizons create a moment of peace.

Take a breath. Absorb the beauty. Allow yourself to simply be.?Moments of Rest?is your invitation to pause, reflect, and recharge. More information HERE!

EXCLUSIVE ONLINE CONTENT

WATCH

As we prepare to welcome Ivor Davis back to MVC, take a look back at some of his past interviews and stories. Don’t miss the exciting debut discussion between Ivor and Paul Harris on April 17!

Get your tickets to the upcoming event HERE.

READ BLOG

Check out the latest MVC Then blog, Ventura County’s Brush with the Tail of the Comet by Library Docent Volunteer, Andy Ludlum.

“Even after 76 years, John Doughty’s memories as an 8-year-old in 1910 were as clear as if it were yesterday.”

Explore the local legacy of Halley’s Comet on the MVC THEN Blog.

INSTAGRAM

Engage with MVC on Instagram, where you will find our latest news, recaps, incredible artifacts, reels, historical photos, and art from our collections! Visit our Instagram HERE.

Want to follow along on other social media platforms? Check out @museumofventuracounty on FB, TikTok, YouTube, and X.

Exhibitions

MUSEUM OF VENTURA COUNTY

What is Beauty? Rethinking Women’s Portraiture in Art

What is Beauty? invites us to explore diverse perspectives on beauty through fourteen portraits by Ventura County artists from the Museum’s permanent collection. Spanning works created between 1939 and 2011, this exhibition showcases a range of styles—from vibrant realism to minimalist simplicity—challenging traditional standards shaped by art, media, and society.

Artists featured in the exhibition: Carlisle Cooper / Hiroko Yoshimoto / Johanna Spinks / John Nava / John Nichols – featured in exhibition logo / Kitty Botke / Lis Schwitters / Michael Ward / Neal Barr / Omar d’León / Robert Clunie.

This exhibition is made possible with the support of the Thomas and Esther Wachtell Family Endowment Fund and the Bonita C. McFarland Fund.

InnoVision: Ventura County

Artists to Watch

InnoVision is an interactive exhibition that highlights the work of nine Ventura County artists. Through their innovative use of common materials, they create installations that reflect their personal visions and views of current issues such as the environment, immigration, identity, the housing shortage, and changing land usage in Ventura County. Alongside each artist’s work, videos explore the artists’ visions for their communities, creative influences, and experiences living in Ventura County.

Artists participating in the exhibition: Jasmine Delgado / María Adela Díaz / Daniela García Hamilton / Luke Matjas / Marianne McGrath / Gladys Rodríguez / Clark Song / Olguín Tapia Heredia / Elisa Torres.

This exhibition is made possible with the support of the John Hammer Family, the City of Ventura, the County of Ventura, CAPS Media, and Whatako Productions.

Challengers of the Status Quo

A George Stuart Historical Figures® Exhibition

Challengers of the Status Quo features the masterful work of renowned artist George Stuart. Through his remarkable three-dimensional?Historical Figures®, Stuart brings to life eleven individuals who defied the norms of their time and reshaped history.

Every intricately detailed figure depicts a changemaker who was bold enough to question the status quo. This exhibition invites guests to reflect on the impact of visionaries who shaped the world—and to consider how embracing new ideas can pave the way for a better future.

Exhibitions

AGRICULTURE MUSEUM

Enfoque: Voces Indígenas Mexicanas del Condado de Ventura

(In Focus: Mexican Indigenous Voices of Ventura County)

Únase a nosotros en el Museo de la Agricultura para la inauguración de esta esperada exposición que muestra más de 40 retratos fotográficos del fotógrafo de fama internacional Diego Huerta. Estos retratos destacan las vibrantes y resistentes comunidades indígenas mexicanas del condado de Ventura. Para más detalles sobre la exposición, haga clic AQUÍ.

Join us at the Agriculture Museum for this highly anticipated exhibition showcasing over 40 photographic portraits by internationally acclaimed photographer Diego Huerta. These portraits highlight the vibrant and resilient Mexican Indigenous communities of Ventura County. For exhibition details, click HERE.

This exhibition is made possible with the support of Hofer Properties and Ventura Auto Center, the Busch Family Foundation, Oxnard Performing Arts Center, Gabriella Navarro-Busch and Peter Busch, and Vida Newspaper.

The Farm to Market Children’s Hands-On Exhibition

An interactive exhibit promoting healthy lifestyles through role-play, the Ag Market is an immersive environment where children and families identify healthy food choices in a fun, market-like atmosphere.

Special thanks to Santa Paula’s former mayor, Carlos Juarez, for building our fun-filled market.

CLICK TO VIEW ALL EXHIBITIONS

MVC RECOMMENDS

Trivia Night at the Museum

Hosted by VCLA Cohort Season 30

Benefitting Mountain Fire Disaster Relief

Friday, April 25, 2025

6:00 pm – 10:00 pm

The Agriculture Museum, Santa Paula

Think “A Night at the Museum” meets museum art installation meets Ventura County trivia. The evening will be filled with conversation, laughter, cocktails, and plenty of insightful facts about our beloved County and the many diverse communities within. For information and tickets, click HERE!