OXNARD — OPAC and its honorary board member and Oxnard native, Jose Cano of Las Cafeteras, are teaming up to present a second installment of the “INSIGHT IN SOUND” series starting with a “Women in Music” panel discussion on Tuesday, February…
OPAC is proud to partner with Pinaysphere, a Filipinx Arts Mentorship nonprofit, to present the Second Annual Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Festival, Saturday, May 27, 2023 from 12 noon to 5 pm at Heritage Square in Downtown Oxnard. The event is in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month which recognizes the contributions and influences of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans to the history, culture, and achievements of the United States. OPAC’s event amplifies the narratives of our AAPI community by spotlighting local talent, entrepreneurs, artists, and grassroots leaders.
OXNARD — Making its post-COVID debut is OPAC’s annual arts festival scheduled for Sunday, October 1 from 11 am to 6 pm at picturesque Heritage Square, but with a twist. Once known as “PACC the Arts Festival,” the event has been rebranded as “CHELITA: Arts, Music, and Miches Festival” and will continue to showcase local culture and creativity.
“COVID provided arts organizations an opportunity to reevaluate what we do and how we can best serve our community. PACC the Arts no longer felt on-brand for us, but CHELITA certainly does,” reflects OPAC’s Executive Director Carolyn Merino Mullin. “The concept: If Coachella and a Michelada Festival had a baby in Oxnard, it’d be CHELITA.”
CHELITA is set to transform Heritage Square into a dynamic hub of creativity, fostering an environment where art, music, and gastronomy collide to create an unforgettable experience for attendees of all ages.
The Sight + Sound Film Festival is accepting film submissions now through June 12 for its second annual event to be held September 30 – October 2, 2022 at select venues in Historic Downtown Oxnard. The event is a joint effort between OPAC, the Film, Television, and Electronic Media program at Oxnard College and Downtown Oxnard.
Filmmakers of all levels may submit works in the following categories: Narrative Features and Shorts, Documentary Features and Shorts, Romantic Comedy, Dramatic, Thriller/Sci-Fi, Films produced in Oxnard/Ventura County and by local filmmakers, Student films, Music Videos, ASMR, and Animations.
“Our commitment is to collaboration, unity, diversity and giving voice to artists and issues around the world and to promote awareness and healing as we endeavor to present the best possible cinematic works, speakers and workshops by artists locally, regionally and even internationally” said Carolyn Merino Mullin, festival director.
OPAC has been approved for a $35,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support OPAC Studios, a new initiative that provides a creative space for underserved Oxnard teens, including BIPOC, indigenous, at-promise, and those experiencing homelessness. Under the framework of Creative Youth Development, this program offers ongoing free classes that are well-rounded, in-depth experiences in a variety of visual artistic mediums including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, textile arts, and more.
Washington DC’s legendary DJ duo, Shaolin Jazz, are making their West Coast debut this summer as part of their “Can I Kick It?” series, which scores live hip hop, soul, and funk music to cult classic kung fu films. The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is proud to bring “Can I Kick It?” to Ventura County audiences as part of an end-of-summer celebration.
OPAC will put an inclusive spin on its annual Dia de Muertos Celebration which will be held this year on Friday, November 5th from 5 to 10 pm at the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center. Co-curating this year’s festivities is a new art collective, Oxnard Art Studio.
“We’re thrilled to partner up with OPAC on what may be the first Filipina/x/o and Chicana/x/o organized Dia De Muertos or Araw Ng Mga Patay in Oxnard. We’re excited to bring many emerging artists and cultural traditions to the festivities, including paying homage to the Filipino tradition. We love to see more endeavors of intercultural unity within our community!,” reflects the collective’s John del Rosario.
OPAC, the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation, is pleased to announce the culmination of The Esperanza Project, a year-long programming series addressing Teen Latina Mental Health, with the premiere of the Esperanza Documentary on Thursday, June 3 from 6:30-8:30 pm on Zoom. The series was curated by OPAC’s Artist-in-Residence, Oxnard filmmaker Arcelia Martinez, in an effort to raise awareness about the disproportionately high rates of suicide amongst young Latinas compared to their peers and create space to tackle the stigmas surrounding mental health in the Latinx community.
As part of OPAC’s first Artist-in-Residency, Oxnard filmmaker Arcelia Martinez is raising awareness about mental health in the Latino community through a year-long programming series (June 2020 – May 2021) and the production of a short documentary. The next event is a Salon focused on Mental Health Stress Factors and will take place on Saturday, January 23, 2021 at 2 pm via Zoom. It’s free and open to the public, but pre-registration is required. The event will be professionally translated by Bridging Voices-Uniendo Voces.
Guest speakers from diverse places and perspectives in Ventura County will shed light on how Stress Factors can amplify mental health challenges in our community:
This year, we’ll also be acknowledging Araw ng mga Patay, the Filipino Dia de Muertos.
ARTISTS
Oxnard Art Studio · John del Rosario · Christina Hartman · SketchCrow · Bioket · Blotcampa · Abigail Mildbrandt · Creations by Cat · NPC Art Store · Art By Ambzy
SPECIAL GUESTS
Trendi Eats · Mexican Consulate of Oxnard · TessiEats
Adam Lopez, Community Relations Commissioner for City of Oxnard
PERFORMANCES
Kalpulli Huitzilin Ihuan Xochitl (Aztec Ceremony + Dancing)
Ballet Folklorico Mestizo of Oxnard College
Grupo Folklórico Fusión Mexicana
Poets Jesus and Sarahi Noyola, Angelina Leaños · Korpsx
