Ventura, CA - Entries from Community Memorial Hospital’s first annual Open Competition art exhibit will be displayed on the hospital’s first-floor walls from Dec. 4 to Jan. 7, 2012.

Unlike in previous art exhibits at CMH, there is no theme. Local artists were asked to submit “Just plain good art!” said Layla Hallberg, executive director of the Buenaventura Art Association.

Jessica Cusick, Cultural Affairs Manager for the City of Santa Monica, is the exhibit’s curator and will judge the entries. She will choose a first-place entry, second place, third place and she will have the option of picking four honorable mention awards.

Cusick will announce the winners during a “Meet the Artists” reception set for Monday, Dec. 5, from 5 to 7 p.m., in the hospital’s first-floor lobby. This event is open to the public and reservations are not required to attend. CMH is located at 147 N. Brent St. in Ventura.

Cusick has long been a prominent figure in the Southern California art scene. In 1998, she established Cusick Consulting to build upon her more than 20 years experience working in the arts for government agencies, the private sector and non-profit organizations. She has a degree in art history from the Sorbonne in Paris and a Masters from New York University.

The exhibit is a joint partnership between CMH, the Buenaventura Art Association, the Community Memorial Healthcare Foundation and the City of Ventura. All paintings and drawings on display are by local artists, with proceeds to be used for future exhibits as well as to benefit local artists, the Buenaventura Art Association and the foundation’s philanthropic efforts.

Community Memorial Hospital is a member of Community Memorial Health System, a not-for-profit health system, which is comprised of Community Memorial Hospital, Ojai Valley Community Hospital, and ten family-practice health centers entitled Centers for Family Health. The health system is located in Ventura County, California.